RATTAN 



Rattan ( Calamus rotang ). Reed- 

 like climbing plant of the natural 

 order Palmae. A native of India, it 

 has large, arching, feather-like, corn- 



Rattan. Foliage and fruit ; single 

 fruit shown in inset 



pound leaves, three or four ft. long. 

 The stems of this, C. viminalis, and 

 several other species furnish the 

 " canes " of commerce, used for 

 walking-sticks and basket-work, 

 and, when cut into thin strips, for 

 the seats of cane- bottomed chairs. 

 The stems are only an inch or two 

 in thickness. 



Rattan Palm (Rhapis flabelli- 

 formis) OR GROUND RATTAN. Dwarf 

 palm of the natural order Palmae. 

 It is a native of China and Japan. 

 The stems are only about a foot 

 and a half high, growing in dense 

 tufts, rough with the decayed 

 bases of former leaf-stalks. The 

 leaves, which have long slender 

 stalks, are divided into five to 

 seven spreading leaflets. 



Rattazzi, URBANO (1808-73). 

 Italian statesman. Born at Ales- 

 sandria, June 29, 1808, he became 

 a lawyer, and 

 in 1848 was 

 elected to the 

 parliament of 

 Piedmont, and 

 almost imme- 

 diately en- 

 tered the 

 cabinet. A 

 sup porter of 

 the war 

 against A u s- 

 tria, the defeat at Novara in 1849 

 drove him from office. In 1853, 

 however, he joined Cavour's cabinet 

 as minister of justice, and that of 

 La Marmora, in 1859, as minister of 

 the interior. Disgusted at the ces- 

 sion of Nice and Savoy to France, 

 he resigned in 1860. In 1862 and 

 1867 he was prime minister for a 

 few months, but on each occasion his 

 opposition to Garibaldi's attempts 

 against Rome, at Aspromonte and 

 Mentana, led to his defeat. He 

 died at Frosinone, June 5, 1873. 



Rattle. Instrument which 

 makes a rattling noise. There are 

 various kinds, from the toy of 



Urbano Rattazzi, 

 Italian statesman 



6499 



ivory or basket " 



work given to 



babies, to that 



once used as an i 



alarm by wateh- | 



men, and later ; 



by the police. ; 



This hasavibrat- ' 



ing tongue fixed ! 



in a frame, which 



slips over the 



teeth of a ratchet 



wheel when whirled rouod, making 



a loud noise. See Africa. 



Rattles. Name applied to plants 

 of three distinct genera Rhinan- 

 thus, Barlsia, and Pedicularia. It 

 belongs properly to Rhinanthus 

 crista-galli (yellow rattle), an an- 

 nual herb of the natural order 

 Scrophulariaceae, native of Europe, 

 N. Asia, and N. Africa. It is para- 

 sitic on roots, and has lance-shaped 



RAUCH 



to this retiring 

 disposition is 

 the possession 

 of the charac- 

 teristic " rat- 

 tle" terminat- 

 ing the tail, 

 whose action 

 warns prey of 

 their presence. 

 This consists 

 of a series of 

 horny cups 

 loosely, though 

 securely, ar- 

 ticulated, so 

 that vibration 

 of the tail by 

 shaking them 



J 



Rattan Palm. Head with flower 

 sprays and leaves 



round-toothed leaves, and yellow 

 flowers. The inflated calyx remains 

 when the contained seed-capsule is 

 ripe, and, if the plant is brushed 

 against, the seeds make a rattling 

 noise. 



Rattlesnake (Crotalus). Genus 

 of venomous snakes. It includes 

 about 16 species, all natives of 

 America, mostly of N. America. 

 Like the vipers, to which they are 

 allied, they possess fangs, certain 

 teeth in the front of the upper jaw 

 so rolled upon themselves as to 

 provide a groove down which the 

 poison flows into their wounded 

 victim. In most species the colora- 

 tion is of a protective character, 

 and their movements when hunting 

 are stealthy. Apparently opposed 



Rattle, formerly used as an alarm 

 by police and watchmen 



Rattlesnake. 1. Pygmy rattlesnake 



with young, 2. Rattle of Crotalus 



durissus. 3. Texas rattlesnake 



coiled, with rattle lifted 



W. S. Berridtje. F.Z.S. 



produces the rattling sound, for 

 which various purposes have been 

 suggested. One of its uses as a 

 sexual call appears to have been 

 verified, and answering rattles have 

 been heard ; but when the snake 

 is hunting it is silent. The best 

 known species are Crotalus durissus, 

 of N. America, and G. horridus of 

 S. America. An alternative name 

 for the genus is Pit-vipers, sug- 

 gested by a hollow between nose 

 and eye due to the formation of 

 the jaw-bone (maxilla). See Reptile; 

 Snake. 



Rattray. Police burgh of Perth- 

 shire, Scotland. It stands on the 

 Ericht, opposite Blairgowrie, 9 m. 

 from Dunkeld. There are mills for 

 flax-spinning, and near the town 

 are traces of a castle. Pop. 1,700. 



Rauch, CHRISTIAN DANiEL(1777- 

 1857). German sculptor. Born at 

 Arolsen in Waldeck, he studied 

 sculpture under Valentin and Ruhl 

 while valet to the duke of Waldeck. 

 Later, after entering the household 



