773 



CAPRIMULGUS. 



CARABUS. 



771 



Honeysuckle (Cuitrtfulium perfulialitm). 



a, Flower opened to show the insertion of the five stamens ; 6, front and 

 back view of anthers ; r, horizontal section of ovary ; d, fruit ; r, the same in 

 section ; /, seed ; g, the same in section, showing the embryo ; *, embryo. 



CAPRIMULGUS, a genus of Birds belonging to the tribe fwettores 

 and the family C<>/,i <//.'/ '/. One of the species, C. Europcrus, the 

 Night-Jar, Night-Churn, or Fern-Owl, is a native of Great Britain. It 

 is a nocturnal bird, hence its names. The species of Caprimulyut are 

 also called Goat-Suckers. [GOAT-SUCKERS.] 



CAPRISCUS, a genus of Fishes, to which some authors refer the 

 European File-Fish. [BALISTES.] 



CA'PROS, a genus of Acauthopterygious Fishes, belonging to the 

 family Scomberida. 



Only one species of this genus has yet been discovered ; the Capros 

 aper of Lacepede, and Ztus aper of Liimteus. 



The characters of the genus are : Body short, somewhat ovate, 

 much compressed, and covered with small serrated scales ; mouth 

 capable of considerable protrusion. Dorsal fin emarginated (as in the 

 dories), but no spines at the base, nor at the base of the anal fin. 



Caprot aper, the Boar-Fish, in general appearance is not unlike the 

 dory (to which it is in fact closely allied), but, independent of other 

 characters, may be distinguished by its mouth being more attenuated 

 and protractile, the body being covered with scales, and the want of 

 long filament* to the dorsal spines. This fish appears to be most 

 generally about 6 inches in length, of a pale carmine colour above and 

 silvery-white beneath. The colour of the upper part extends more 

 or leas down the sides of the body, and sometimes several orange- 

 coloured bands are observable extending from the back downwards. 

 The lateral line is not readily seen, excepting in recent specimens, 

 when it is said to have a crystalline appearance. This fish is a native 

 of the Mediterranean, and has been found on our own coast, but very 

 rarely ; a third specimen has recently been recorded as British. An 

 interesting account of this fish will be found in Yarrell's ' History of 

 British Fishes.' 



CAI-UOVI.S. [OVE.K.] 



CAPSELLA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Cruciferce, the sub-order Anguttiteptce, the tribe Lepidinra. It has 

 a triangular-obcordate pouch; compressed valves, keeled but not 

 winged ; numerous seeds ; simple filaments. The species of the 

 Linmcan genus Thlatpi, without wings to their valves, form this genus. 

 The best known is the common Shepherd's Purse (C, Burta Patori). 

 It is an annual herb, very variable in habit, a follower of man, and 

 springs up wherever he fixes his abode. As a weed it is frequently 

 very troublesome in gardens. It may be got rid of by hoeing in hot 

 and dry weather whilst it is in flower, but if it be allowed to ripen 

 its seed it is with difficulty eradicated. Koch describes several 

 varieties of this plant. He also describes two other species as inha- 

 bitants of Germany. C. procumbent (Lepidium procumbent of Lin- 

 nanis), and C. paucijtora, apparently a variety of the last. (Koch, 

 Flora Gcrmanica ; Babington, Manual of Brit, Bot.) 



CA'PSICUM, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Solanacue. The species are called Bird-Peppers. The shell of the 



fruit is fleshy and coloured, and contains a pungent principle, which 

 also exists in its seed in great activity. On this account both the 

 fruit and seeds of different species of Capsicum, are in request as a 

 condiment, and either in the unprepared state or ground, when they 

 are called Cayenne Pepper, form a conspicuous feature amongst the 

 plants affording stimulating oils used by man. In Europe the Cap- 

 sicum enters largely into the seasoning of food and the preparation of 

 pickles, and in warmer countries it constitutes one of the first neces- 

 saries of life either green or ripe. The species from which the fresh 

 Capsicums used in Europe are principally obtained is the Capsicum, 

 annuum, a weedy plant found wild in South America and the West 

 Indies. This species grows from one to two feet high, forming a dark 

 green bush, with ovate or ovate-lanceolate leaves ; its flowers are small 

 and white ; its fruit is extremely variable in size, colour, position, 

 and even in quality. Red and yellow are the prevailing colours; 

 the oblong -conical is the ordinary figure ; and to hang in a drooping 

 position is the most usual direction of the fruit. But round, ovate, 

 and even depressed fruit is known, and many varieties constantly 

 bear their fruit in an erect position. Most of them are too pungent 

 for European palates ; but the large Red Bullock's Heart and Yellow 

 Tomato Capsicums are mild enough to be sliced with salad. 



