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CERAMIUS. 



CERASUS. 



CERA'MIUS, a genus of Hymeuopterous Insects belonging to the 

 section IHploptera, (Latreille). This genus is arranged by Latreille next 

 to the True Wasps. It is readily distinguished by the superior wings 

 being flat (not folded as in the wasps) and having only two cubital 

 cells ; the labial palpi are longer than the maxillae. [VESPID.E.] 



CERAPTURUS. [PAUSSID*.] 



CE'RAPUS, a genus of Amphipodoua Crustaceans forming the 

 sixth division of the third section of the order Amphipoda (Latreille), 

 according to Desmarest. The following are the characters of this 

 division : All four antennte very great and strong, and nearly of the 

 same length ; the upper with four joints, the lower or lateral ones 

 with five. 



Say first established this genus, which has the antennje hairy, and 

 performing in some sort the office of limbs, herein corresponding in 

 a degree to the lower antennas of the Corophia of Latreille. Feet of 

 the first pair small, and terminated by a simple short nail ; those of 

 the second pair on the contrary very large, having a large, flat, trian- 

 gular manus provided with a biarticulated thumb, corresponding to a 

 well-developed point which represents the immoveable finger in the 

 ordinary crustaceans ; those of the three succeeding pairs moderate 

 and monodactylous, and the four last longer, more slender, and 

 directed backwards and upwards. Body long, linear, demicylindrical, 

 composed of twelve segments, the last of which is flattened into the 

 form of an oval plate furnished on each side with a small bifurcated 

 appendage at the extremity. Head terminated by a very small 

 rostrum. Eyes projecting. 



Example, Cerapm tubitlaris. Like the larvrc of the Phryyanerf this 

 extraordinary crustacean, which is about six lines in length, lives in a 



Ceraput tubular-it. 



small cylindrical tube, which is considered to be that of a Tnliidaria, 

 exposing only the head, the four large antenna.-, and the two first 

 pairs of feet. The species occurs in abundance in the sea near Egg 

 Harbour in the United States, in the midst of Scrtularir?, which arc 

 supposed to form its principal food. (Journal of the Academy of Nat. 

 Set. of Philadelphia, vol. i. p. 49, pi. 4.) 



CERASITE, a native Chloride of Lead. It has a white, yellowish, 

 or reddish colour, is nearly opaque, and has a pearly lustre. Its spe- 

 cific gravity is 7 to 7'1. It consists of lead 83, and chlorine 14. It is 

 found in the Mendip Hills, Somersetshire. 



CERASTES. [VipERin*.] 



CERA'STIUM (from Ktpat, a horn), a genus of plants belonging to 

 the natural order Caryopkyllacete. It has a 5-parted calyx, 5 petals, 

 all bifid ; stamens 1,0, 5, or 4 ; styles 5 or 4 ; the capsules tubular, 

 opening at the end, with 10 teeth. This is an extensive genus, con 

 taining species which are common weeds in the temperate climates 

 of most parts of the world. Don enumerates 82 species ; of these 9 

 are British. 



C. alpinum, Alpine Mouse-Ear Chickweed, has a hairy ascending 

 stem, the leaves ovate, ovate-oblong, or lanceolate ; the flowers few ; 

 the sepals blnutish, with membranous margins ; bracts herbaceous, 

 their margins often narrowly membranous ; the capsules, at length, 

 twice as long as the calyx. This plant is a native of the Pyrenees, 

 the mountainous parts of Wales and Scotland, and of Melville Island. 

 It is subject to great variations, and a number of varieties have been 

 described by Brown, Bentham, and other botanists. 



C. ylomeratum has ovate leaves, acute lanceolate sepals, with a 

 narrow membranous margin, and, as well as the herbaceous bracts, 

 hairy throughout ; the capsule cylindrical, ascending, twice as long as 

 the calyx ; fruit-stalks about as long as the calyx. This is a common 

 plant in fields and on banks, flowering from April to September. 

 The other British species are C. Irinalf, common in fields ; C. temidec- 

 andrum, found in dry places : C. atrorirent, inhabiting sandy places 

 and rocks near the sea ; C. pumilttm, found only near Croydon in 

 Surrey ; C. letrandrum, found at Tynemouth and Shetland ; C. lati- 

 folium, a rare plant ; and C. arvente, abundant in chalky and gravelly 

 places. 



A few of the species, as C. tomentotum, C. grandijtorum, and C. 

 ticum are worth cultivating as border flowers. C. latifolium, 

 C. ifi/iinum, airl <'. glacial arn adapted for growing on rock-work, or 

 in mall pots, when they should be placed in a mixture of loam 

 sand, and peat. They require the same general treatment as mosl 

 hardy plants. The annual species may be propagated by sowing seec 



in an open border in the spring ; the perennial, by dividing the plants 

 at the root. 



(Don, Gardener's Dictionary ; Babington, Manual.) 

 CE'RASUS. a genus of plants belonging to the Amygdaleous divi- 

 sion of the natural order Kosacece, and including the Common Cherry 

 among its species. It is hardly different from Primus, there being 

 ittle or nothing to distinguish it beyond its leaves when young being 

 'olded flat instead of being rolled up. Botanists seem however pretty 

 well agreed in looking upon the Cherries as a genus distinct from 

 Plums, and we follow their example. The species may be divided into 

 the True Cherries, the Bird-Cherries, and the Cherry-Laurels. 



