CROCUS 



1642 



CROMWELL 



which infests rivers like the Ganges, differs 

 slightly in appearance from the American spe- 

 cies, its snout being narrower. 



Crocodiles are caught in various ways. A 

 popular method is to place crossed spiked 

 sticks in bait. When the animal swallows the 

 bait the act holds its jaws shut, and the spikes 

 stick tight so the animal can be pulled out 

 of the water and roped. Hunters also creep 

 up on sleeping crocodiles, beat them insensible 

 with heavy clubs and so secure their prey. The 

 horny, plated armor of the animal is impene- 

 trable by bullet or spear, but the skin under- 

 neath is tender. The crocodile can be shot 

 only through the eye. The eggs of the croco- 

 diles, buried in sand or mud, are left to be 

 hatched by the sun's heat alone. Crocodiles 

 of the Nile were worshiped by Egyptians in 

 olden times and their bodies were preserved 

 almost as carefully as those of human beings. 

 Crocodile skin and fat are articles of con- 

 siderable commercial importance, the musk 

 glands are taken for perfume, and some prize 

 crocodile eggs as 

 food. The tough 

 skin is made into 

 a high grade 

 leather, and is 

 used especially in 

 the manufacture 

 of traveling bags. 



The fanciful 

 tale which 

 ancient travelers 

 told about croc- 

 odiles weeping 

 over their vic- 

 tims gave rise to 

 the term croc- 

 odile tears, mean- 

 i n g hypocritical 

 tears. See ALLI- 

 GATOR; GAVIAL. 



CROCUS, kro' 

 cus, one of the 

 first flowers to 

 push through the 

 snow in gardens 

 to announce the 

 approach of 

 spring. It was 

 the early spring 

 flower of the 

 Greeks; Homer says, "The flaming crocus 

 made the mountains glow." Most species are 

 natives of Southern Europe and Asia Minor, 



CROSS SECTION OF 



CROCUS 

 Fair-handed Spring unbosoms 



every grace ; 



Throws out the snowdrop and 

 the crocus first. 



THOMSON : Seasons. 



but are now cultivated in gardens everywhere. 

 Up from the corm shoot the grasslike leaves 

 (see CORM). And at the same time the almost 

 stemless funnel-shaped flowers gladden the eye 

 with their purples, lilacs, mauves, yellows and 

 whites. Some are fragrant, and all have six 

 nearly equal parts, with three stamens. 

 Planted on a lawn, with their soft background 

 of green, crocuses are especially attractive. 

 They are easily cultivated, will grow from year 

 to year, and are inexpensive. The yellow cro- 

 cus, or cloth of gold, is a favorite species. 



Crocus is Latin for saffron. From the sta- 

 mens of the autumn-flowering species of crocus 

 is obtained the saffron used as a stimulant in 

 medicine, in cakes and candies for coloring, 

 and as a dye. Most of the saffron of commerce 

 comes from Persia, the autumn-flowering crocus 

 being rarely cultivated elsewhjere; aniline col- 

 ors, however, are now taking its place. 



In mythology a boy who loved the nymph 

 Smilax was changed into a crocus blossom. 



CROESUS, kre'sus, one of the mightiest and 

 richest of kings, the last to reign over Lydia, 

 from 560 to 546 B. c. "Rich as Croesus" is 

 a familiar term used to denote fabulous 

 wealth. Croesus obtained his riches from min- 

 ing gold and from levies upon the people. 

 Noted for his reverence for the oracle of 

 Delphi, he gave enormous presents to it. Fi- 

 nally he declared war on Persia, the oracle hav- 

 ing assured him that if he crossed the Halys 

 River he would destroy a great empire. This 

 prophecy proved true, but the destroyed em- 

 pire proved to be his own, for he was utterly 

 defeated, and Sardis, his capital, was taken. 



CROM'WELL, OLIVER (1599-1658), an "un- 

 crowned king" of England, whose official title 

 upon his rise to power was LORD PROTECTOR OF 

 THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND 

 AND IRELAND. Few men have ever inspired 

 more heartfelt love and reverence, and at the 

 same time more heartfelt fear and hatred than 

 did he, and historians have not ceased to dis- 

 pute about his character. Certain things about 

 him, however, cannot be questioned that he 

 was a man of iron will, and that in everything 

 he did he was true to a high moral purpose. 

 He never went into battle without a prayer on 

 his lips, and he so bore himself that one who 

 knew him intimately said, "A larger soul, I 

 think, hath seldom dwelt in a house of clay." 



Cromwell was born April 25, 1599, at Hunt- 

 ingdon, of a family which had been high in 

 favor with the English kings, but beyond the 

 fact that he studied at Sidney Sussex College, 