A much hotter species is the C. frnticottim, or Goat-Pepper, a native 

 of the East Indies, which differs from the C. annuum in being a shrub 

 and in its fruit being very small. There is also a kind cultivated by 

 the Chinese, with black fruit ; and botanists recognise many others, 

 but they appear to be in many cases mere varieties of C. annuum, or 



The acrid principle of Capsicum has been analysed by Braconnot 

 (' Annales de Chimie,' vol. vi., p. 122), who found it not to be volatile, 

 to dissolve readily in water, more freely in alcohol and ether, and 

 that it is mixed with mucilage, wax, and resin. 



The species of Capsicum are easily brought to perfection in this 

 country. Their seeds are sown in a hot-bed in the beginning of 

 April ; the young plants are managed like other tender annuals ; and 

 about the end of May they are planted in the open air under a south 

 wall. They will readily ripen their fruit in such a situation. 



CAPSULE, a vague name given by botanists to any kind of dry 

 seed-vessel containing many cells and seeds. It usually opens by 

 valves. 



CARA'BID^E, a family of Coleopterous Insects of the section 

 Pentamtra of Latreille. This family, named as above by M'Leay, 

 is nearly identical with Latreille's section Grandipalpi as given in 

 Cuvier's ' Rcgne Animal.' The distinguishing characters are : Ante- 

 rior tibiae without emarginatiou on the inner side ; head narrower 

 than the thorax ; eyes rather prominent ; palpi with the terminal 

 joints often compressed, large, and -somewhat triangular in shape; 

 mandibles simple, moderately long, and rather thick. 



The species of the Carabidte are usually large, and adorned with 

 brilliant metallic colours. 



CA'RABUS, a genus of Coleopterous Insects, of the family 

 Cnrabida. This must not be confounded with the genus Carabus of 

 Linnaeus, which according to many of the modern authors is divided 

 into several families, and each of those families contains numerous 

 genera. The necessity for sub-dividing the group called Carabus l>y 

 Linnaeus will be seen when it is taken into consideration that there are 

 probably now about 800 species discovered. 



The genera Carabus, Tefflus, Procerus, Procrustes, and Calosoma, 

 contain the largest species of the Carnivorous Beetles, and together 

 appear to form a natural group : we will therefore here notice the 

 distinguishing characteristics of each, omitting those of Calosoma, 

 which will be found under that head. These genera are usually 

 arranged in succession as follows : Tefflus, Procerui, Procntstes, 

 Ciini/iiis, and Calosoma; and their chief technical characters may be 

 readily seen by the following table : 

 1 . Anterior tarsi the same (or nearly so) in both sexes. 



a. Labrum entire .... Tefflus. 



b. Labrum bilobate . . . Procerui. 



2. Anterior tarsi with the three or four basal joints dilated in the 

 males. 



a. Labrum trilobate .... Procrustes. 



b. Labrum bil :>bed . . . Carabus. 



In Tefflus, Procerus, and Carabus, there is a simple tooth-like pro- 

 cess in the emargination of the mentum ; whilst in Procrustes this 

 process is broad and slightly notched at the apex. The terminal joint 

 of the palpi in these genera is nearly triangular, and larger in the 

 males than in the females. In Procerus this joint is much larger in pro- 

 portion than in either Carabus or Procrustes ; and in Tcfflus it is most 

 developed, and is of an elongate form, slightly convex anteriorly. 

 (Fig. 2.) 



Tefflus Megerlei. The only species known of this genus is nearly 

 two inches long, and is black ; the thorax is almost double the width 

 of the head, slightly convex and rugose, and has the lateral and pos- 

 terior margins reflected; it is truncated anteriorly and posteriorly, 

 and the lateral margins and posterior angles are rounded ; the elytra 

 are elongate-ovate, very convex, and furnished with seven smooth 

 elevated longitudinal ridges, and in the space between these ridges 

 there is a chain of small elevated tubercles ; the legs and antennce are 



