CYDONIA CYMOTHOIDE^;. 



great variety of their forms have been blended by 

 former writers on conchology with other genera. It 

 now, however, comprehends a well-defined separation 

 from the Helices, being easily distinguished by the 

 aperture or mouth being constantly circular, whence 

 the name is derived : the margin is thin, sharp, and 

 outwardly reflexed at right angles with it. The 

 germs Cyclosloma is not, however, the only spe- 

 cies of mollusc possessing a round mouth ; the Sca- 

 laria, Dclphimila, and Paludina, have it also ; the two 

 former have likewise the reflexed lip, but the annular 

 processes or previous terminations of the aperture in 

 the Scalaria, and the pearly substance of the other, 

 distinguish and prove them to be marine ; while the 

 Paludina, not possessing a reflexed lip, but a smooth, 

 sharp margin, is evidently a fluviatile shell. These 

 molluscs vary considerably in form, some being tur- 

 rited, some quite cylindrical, others flat at the spire, 

 or convex, and can only be recognised with certainty 

 by their round aperture and reflexed lip. Their ex- 

 terior never having tubercles or spines, and by their 

 possessing a perfect calcareous operculum, not spiral, 

 and the summit sub-centrical, another distinguishing 

 character may be observed in tho left side of the 

 aperture, having its origin much detached from the 

 spire. The genus is subdivided into such species as 

 have the spire slightly elevated, as in the C. elegants ; 

 those whose spire is very prominent, as in the C. fas- 

 fiatfi ; those umbilicated and trochiform, as the C. 

 volvulus ; and, lastly, such as aro much depressed, and 

 planorbicular, as the C. planorbicula. They inhabit 

 the Indian, African, and American continents ; and 

 about twenty-five recent species are described, with 

 , eight or ten fossil. 



C YDONI A (Tournefort) is the common quince of 

 gardens. It is said to be a native of Cydon in Crete, 

 hence the generic name. The quince is too austere 

 in flavour, and disagreeable in scent, to be regarded 

 as a table fruit, but it is useful in combination with 

 others for adding a piquant flavour, and it is also 

 useful for several purposes of the confectioner. 



It may be propagated by cuttings, layers, or by 

 suckers, which rise from the root. The tree is of a 

 middling size, and very irregular growth, requiring 

 pruning to keep it in form. It is just possible that 

 this beautiful fruit may be capable of amelioration by 

 cross impregnation with the pear. The only difficulty 

 in the way of accomplishing this result is that the trees 

 do not flower at the same time, so that some manage- 

 ment must be had recourse to either to accelerate 

 the flowering of the quince or retard that of the pear. 

 Whether such a thing be practicable we have yet to 

 learo, but the thing deserves consideration. 



There are four varieties of the quince, viz. the 

 pear-shaped, the apple-shaped, the Portugal, and the 

 eatable. The Portugal is preferred for marmalade, it 

 yielding a higher colour. They may be grafted on 

 each other, and all thrive in any kind of loamy soil. 

 Quince stocks are often used by nurserymen for some 

 particular sorts of pears, on which they do better than 

 on their own stocks. 



C YMBIDIUM (Swartz). Agenus of fine flowering 

 and sweet-scented herbaceous perennials, natives of 

 China arid both Indies. The flowers are gynandrious, 

 and of course the plants belong to the natural order 

 OrcliideeE. Generic character : sepals distinct, spread- 

 ing and gaping ; three superior ones somewhat hollow 

 and broad, inferior, narrow, and deflexed. Labellum 

 concave, rather lobed, articulated with the base of 



the column. Column jointed, winged, and obtuse ; 

 anthers terminate and hooded ; pollen masses behind 

 in two lobes joined to glands. Some of the species 

 of this genus are remarkable for the brown colour of 

 their flowers, and their night-evolved perfume. The 

 C. Shiense is a strong-rooted bulky plant, and requires 

 a large pot to allow vigorous growth in order to 

 flower strongly. This is a great favourite among the 

 Chinese, who grow them well ; very fine ones are 

 sometimes valued at 100 dollars ! Of such the flower 

 scape or stem rises to the height of four or five feet, 

 with flowers from bottom to the top. This plant is 

 an instance of that remarkable property in all flowers 

 of a brown colour, being most odorous by night. The 

 cymbidiums require to be planted in sandy loam and 

 moor earth, and grown in a pit or frame, and removed 

 into the greenhouse or conservatory when in flower. 



CYMBULIA (Peron, Lamarck). A cartilagi- 

 nous shell of crystalline transparency and firm con- 

 sistency, in the form of an elongated slipper, or 

 French wooden shoe (sabot), truncated at the sum- 

 mit with a lateral opening at the anterior part, 

 conical at the posterior where the animal adheres, 

 having the faculty of concealing itself altogether in 

 its glassy covering. The animal's body is sub-cylin- 

 drical, provided backward with a filament, by which 

 it is attached to the shell ; on each side is a large 

 natatory appendage ; it has two eyes and a kind of 

 proboscis. It is arranged in the second class, Para- 

 cephabtphora, first order Aporobranchiata, first family 

 Thecotomtita. 



CYMOTHOID^E (Leach). A family of crnsta- 

 ceous animals, belonging to the di vision Edriophthalma, 

 and order Isopoda, and distinguished by having the 

 antennae short, and inserted in pairs one above the 

 other. The body is of an oval form, convex or 

 depressed, the abdominal portion divided into several 

 segments, of which the basal ones are very short, and 

 the terminal one large and broad ; the legs are short, 

 and very robust, being terminated by a hooked joint. 

 These animals composed the Fabrician genus Cymo- 

 thoa, but were arranged by Linnaeus under the genus 

 Onucus. They have, indeed, somewhat the appear- 

 ance of wood-lice, but their habits are very distinct, 

 being parasitic upon various kinds of fishes inhabiting 

 the ocean, to which they attach themselves by means 

 of their strong-hooked feet, and then suck their 

 blood ; hence the ancients gave them the names of 

 (Estrus and Axilus, from the resemblance between 

 their habits and those of the breeze flies. On the 

 under side of the body of the females are fixed several 

 membranous pectoral imbricated scales, covering the 

 eggs, and in which the young are hatched. Dr. Leach 

 divided this group of animals into numerous genera, 

 but which may be reduced to those of Scrolls (having 

 the eyes placed upon tubercles), Nelocyra, and Cymo- 

 t//oa, to which Synodus and Limnoria may be added. 

 The last-named genus comprises a minute animal, 

 which burrows into the wood of which the submarine 

 buildings of several of our dockyards are composed, 

 committing great devastation in such situations. In 

 the genus Cymothoa the eyes are not elevated on 

 tubercles, and are formed of minute facets ; *he 

 abdomen is six-jointed, and the mandibles not por- 

 rected. The type of this genus is the Oniscns a^/rnm 

 (Linnreus), a species known to Aristotle, who says of 

 it " Fishes are attacked by a sea-louse, which is not 

 oroduced from the fish, but from the mud." It re- 

 sembles a wood-louse, but the tail is larger. 



