CARDOON CARDUELIS. 



699 



visible, and each addition in some species overlaps 

 the previous increase. 



The animal is a Tcthys of Linnaeus, its body very 

 convex, the mantle bordered with tentacular cirrhi 

 round its inferior side, and more or less channelled on 

 the outside, the tubes united, of a moderate size, 

 and provided with cirrhi at their extremity. The 

 foot very large, cylindrical, angular formed, and 

 placed rather forward ; branchia thick, rather small, 

 particularly the external folds ; the internal ones are 

 united through their whole length. 



This genus is arranged by De Blainville in the third 

 class Acephalopkora, third order LamelSBrancfdata, 

 seventh family Conchacea, and the species subdivided 

 as follows : first, such species as gape more or less 

 backwards, and the ribs as large as the grooves, of 

 \vhich the C^exoticum is an example ; secondly, those 

 with ribs similar to the first species, but the valves 

 not gaping, as in C. tubcrculatiim ; thirdly, the species 

 not gaping, but whose ribs are greater than the chan- 

 nels, as in the C. cditlc, or common cockle ; fourthly, the 

 species smooth, or nearly so, as in C. kevigatum ; and 

 fifthly, such as have the anterior side very short and 

 nearly flat, as in the C. hcmicardinm, forming Cuvier's 

 genus Hem i card in m. 



Lamarck has made two divisions of this genus, 

 distinguishing the first by having the anterior side as 

 large or larger than the posterior, and without any 

 very distinctly marked angle at the apices. The 

 second, by the posterior side being often much larger 

 than the anterior, and possessing carinated or angular 

 umbones. In this division, as we have elsewhere 

 observed, that elegant mollusc the Cardium cardissa, 

 l'i'nn.j heart, as it is commonly called, has been placed 

 with others of this genus, whose valves are angularly 

 flattened, forming when closed a compressed heart- 

 shaped shell, strikingly different to all other bivalves, 

 in which the depression is in the opposite direction, 

 where any exists. Though unacquainted with the 

 anatomical structure of this mollusc, and not knowing 

 any work in which it is described, we cannot but 

 think that these species must be inhabited by an 

 animal totally distinct from that which constructed 

 the Cardium costatiun and its congeners, and merits, 

 from its strongly defined characters, the honour of a 

 generic appellation ; though modern malacologists do 

 not appear to have made even a distinct division of 

 them. There are several varieties of them, particu- 

 larly those classed as Cardium cardissa, some very 

 recently discovered ; and it will be universally con- 

 fessed that, amongst the many beautiful forms pre- 

 sented by other molluscs, not any is more truly pleasing 

 and graceful, or altogether more wonderful in its 

 structure. 



The molluscs constituting the genus Cardium, with 

 perhaps only one exception, inhabit the sea, where 

 they exist, hidden at a small depth under the surface 

 of the sandy beach, sometimes barely covered, the 

 necessity of which appears obvious, from the short- 

 ness of the tube employed in drawing in and expelling 

 the water. As a nutritious and agreeable food many 

 are known, but the most common in this country is 

 the Cardium ctlu/c, or common cockle. In the Lon- 

 don markets it is not so often met with as in Scotland, 

 where this mollusc is of a larger size, and far more 

 irenerally an article of commerce. 



The cardia inhabit the seas of all countries, and 

 numerous fossil species indicate their having ever 

 formed an important genus in natural history. 



CARDOON is the Cynam carduncutut of Lin- 

 nseus, a species of artichoke, the leaves of which are 

 blanched, and used like celery. Like all the artichoke 

 family, the cardoon contains a rank bitter principle, 

 which is dissipated by blanching. The cultivation is 

 simple. A piece of good rich light soil is prepared 

 by digging, on which trenches are opened four feet 

 apart, six inches deep and twelve wide. Along the 

 middle of the trenches the gardener should drop 

 patches of several seeds at eighteen inches apart. 



When the seedlings appear, and have gained a 

 little strength, they should all be removed with the 

 exception of one from each patch. During sum- 

 mer, the growth of the plants is encouraged by 

 keeping them free from weeds, and by occasional 

 watering, if necessary. Towards the middle of 

 October, the plants will be large enough, and ready 

 for blanching. This is done on a dry day, by first 

 gathering up all the leaves closely round the centre, 

 and in that position binding them together with 

 strands of mat or osier twigs. This done, each plant 

 is earthed up in the manner of celery, so that the 

 points of the highest leaves are only exposed at top. 

 In two or three weeks the leaf-stalks will be suffi- 

 ciently blanched and crisp, and then are fit for use, 

 being digged up as wanted. 



There are several varieties of the cardoon, namely, 

 the Spanish, the common, the red, and the Tours. 

 The first is esteemed the best both for size and 

 delicacy of flavour. The cardoon is indispensable in 

 French cookery, and is becoming much more gene- 

 ra'ly used in England than formerly. 



CARDUELIS (Auctorum). A genus of small 

 conirostral birds, or rather perhaps a sub-generic 

 division of the very extensive genus finch (FnngiUa, 

 Auctorum), and of which the common goldfinch and 

 siskin of this country may be considered the standard. 

 It contains several species, and the form, in one or 

 other of them, appears to range pretty generally over 

 the globe, although the distribution of each species 

 separately is much more limited. They are about 

 the most typical of all the finches, or, in other words, 

 the various and peculiar characters which together 

 constitute what we term a finch are more prominently 

 observable in this particular division than in any other. 



The bill is conical, longer than deep, compressed 

 anteriorly, and drawn to a very fine point, the nostrils 

 hidden by incumbent bristles. The wings are of mean 

 length, the first quill-feather rather shorter than the 

 second and third, which last are nearly equal, and the 

 longest of all ; tail rather short, and in general 

 slightly forked ; the tarsi slender and short ; claws 

 curved and acute ; the hind toe tolerably strong, 

 with the sole broad. 



There are two principal modifications of this form, 

 independent of the connecting links which, as is 

 usual, intervene between this and a few other nearly 

 allied divisions. These are distinguished by a slight 

 diversity of form and habit, and by a different style 

 of colouring. The species of one, which is exempli- 

 fied in the common goldfinch of this country, are 

 what are popularly termed Goldfinches; those of the 

 other, which are far more numerous, and of which the 

 common aberdevine siskin (see ABERDEVINE) may 

 be cited as a typical example, are generally deno- 

 minated Siskins. 



The colours of the former are gay and brightly 

 contrasted, having the back and under parts uniform 

 spotless brown, shading off into white, or to a paler 



