CRO 



CRO 



possibility of deception, he then re-ap- 

 proached, 'and saw the parent open the 

 same asylum, and the offspring 1 avail 

 themselves of it with the same celerity; 

 after which the snake moved beyond his 

 observation. From experiments made on 

 various dogs by the bite of this snake, 

 one was killed in a quarter of a minute ; 

 another bitten afterwards in two hours , 

 and a third, bitten last, in above three. 

 It was a matter of natural curiosity to 

 ascertain whether the animal would de- 

 stroy itself by its bite, and being provok- 

 ed by some means to inflict on itself a 

 wound, it expired in about twelve mi- 

 nutes afterwards. 



CROTCHES, in ship-building, very 

 crooked timbers in the hold or bread- 

 room, from the mizen-step aft, fayed cross 

 the keelson, to strengthen the ship in the 

 wake of the half timbers. 



CROTCHET, in music, one of the 

 notes or characters of time, marked thus 

 J , equal to a half minim, and double of a 

 quaver. 



CROTCHET, in midwifery, an instru- 

 ment used in extracting the fetus. 



CROTCHET, in printing, a sort of straight 

 or curved line, always turned up at each 

 extreme; serving to link such articles 

 as are to be read together ; and used 

 in analytical tables, &c. for facilitating 

 the divisions and subdivisions of any 

 subject. 



CROTCHETS are also marks or cha- 

 racters, serving to inclose a word or 

 sentence, which is distinguished from 

 the rest, being generally in this form [] 

 or this (). 



CROTON, in botany, a genus of the 

 Monoecia Monadelphia class and order. 

 Natural order of Tricoccae. Euphorbia:, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : male, ca- 

 lyx cylindric, five-toothed -. corolla five- 

 petalled : stamens ten to fifteen : female, 

 calyx many-leaved ; corolla none ; styles 

 three, bifid ; capsule three-celled ; seed 

 one. There are 53 species. The plants 

 of this numerous genus are herba- 

 ceous, or more frequently shrubby. 

 Leaves accompanied with stipules, gene- 

 rally alternate, seldom opposite : flowers 

 axillary, or terminating usually in spikes, 

 but sometimes in corymbs : the spikes 

 are mostly monaeeous. These plants are 

 chiefly inhabitants of the East and West 

 Indies. 



CROTOPHAGI, the am, in natural 

 history, a genus of birds of the order 

 Picac. Generic character: bill compress- 

 ed, semi-oval, arched end cultrated at the 

 top ; nostrils round ; tongue flat, pointed 

 at the end ; tail often feathers : toes two 



before, and two behind. There are four 

 species ; the principal of which is the C. 

 ani, or the lesser ani. These are found 

 in many parts of the West Indies and 

 South America, and are about the size of 

 a black-bird. A curious peculiarity con- 

 nected with the history of these birds is, 

 that many females will unite in the con- 

 struction of one nest, where each will de- 

 posit a certain number of eggs, and con- 

 tribute her part to the general process of 

 incubation. Each will also contribute, 

 after the young are hatched, to provide, 

 as far as her means extend, for the whole 

 family. As soon as she has laid her eggs, 

 the female has been remarked invariably 

 to cover them with leaves, never failing 

 also to do the same previously to her 

 short absences in quest of food. In the 

 warm climate of the West Indiesthis sin- 

 gularity is not easily accounted for. The 

 food of these birds varies with the season, 

 and consists of grain, worms, and insects, 

 as well^as fruit. They appear in flocks of 

 about twenty, are rank and unpalatable 

 as food, and by a chattering and scream- 

 ing noise, which they utter under every 

 impression of danger, often interrupt and 

 defeat the hopes of the sportsman, by 

 alarming valuable game beyond the reach 

 of his efforts. 



CROW. See Couvrs. 



CROW, in mechanics, a kind of iron- 

 lever with a claw at one end, and a sharp 

 point at the other : used for heaving or 

 purchasing great weights. 



CROW'S feet, in the military art, ma- 

 chines of iron, having four points, each 

 about three or four inches long, so made 

 that whatever way they fall there is still 

 a point up : they are thrown upon breach- 

 es, or in passes where the enemy's caval- 

 ry are to march, proving very trouble- 

 some by running into the horse's feet 

 and laming them. 



CROWEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Decandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Calyx five parted ; petals five, sessile ; sta- 

 mina flat, subulate, connected by inter- 

 woven hairs; antherse growing longitudi- 

 nally from the inner part of the filaments; 

 capsules five-united ; seeds coated. One 

 species ; viz. the saligna, a native of Aus- 

 tralasia. 



CROWN, an ornament worn on thfe 

 head by kings, sovereign princes, and no- 

 blemen, as a mark of their dignity. 



CROWN, in heraldry, is used for the re- 

 'presentation of that ornament, in the 

 mantling of an armory, to express the 

 dignity of persons. See HERALDRY. 



CHOWS, in commerce, a general name 

 for coins, both foreign and domestic, 



