CROCOISITK. 



CROTALII'.K. 



piston of the animal life of ancient Britain ; and what adds to the 

 insularity and interest of the restored ' tableau vivant ' U the fact, 

 thai it could not now be presented in any part of the world. The aune 

 forms of Crooodilean Reptile it U true itill exist, but the habitats of 

 UK Gavial and the Alligator are wide aiunder, thousands of miles of 

 land and OOMH intervening : one U peculiar to the tropical riven of 

 .p~nMn^l Alia, UM other U restricted to the warmer latitudes of 

 North and South America; both fomu are excluded from Africa, in 

 the rircn of which continent* true Crocodile! alone are found. Not 

 on* representative of the Crocodilean order naturally exists in any 

 part of Europe : yet every form of the order once flourished in 

 alow proximity to each other in a territory which now forms part of 



i :.. . : 



I .." 



Chromate of Lead. [LEAD.] 

 CROCUS, a beautiful genus of Iridaoeous Plants, consisting of 

 many hardy species, some of which are among the commonest orna- 

 ments of gardens. Crocuses are chiefly found in the middle and 

 southern parts of Europe and the Levant, three only being wild with 

 us, namely Croftu itudijtumt, which is abundant in the meadows near 

 Nottingham, C. rtrnmi and C. tativtu. Botanists have found it ex- 

 tremely difficult to ascertain by what precise technical marks the 

 species are to be distinguished. We do not propose to occupy our- 

 selves with that subject, bat shall rather enumerate briefly the names 

 and localities of such as are apparently distinct ; so that those who 

 wish to form a complete collection of these pretty flowers may know 

 when to look for them, and when their task is accomplished. 



Vernal Species. 



C. HI mil This U the common Purple or White Crocus of our 

 ganttm* in the spring. It has produced a multitude of florists' varie- 

 ties, some of which are extremely beautiful and well marked. Its 

 root-coaU are finely netted, its flowers scentless, and the throat of 

 the tube of the flower covered with hairs. C. albijlortu and C. oborattu 

 are varieties of it It is said to be wild in some parts of England, 

 but it may have been introduced. It is certainly wild on the Alps, 

 particularly of the Tyrol, Piedmont, Switzerland, Salzburg, and 

 Carinthia, descending to the sea-coast at Friuli. It is also found on 

 the mountains of the Abruzzi and elsewhere, in similar situations in 

 the kingdom of Naples, associating itself with oaks, chestnuts, and 

 similar trees, and not existing at elevations exceeding 6000 feet 



C. wmcofor, the common Sweet-Scented Variegated Spring Crocus. 

 There are not many varieties of it, all of which are recognised by the 

 root-coats not being cut circularly, the yellow tube of the flower 

 hairless, and the sweet scent It grows wild about Nizza (Nice), and 

 in all the eastern parts of 1'rovenoe. 



C. ovtonu, the Scotch Crocus. The beautiful pencilled sepals 

 and dear or bluish-white petals of this species distinguish it at once ; 

 added to which the root-coats are cut round into circular segments, 

 a circumstance that occurs in no other species. It is a native of the 

 moot southern parts of Italy; growing wild in sterile subalpine 

 in the kingdom of Naples, and in similar situations in Sicily. 



Our garden plants are merely a cultivated state of the C. ptuiUui of 

 the Italians. 



C. Imftnti. This is little known in England. Its leaves 

 appear long before the flowers, and are glaucous and spreading. The 

 petals and sepals are a delicate violet inside, but externally white ; 

 UM petals are almost whole-coloured and pale purple, except at the 

 base ; the sepals are strongly feathered with rich purple. A white 

 and a whole-coloured variety of it are said to exist It differs from 

 C. kijlona in its root-coats being membranous, and not cut circularly, 

 and from C. rerricolor in the tube of the flower not being hairy. It 

 inhabits low hills and woods in the kingdom of Naples, on Capri, on 

 Mount 8. Angelo di Castellamare, and elsewhere. It is supposed that 

 C. ia*oltiu u at most only a variety of this. 



C. luitut or wurtiactu, the Large Yellow Crocus. It is charac- 

 terised- by very large whole-coloured flowers, and large roots, with 

 coarsely netted coats. It is an oriental plant, but its exact locality is 

 unknown. 



C. murau, the Small Yellow Crocus, by no means so common as 

 UM last, of which it is probably a variety. IU flowers are smaller and 

 deeper coloured, and it has a pale cream-coloured variety. Dr. 

 aibthorp found it wild on the hills of the Morea. 



C. MMMU, the Cloth-of-Oold Crocus. This species is well 

 known for its coarsely -netted root-skin, and small deep yellow flowers, 

 UM sepals of which are feathered with dark chocolate brown, and are 

 rolled back when expanded under sunshine. It is a native of the 

 Crimea, the Ukraine, and the other parte of south-western Russia : it 

 is also believed to be a Turkish plant; and localities are given for it 

 under UM name of C. rttifulntut, on mountains near Trieste, in woods 

 near Lippixxa, in Friuli, and in Hungary, in the lordship of Tolna. A 

 remarkable variety with deep purple flowers exists, but it is extremely 



C. tUOal M and C. tulplkurau are pale and probably hybrid varieties 

 of C. <<<ML Thv have never been seen except in gardens, and are 

 UM least pretty of the genus. 



