COT 



COT 



was likewise made by Mr. Hargrave, and 

 consisted in applying two or three cards 

 to the same board, and fixing them to a 

 stool or stock ; whence they obtained the 

 name of stock-cards. With these one 

 woman could perform two or three times 

 as much work as she could do before in 

 the common way. A still more expe- 

 ditious method of carding, however, by 

 what are commonly called cylinder cards, 

 was soon afterwards invented, and is 

 that which is now most commonly prac- 

 tised. 



COTTON spinning, the art or process 

 of reducing cotton-wool into yum or 

 thread. The most simple method for 

 this purpose, and the only one in use for a 

 long time in this country, was by the 

 hand, upon the well-known domestic ma- 

 chine, called a one-thread wheel. But as 

 the demand for cotton goods began to in- 

 crease, other inventions were thought of 

 for expediting this part of the manufac- 

 ture. About fifty years ago an engine 

 was contrived, for a more easy and expe- 

 ditious method of spinning cotton, und a 

 patent was obtained ; but the undertaking 

 did not prove successful. Some years 

 after, various machines were constructed 

 by different persons for facilitating the 

 spinning of cotton ; but without producing 

 any very material or lasting advantage. 

 At length, about 1767, Mr. James Har- 

 grave, a weaver in the neighbourhood of 

 Blackburn, in Lancashire, constructed 

 a machine, by which a great number of 

 threads (from 20 to 80) might be spun 

 at once, and for which he obtained his 

 Majesty's letters patent. This machine 

 is called a jenny, and is the best contri- 

 vance for spinning woof, or shute, that 

 has hitherto appeared. It is now com- 

 monly constructed for 84 threads, and 

 with it one person can spin 100 English 

 hanks in the day, each hank containing 

 840 yards. 



The next and most capital improve- 

 ments which this branch of manufacture 

 received were from Mr. Arkwright, after- 

 ward Sir Richard Arkwright, of Crom- 

 ford, in Derbyshire. He first brought 

 forward his new method of spinning cot- 

 ton in 1768, for which he obtained a 

 patent in 1769. In 1775 he obtained ano- 

 ther patent, for engines which he had con- 

 structed to prepare the materials for 

 spinning; though one of these patents, 

 being challenged at law, was set aside 

 some years before it expired. The re- 

 sult of Mr. Arkwright's different inven- 

 tions and improvements is a combination 

 of machinery, by which cotton is carded, 



roved and spun, with the utmost exact- 

 ness and equality ; and such a degree of 

 perfection attained in spinning warp, as 

 is not to be equalled in ,any other part of 

 the world. To these improvements this 

 country is entirely indebted for the great 

 extent of its cotton manufactures, large 

 buildings having been erected for that 

 branch both in England and Scotland, 

 many of which contain several thousands 

 of spindles, each driven by one or more 

 large water wheels ; and some of such 

 extent as to spin at the rate of one thou- 

 sand yards of twist or warp yarn in the 

 minute. Other machines have been in- 

 vented at diHerent times, and a variety 

 of improvements made by different me- 

 chanics and manufacturers, one of which 

 in particular we must not omit to men- 

 tion. It is called a mule, being a kind of 

 mixture of machinery between the warp- 

 machine of Mr. Arkwright, and the 

 woof machine, or hand jenny, of Mr. 

 Hargrave, and was also invented in Lan- 

 cashire. 



COTTON mills are large buildings, with 

 peculiar machinery for carding, roving, 

 and spinning cotton. These were en- 

 tirely unknown in this country before the 

 different inventions and improvements of 

 Messrs. Arkwright and Hargrave ; since 

 which time great numbers have been 

 erected in England, many in Scotland, 

 and some in Ireland. See MANUFACTURE 

 of cotton. 



COTTUS, the bull-head, in natural his- 

 tory, a genus of fishes of the order Tho- 

 racici. Generic character : head broader 

 than the body, spiny ; eyes vertical and 

 supplied with a nictitating membrane ; gill 

 membrane, of six rays ; body round, with- 

 out scales, tapering towards the tail ; 

 dorsal fins generally two. There are ten 

 species, of which the principal is C. gobio, 

 the river bull-head. This is about five 

 inches long when full grown, is found in 

 almost every part of Europe in clear 

 streams, and conceals itself under a stone, 

 or in the gravel. Its food consists of 

 worms, aquatic insects, and extremely 

 young fish. It is reported to deposit its 

 spawn in a hole in the gravel, formed by 

 it for the purpose, and which nothing but 

 necessity will induce it to leave. It is ca- 

 papable of swimming very vigorously and 

 rapidly, but is far more stationary than 

 active in its habit. It is used as food, 

 but almost exclusively by the poor. The 

 mailed bull-hend, or C. caetaphractus, is 

 found ^n abundance in the seas of Europe. 

 For a representation of it, see Pisces. 

 Plate HI. fi^. 2. 



