694 



CAPROS CAPULUS. 



that of their tails, they bear some resemblance to the 

 rats, properly so called. 



When in a state of nature these animals inhabit 

 the woods, and climb trees with great facility. In 

 reaching the leaves of those short plants which they 

 do not require to climb, they make use of their tails 

 as a third foot, something in the same manner as the 

 kangaroos. Their expression is intelligent, their 

 sight good; but it is probable that their sense of 

 hearing is not so acute as that of the rabbits. Their 

 natural cry is a squeak, not unlike that of rabbits ; 

 but when they are pleased, they express their satis- 

 faction by a low murmuring grunt. 



They live upon vegetable matter only ; and in a 

 state of domestication (for they are not very difficult 

 to tame) they eat succory, cabbage leaves, aromatic 

 plants, grapes, apples, and almost any vegetable. 

 They drink tea ; and do not refuse a bit of bread 

 although soaked in anise-seed water or cherry-brandy ; 

 they are however somewhat mischievous, on account 

 of their gnawing propensities. When a number of 

 them are together and alarmed by any means, they 

 gallop off with the same pace as hogs, and small as 

 they are, their feet make a considerable degree of 

 clattering. In consequence of possessing clavicles, 

 these animals have a motion in their fore legs across 

 the axis of the body, as well as a progressive motion, 

 and thus they are enabled, like squirrels, and almost 

 all the Rodentia which have clavicles, to bring their 

 fore feet to their mouth, to lift their food with them, 

 and otherwise to use them partially as hands. 



CAPROS. A genus of spinous-finned fishes, 

 closely allied to the doree (zeus}, from which they 

 were first separated by Lacepede. The dorsal fin is 

 notched or divided as in the dorees, and the mouth 

 is still more protrusile, but they have not the long 

 fibres on their dorsal and anal fins. Their whole 

 bodies are covered with strong scales. There is only 

 one known species, a native of the Mediterranean, of 

 a yellow colour, small in size, and of little value. It 

 is the Zeus aper of Linnaeus. 



CAPS A (Lamarck). A genus of molluscs, sepa- 

 rated from the genus Donax in consequence of some 

 slightly defined differences, not, however, sufficiently 

 well grounded, in our opinion, to sanction its adop- 

 tion, as they may, with equal truth, be considered 

 allied to the genus Tellinides, although without lateral 

 teeth, as also the genus Psammobia, and to certain 

 Tellens, by the similarity of the cardimal teeth ; but 

 they have not the flexuous bend of the Tellens ; and 

 if the hinge is to be the only certain guide, there are 

 not any two species of Donax, or of Lamarck's 

 Capsa, as he defines it, sufficiently well characterised 

 to afford a certain rule ; we therefore consider this 

 genus no other than a section of Donax. 



CAPSELLA (Moench). A new name and genus, 

 separated from the old and well known British weed, 

 the Thlaspi bursa pastoris, or shepherd's purse of Lin- 

 naeus. This weed is luckily an annual, which with 

 its five varieties found in England, are all easily 

 destroyed by the hoe. 



CAPSICUM (Linnaeus). So called from its 

 biting or pungent qualities. It is placed in the fifth 

 class and first order of Linnaean botany, and in the 

 important order Solanece, of the natural system. 

 Generic character: calyx five-cleft; corolla rotate; 

 limb plaited, in five divisions ; stamens, filaments 

 short; anthers conniving, bursting lengthways; berry 

 assuming many shapes, two-celled, placenta fixed by 



the base, seeds adnate on the dissepiments. The 

 fruit of the capsicum are universally used as a spice, 

 as pickles, or as a preserve. In countries where it 

 grows naturally, it is used by all ranks as a condi- 

 ment to milder vegetables ; and its action on the 

 stomach is said to be necessarily stimulating, and 

 sanatory in hot climates. In this country the cap- 

 sicum was long cultivated as an ornament only ; but 

 is now become a material article of culture by the 

 market gardener. Seeds are sowed in a hot-bed in 

 March, and when advanced enough to handle, are 

 pricked out into small pots of rich soil, and kept 

 nursed in the hot-bed, and shifted as they grow into 

 pots of larger size. In these they are suffered to 

 produce their fruit in a green-house, or glazed frame ; 

 or about the beginning of June, the plants are turned 

 out into a south border in the open ground, where 

 they will flower and fruit abundantly. There are 

 many varieties ; some with very large, long, or heart- 

 shaped fruit, others small and slender. The small 

 fruited yellow sort, called in the West Indies hen- 

 pepper, is by far the most pungent. 



CAPSID^E. A family or rather sub-family of 

 hemipterous insects, separated from the great Lin- 

 naian genus Cimex, and corresponding with the ninth 

 family, Astemmites, described in M. Laporte's memoir 

 upon this group of insects. We have, however, 

 considered it more correct to employ the old Fabri- 

 cian name for that of the family, and to adopt the 

 ordinary uniform termination as proposed by Mr. 

 Kirby. This group belongs to the section Longi- 

 labrcs, in which the rostrum or proboscis is four- 

 jointed, with the upper lip long ami acute, with 

 transverse stripes. The joints of the rostrum are 

 nearly of equal length, differing in this respect from 

 the Coreidce, the ocelli likewise are wanting, whilst 

 the antennas have the two last joints very .slender 

 and thread-like. These insects are very numerous, 

 for the most part of small size, and of lively colours," 

 amongst which yellow, red, black and green, are 

 prominent. They are found upon trees and shrubs, 

 the tender parts of which they suck : they are also 

 said to suck the honey of flowers ; they certainly are 

 fond of some kinds of fruits, and it is not uncommon 

 to recognise raspberries especially, which they have 

 sucked, by the disagreeable taste which they impart 

 to the fruit. Without being precisely social, it is 

 common to meet with a considerable number upon 

 the same plant. They walk and fly with much agility, 

 escaping more quickly by the latter mode than the 

 majority of the long-lipped CimicidcE, or field bugs. 



The family comprises the genera Capsus, Iletcro- 

 tomus, Miris, Phytocoris, Orthonotus, Azinecera, Ste- 

 nodema, Odontopus, Eury&pthaltmis, and Astemma, 

 the first six being British. The genus Capsus is 

 distinguished readily by its oval form, lively colours, 

 and antennae having the second juint terminated by 

 a club. The Cimex atcr of Linnaeus is the type ; it 

 is a very common British species, about one-third of 

 an inch long, and entirely of a shining black colour. 

 The genus Azinecera, of Stephen's catalogue (not yet 

 described), is of a narrower form, with the antenna? 

 of the males singularly curved and clubbed at the 

 extremity of the second joint, whilst it is simple in 

 the other sex. We have met with the type repeatedly 

 at Coombe wood ; it does not, however, appear to 

 have been yet described. 



CAPULUS. A genus of molluscs,"of the family 

 Calyptracea ; the animal conical, but sometimes sub- 



