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CE'PHEUS. A northern constellation, 

 consisting of thirty-five stars, the prin- 

 cipal of which is Alderamin. 



CERAMBY'CID^. A family of Co- 

 leopterous insects, of the section Longi- 

 cornis of Latreille, named from the genus 

 cerambyx, and chiefly characterized by 

 the great length of the antennae. 



CE'RASIN {cerasus, the cherry). A 

 gummy substance, procured from the 

 cherry and the plum-tree, which swells 

 in cold water, but does not readily dis- 

 solve in it. 



CERA'TIUM (KepuTiov, a little horn). 

 A compound fruit, which is one-celled, 

 many-seeded, superior, linear, dehiscent 

 by two valves separating from the re- 

 plum, and differing from the siliqua in 

 the lobes of the stigma being alternate 

 with the placenta, instead of opposite. 

 It has been termed capsula siliquiformis. 

 It occurs in glaucium, the horned pop- 

 py, &c. 



CE'RCiE (xepKop, a tail). The feelers 

 which project from the hind part of the 

 body in some insects. 



CERCA'RI^ (xepKo?, a tail). A de- 

 signation of those animalcules whose 

 body is terminated by a tail-like ap- 

 pendage. 



CERCO'PID^. A family of the tri- 

 merous Homoptera, remarkable for their 

 grotesque forms, and represented in this 

 country by the cuckoo-spits and the frog- 

 hoppers, so named from the frothy secre- 

 tion which covers them in their larva 

 and pupa states. 



CE'REBRIC ACID {cerebrum, the 

 brain). A peculiar acid found in the sub- 

 stance of the brain, containing phos- 

 phorus. 



CERES. A telescopic planet, situated 

 in the solar system, between Mars and 

 Jupiter. It revolves round the sun in 

 about 4^ years, and is about 264,000,000 

 of miles distant from it. It was dis- 

 covered on Jan. 1st, 1801, by M. Piazzi, 

 whose name it sometimes bears. 



CE'RIC ACID (cera, wax). An acid 

 produced by the action of the fixed al- 

 kalies on wax. 



CE'RIN {cera, wax). 1. That consti- 

 tuent of common wax which dissolves in 

 alcohol. 2. A peculiar substance pro- 

 cured by the action of alcohol on grated 

 cork. 3. A variety of allanite. 



CE'RITE. A rare mineral, consisting 

 of the siliciferous oxide of cerium. 



CERI'THIN^. The Club-shells; a 

 sub-family of the Strombidce, or Wing- 

 shells, named from the typical genus 

 73 



Cerithium, and characterized by their 

 clavate form ; the spire is very long ; the 

 outer lip considerably dilated ; the base 

 either truncate, or forming a short re- 

 curved channel. 



CE'RIUM. A white metal found in 

 two Swedish minerals called cerite and 

 ceruie, and more recently in allanite, at 

 Aliuk, in East Greenland. 



CE'RNUOUS {cernuus, hanging down 

 the head). Drooping; inclining from the 

 perpendicular towards the horizon; a 

 term applied to flowers. 



CERTHI'ADiE {certhia, the tree- 

 creeper). A family of the Insessores, or 

 Perching birds, consisting of the Tree- 

 creepers, Nuthatches, &c., which re- 

 semble the Melliphagidae, or Honey- 

 suckers, in general structure. See 

 Tenuirostres. According to Macgillivray 

 these birds constitute a family of the 

 Reptatrices, or Creepers, characterized 

 by having the three fore toes more or 

 less united at the base and spreading 

 little. 



CE'RULIN {cceruleus, blue). The 

 name given to indigo in the modified 

 state which it acquires during solution. 



CE'RUSE. Carbonate of lead, occur- 

 ring naturally in the form of carbonate 

 of barytes. Under the name of white 

 lead, it is employed by painters to give 

 body to their colours. 



CERVl'COBRANCHIA'TA {cervix, 

 the neck, ^pafxia, gills). The name of 

 an order of Gasteropods, comprising, ac- 

 cording to Blainville's arrangement, the 

 patellae or limpets, and three other 

 genera. The order is subdivided into 

 the retifera and the branchifera ; the 

 former are the patellae, which he sup- 

 poses to respire by means of a net-work 

 belonging to the cavity which is above 

 their head, 



CE'RVIDiE {cervus, a stag). The 

 Stag tribe ; a family of the Ruminantia, 

 in which the antlers are periodically cast 

 off. 



CESTOI'DEA (/ceo-Tof, a girdle, €t3or, 

 form). Tape-worms ; an order of the 

 Entozoa, which have a long, depressed, 

 flat, tape-like, articulated form, each seg- 

 ment having distinct nutritive and gene- 

 rative organs. 



CETA'CEA {cete, a whale). An order 

 of vertebrated mammiferous animals 

 inhabiting the ocean, as the whale, the 

 dolphin, &c. These animals resemble 

 fishes in shape, but they breathe air, have 

 warm blood, and a double circulation, 

 like other mammalia j the tail-fin is also 