Autumnal Specie*. 



C. Mfinu, UM common Saffron Crocus, an sastern plant, culti- 

 vated from USM immemorial for UM sake of Hs long reddish-orange 



drooping stigmas, which, when dried, form the saffron of the shops. 

 Its Asiatic localities are not known ; in Europe it grows apparently 

 wild in the south of Tyrol, and is said to have been found near Ascoh, 

 and on the Alps of Savoy. Its British station is in all probability to 

 be ascribed to accident 



C. odorut, the Sicilian Saffron. This species, which has also 

 been named C. Imtgi/toriu, is found in mountain pastures in Calabria, 

 and in both mountainous and maritime situations through all Sicily, 

 where its stigmas are collected instead of those of the true Kiitlr.m. 

 Its blossoms are sweet-scented, and are known at first night from the 

 stigmas not tnging out of the flower, but standing upright and 

 inclosed within it The tube of its flower is very long. 



C. Thomtuii, a Calabrian plant, found in mountain woods. It 

 is said to have coarsely-netted root-coats, fragrant saffron-like trun- 

 cated stigmas inclosed within the flower, which appears long after the 

 leaves, and has a bearded throat It exists in English gardens, but is 

 very rare. 



U. ntfy?oriu. The flowers appear without the leaves, and tin- 

 root-coats are slightly netted. The stigmas are divided into many 

 deep narrow segments. The plant is not rare in many parts of 

 Europe, flowering about the time of the Colchicum, to a email species 

 of which it at first sight bears much resemblance. C. ipccianu, 

 C. mttltijiilut, C. meditu, are mere varieties or synonymous names of 

 this plant 



C. ecrutinia. This requires to be compared with (J. odortu, to 

 which it approaches very nearly, if it be not the same thing. 



The Crocus delights in a dry situation and a rich light sandy soil. 

 In such a place and soil it flowers profusely and produces large roots ; 

 but in a wet poor soil it dwindles away. Slugs are the chief enemies 

 of this plant, which may be destroyed by watering the beds or clumps 

 with lime-water. 



For a florist's account of the varieties of spring Crocuses cultivated 

 in the gardens of this country, see the ' Transactions of the Horticul- 

 tural Society of London,' vol. vii. 



CRONSTEDTITE, a hydrous Silicate of Iron, occurring both 

 massive and crystallised. Its primary form is a rhomboid, in small 

 thin hexagonal prisms, and in radiating groups. The cleavage is per- 

 pendicular to the axis, distinct The colour is black and browni-h- 

 black ; streak, dull green. Hardness 2'0 to 2'5. Specific gravity 

 3'3 to 3'36. Lustre vitreous. Opaque. This mineral is found in 

 Cornwall, Brazil, and Przibram in Bohemia. It haa the following 

 composition : 



Silica ........ 22-45 



Oxide of Iron ....... 58'85 



Oxide of Manganese ..... 2-89 



Magnesia ....... 5'08 



Water ........ 1070 



CROSSARCHUS. 



CROSSBILL. 



CROSS-STONE. [STAUBOTIDE.] 



n:nss WOKT. [II.M.II-M.J 



CROTALIDJE, a family of Reptiles belonging to the order Serpents 

 or Snakes, and including those species known by the name of Rattle- 

 Snakes. In the ' Catalogue of the British Museum ' Dr. J. E. Qr.< 

 stitutes Crotalitltr a family of his sub-order IV/.rmm. The family 

 has the following distinctions : Face with a large pit on each side, 

 placed between the eye and the nostril. The head large behind, crown 

 flat, covered with scales or small shields ; the jaws weak, the U|>|T 

 with long fangs in front and no tooth. The belfr covarwd v, ih brood 

 hand-like shields: anal spurs none. The species are all of ilrm 

 venomous and viviparous. 



The following is a synopsis of the genera and species : 



A. Head covered with scales, having small shields on the edge of the 

 forehead and eyebrows ; tail ending in a spine ; cheeks scaly. 

 a. Subcaudal plates two-rowed to the tip. Cratpedocephalina. 



Oratpedocfjihalia. Superciliary shield single, hinder labial shi. Ms 

 large ; scales lanceolate, keeled. America. 



Species C. Jiratilientii; C. lanceolatui ; C. atror ; C. elegant; 

 C. trilintafui. 



Trimaurui. Superciliary shield single, hinder labial shields 

 smallest ; scales lanceolate, keeled. Asia, 



T. viridu ; T. albolabru ; T. cannatiu ; T. purpureta; T. macu- 

 lalui; T. tubarmulatui ; T. Philippentu ; T.tlriyuliu; T. SumoUranut ; 

 T.formotut; T. Ceylmennt. 



Pariat. Superciliary shield single, hinder labial shields smallest ; 

 scales lanceolate, of head ^and body smooth, of crown un 

 Asia. 



P. Jtaromafulalut ; P. ornatut; P. variegatiu. 



Mtgtrra. Superciliary shield double, hinder labial shields sin 

 scales lanceolate, of head and body smooth. Asia. 

 igonocephala ; if. oliracea. 



Atropot. Superciliary shields many, forming a prominent arched 

 series. Asia. 



A. aconlia. 



b. Subcaudal plates four-rowed at the tip. America. Litehuina. 

 /xicAM. Head ovate ; crown scaly. 

 L. mutvi; L. picliu. 





