126 



(teatfurn at Natural gg 



knife, fork, spoon, and drinking cup, with 

 the same ease as a human being ; and with 

 whatever food she was supplied, she pre- 

 ferred using a fork or a spoon to convey it 

 to her mouth, to holding it in her hands. 

 For more than three years she had been in 

 possession of a Mr. Campbell, who left her 

 at perfect liberty, never subjecting her to the 

 slightest confinement. When he received 

 her she was quite young a mere baby, so 

 that her present age may be supposed four 

 or five years, rather than eight or nine. 

 AVhen on board ship she entertained a great 

 dislike to black men, who used to tease and 

 otherwise misuse her ; but with the crew 

 generally she appeared on excellent terms, 

 and exhibited many traits of extreme do- 

 cility." 



CHINA-MARK [MOTHS]. A name given 

 by collectors to Moths of the genera Hydro- 

 campa and Margaritia. 



CHINCHILLA. This little'Rodent animal, 

 so highly valued on account of its fur, is a 

 native of South America, inhabiting the val- 

 leys in the high mountain districts, where 

 the cold is often very severe. There are se- 

 veral species belonging to the natural family 

 Chinchillidce, of which this animal and the 

 Viscacha of the Pampas are the chief. The 

 colour of the Chinchilla is clear grey above, 



CHINCHILLA. (c. LAU1OERA.) 



passing into white on the under parts. It 

 associates in numbers, and excavates bur- 

 rows, in which it resides, feeding chiefly upon 

 roots. In size and general form it much re- 

 sembles the rabbit, with the exception of the 

 tail, which turns up after the manner of a 

 squirrel's. The fur is of a remarkably close 

 and fine texture ; and is, accordingly, much 

 used in muffs, tippets, linings to cloaks, 

 trimmings, &c. 



CHIRONOMID^. A sub-family of Dip- 

 terous insects, which frequent marshy situa- 

 tions, and very much resemble gnats. The 

 species are of small size and very numerous ; 

 they often assemble in immense cloud-like 

 swarms ; and the name of Midge is given to 

 them. 



CHITON. A genus of marine Molluscs, 

 inhabiting multivalve shells, several spe- 

 cies of which are found on our own coasts. 

 They adhere to rocks and stones, in general, 

 near low-water mark. The shell is boat- 

 shaped, composed of about eight transverse 

 pieces, folding over each other at their edges, 

 and inserted into a tough ligament. They 

 sometimes attain a large size, but do not 

 usually exceed two inches. They have the 

 power of rolling themselves up into a ball, 



like the wood-louse. Several new species of 

 these shells were collected in the Eastern 

 Archipelago by Sir Edward Belcher and Mr. 

 Adams during the voyage of H. M. S. Sama- 

 rang ; two of which, viz., Chiton peta,*i<s, 

 which is described as a beautiful little bright 



(.CHITON 8QUAMOSDS.) 



scarlet shell enframed within a broad swollen 

 ligament of the same striking colour ; and 

 Chiton formosus, a most exquisite little 

 species, of a bright scarlet colour, surrounded 

 with dense tufts of white shining glassy spi- 

 culae. For a revision of this genus, see a 

 paper by Mr. Gray, recently published. 

 Mr. L. Reeve has published figures of many 

 of the species in his " Conchologia Iconica." 

 Mr. Cuming collected a very great number 

 of beautiful species, many of which are in 

 the fine collection of the British Museum ; 

 and it is to be hoped that the Government 

 will procure for the National Museum the 

 whole of Mr. Cuming's magnificent collection 

 of she! Is. 



CHLAMYDOSAURUS. A genus of Sau- 

 rians, described by Mr. Gray, from a speci- 

 men discovered in Australia by the late 

 Allan Cunningham, F.L.S., who (between 

 the years 1818 and 1822) accompanied Capt. 

 King's expedition as His Majesty's botanical 

 collector for Kew Gardens. It was taken on 

 the branch of a tree, and sent to Sir Everard 

 Home, by whom it was deposited in the Mu- 

 seum of the Royal College of Surgeons. In 

 Mr. Cunningham's Journal, it is described as 

 a lizard of extraordinary appearance, having 

 a curious crenated membrane, like a ruff or 

 tippet round its neck, covering its shoulders, 

 and when expanded, which it was enabled 

 to do by means of transverse slender carti- 

 lages, spreading five inches in the form of an 

 open umbrella. Its head was large, and its 

 eyes, whilst living, rather prominent ; its 

 tongue, though bifid, was short, and appeared 

 to be tubular. From Mr. Gray's description 

 of the Chlamydosaurus Kingli (the Frilled 

 Lizard), in the Appendix to Capt. King's 

 Voyage, we learn that the animal was scaly; 

 colour yello\vish brown, variegated with 

 black ; head depressed, with the side erect, 

 leaving a blunt ridge on the upper part 

 wherein the eyes are placed. The frill arises 

 from the hinder part of the head, is attached 

 to th ^ sides of the neck, and extends down to 

 the front part of the chest, supported above by 

 a lunate cartilage arising from the hinder 

 dorsal part of the ear, and in the centre by a 

 bone which extends about half its leng'th. 

 Each frill has four plates which converge on 

 the under part of the chin, and fold it up on 



