102 



Crratfurg of Natural $?f 



most common method of killing them is to 

 expose them to the vapour of hot vinegar : 

 they are then dried on hurdles, and put 

 away in boxes for use. 



In Silesia (says Mr. Slater) the Cantharis 

 vesicatoria is only a summer guest ; it ap- 

 pears there suddenly in June, in rather nu- 

 merous swarms, which arrive during the 

 night, and are found early in the morning 

 upon the ash, honey-suckle, and some other 

 trees and shrubs, which they soon strip of 

 leaves. Their presence is announced by a 

 most penetrating odour, perceptible at a 

 great distance from the trees on which they 

 sit, and suggesting unpleasant ideas of blis- 

 tering ointment. Their susceptibility to cold 

 is remarkable ; the freshness of early dawn 

 is sufficient to chill and benumb them, and 

 if the trees be then gently agitated, they fall 

 down. In this manner they are collected 

 for sale, and killed by sprinkling with cold 

 water (Zoologist. ) 



In North America, according to Dr. Harris, 

 potato-vines are very much infested by two 

 or three kinds of Cantharides, swarms of 

 which attack and destroy the leaves during 

 midsummer. One of these kinds has there- 

 by obtained the name of the potato-flu- It 

 is the Cantharis vittata, or striped Can- 

 tharis. It is of a dull tawny yellow or 

 light yellowish red colour above, with two 

 black spots on the head, and two black 

 stripes on the thorax and on each side 

 of the wing-covers. The under-side of the 

 body, the legs, and the antennae are black, 

 and covered with a greyish-down. It is 

 more than half an incli long ; the thorax is 

 much narrowed before ; and the wing-covers 

 are long and narrow, and cover the whole 

 of the back. It does much mischief in po- 

 tato fields and gardens, eating up not only 

 the leaves of the potato, but those of many 

 other vegetables. Another species, a jet- 

 black Cantharis (Cantharis atrata), mea- 

 suring nearly half an inch in length, may 

 be seen, about the middle of August, on the 

 potato- vines, and also on the blossoms and 

 leaves of various kinds of golden-rod. These 

 insects, and others of a similar kind, may be 

 easily taken by brushing or shaking them 

 from the potato-vines into a broad tin pan, 

 and emptied into a covered pail containing 

 a little water, which, by wetting their wings, 

 prevents their flying out when the pail is 

 uncovered ; or they may be caught by gently 

 sweeping the plants they frequent with a 

 deep muslin bag-net. They are easily killed 

 by throwing them into scalding water for 

 one or two minutes. (Ins. of Massach.) 



CAPERCAILIE, or CAPERCAILZIE. 

 The Scotch name for the Wood-Grouse 

 (Tetrao urogallus.) [See GKOUSK.] 



CAPRA. [See GOAT.] 



CAPRIMTJLGUS : CAPRIMTJIXJIDyE. 



A genus and family of Passerine birds, po- 

 pularly termed Moth-hunters and Goat-suck- 

 ers. Their habits are nocturnal, and they 

 have the same light soft plumage, minutely 

 mottled with grey and brown, that charac- 

 terizes other night-birds. Their eyes are 

 large ; the beak, very deeply cleft, and gene- 



rally armed with strong vibrissce, is capable 

 of engulphing the largest insects, which are 

 retained by means of a glutinous saliva ; the 

 nostrils, placed at its base, are like small 

 tubes ; their wings are lengthened ; the feet 

 short, with plumed tarsi, and a membrane 

 connecting the basal portion of the toes : the 

 claw of the middle toe is usually pectinated 

 on its inner edge ; and the outer toe has only 

 four phalanges, a conformation extremely 

 rare among birds. They live solitarily, or 

 rather permanently in pairs, and are cre- 

 puscular in their time of action, pursuing 

 moths and other nocturnal insects : they 

 deposit their [two] eggs on the bare ground, 

 and have generally singular voices. They 

 bear the same relation to the Swifts that the 

 Owls do to the Hawks ; their general ana- 

 tomy very much resembling that of the 

 Cuckoos. The common European species 

 ^Capriimtlffus Europarus) is remarkable for 

 the loud sound it emits, like the burr of a 

 spinning-wheel. Among the foreign species, 

 a great number have longer tarsi, adapted 

 for running on the ground ; and there are 

 some with an appearance of aigrettes on the 

 head. [See GOAT-SUCKER ; STKATORNIS ; 

 WHIP-POOR-WILL ; ^EOOTIIELES ; LYNCOR- 



NIS.] 



CAPROMYS. A genus of Roclentia, dif- 

 ferent species of which are found in the 

 West India Islands. They are herbivorous, 

 preferring aromatic plants. In their move- 

 ments they are slow, somewhat like a bear. 

 One of these was described by Oviedo as the 

 Chemis, a name said still to be applied to 

 the Capromys Fournieri. Two other species, 

 C. prehensilis and C. Poeyi, are described. 

 To this genus probably also belongs the 

 " Musk Cavy," described by some authors as 

 almost as large as a rabbit ; the upper part 

 of its body is black, and its belly is perfectly 

 white. It inhabits Martinico, and the other 

 Antilles islands ; burrows underground; and 

 smells so strongly of musk, that its retreat 

 may be traced by the perfume. 



CAPYBARA. (Hydrochaerm capybara.') 

 A Rodent animal which has also obtained the 

 name of the Water-hog. It grows to the size 

 of a hog of two years old, and is classed with 



the Cavidce. It inhabits various parts of S. 

 America, but is most common in Brazil. It 

 feeds not only on various vegetables, and 