Section I. True Cherries. Flowers growing in Umbels or singly, 

 or occasionally in short Corymbs ; usually appearing earlier than 

 the Leaves. 



1. C. Arium (Primus Arium, Linn.), the Wild Cherry. Flowers 

 appearing with the leaves, which are pale and rather downy under- 

 neath. Branches when young weak and spreading. Fruit roundish, 

 with a soft flesh and an austere juice. A native of the woods of 

 Europe and the west of Asia ; and in a cultivated form common in 

 gardens. In this country it occurs as far to the north as Ross-shire, 

 where it exists in the form of a dwarf bush propagating itself rapidly 

 by the roots. The wood is remarkable for the large size of its medul- 

 lary processes, which give its longitudinal section a bright satiny 

 lustre, and render it well suited for ornamental cabinet work. In this 

 respect it is much superior to the C. rulgaris. When growing in 

 gravelly or sharp sandy situations with a dry bottom, which are the 

 only localities where it thrives, it acquires a very considerable size, 

 occasional specimens being spoken of as much as 80 feet and more in 

 height; it is however more commonly seen in the state of coppice 

 wood. To this species we presume all the weeping or weak-branched 

 cultivated cherries with an acid juice are to be referred either as 

 genuine varieties or hybrid forms ; such are the Merise or Merisier, 

 Morello, Kentish and All Saint, or Overflowering Cherry, which last is 

 often made into a species by systematic writers, and called C. temper- 

 Jtorens. Some of the varieties, especially the Double-Flowered French, 

 as it is commonly called, the Double Merisier of the French, are 

 remarkable for their elegance and beauty. C. Avium is the Cerasua 

 tylvatrit of Ray ; and the C. marasca, or Marasche Cherry, of 

 Dalmatia, from which maraschino is prepared, has no specific marks 

 to distinguish it. 



2. C. vulyaris (Prunui Ccraftu, Linn.), the Common Cherry. Flowers 

 appearing earlier than the leaves, which are light green and smooth 

 underneath. Branches when young stiff and erect. Fruit roundish 

 or heartshaped, succulent, more or less firm, and sugary. Found wild 

 in the woods of Asia Minor, where it acquires a very large size. 

 Walsh speaks of it as being still common along the northern coast of 

 Asia Minor, whence the ' original cherry ' was brought to Europe. 

 One variety is chiefly seen in gardens, the other grows in woods in the 

 interior, particularly on the banks of the Sakari, the ancient Sangarius. 

 The trees attain a gigantic size ; they are ascended by perpendicular 

 ladders suspended from the lowest branches. Walsh measured one 

 of them 5 feet in circumference (?), 40 feet to the origin of the lowest 

 branches, and from 90 to 100 feet in full height ; this large tree was 

 loaded with delicious, fine, transparent, amber-coloured fruit. Dr. 

 Royle considers the cherry wild in Cashmere. It was introduced into 

 Europe by the Romans under Lucullus, about half a century before 

 the birth of Christ, and has ever since formed one of the most 

 esteemed varietes of dessert fruit. It differs from the genuine form 

 of C. Arium in the characters above assigned to it, as also in its wood 

 having such small medullary processes that nothing like a satiny 

 appearance in it is produced, whatever the direction be in which it is 

 cut ; hence its grain is plain, and it is but ill suited for cabinet- 

 makers' work. It is to be presumed that this exotic species is the 

 origin of the sweet large cherries called Bigarreaus, Guignes, and the 

 like, to which must undoubtedly be added the Tartarian Cherries of 

 the English gardens. That the two species now enumerated were 

 really distinct in the beginning we have little doubt ; but long culti- 

 vation and their intermixture by hybridising, either intentional or 

 accidental, have so confused them that the gardens are filled with 

 intermediate races, and their limits are lost sight of. 



It is here that the C. Juliana and Duracina of modern botanists 

 have to be referred ; while their C. caproniana, or acid succulent 

 cherries, are probably hybrids. [CHERRY.] For a full account of 

 these species see London's ' Aboretum Britannicum.' 



3. C. chamaceratut, the Ground-Cherry. Flowers in umbels, either 

 with the leaves or earlier. Leaves obovate-lanceolate, shining, ere- 

 nated, quite smooth, with few or no glands. Fruit spherical, acid, 

 with stalks longer than the leaves. A dwarf species, never rising 

 above 3 or 4 feet high, and in the gardens usually budded on the 

 common cherry at the height of 5 or 6 feet from the ground. It is 

 not ornamental, and is seldom seen. Its native situations are stony, 

 rocky, mountainous places, about the skirts of woods and in hedges 

 in the eastern parts of Europe and west of Asia ; it is common in 

 Lower Austria and Hungary. Gmelin met with it in Siberia, and 

 Ledebour in the Kirghis Desert, near Karkaraly, in the Altai. 



4. C. nigra, the Black American Cherry. Flowers in sessile umbels, 

 appearing before the leaves ; light pink. Leaves obovate-obloiig or 



