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Old World ; chiefly Africa and India. [See 

 SUN-BIRD.] 



C I P. RIPE D I A, or CIRRIPEDES. A 



class of invertebrated animals, so named 

 from the curled and ciliated branchiae 

 which protrude from the oval aperture of 

 the shells. They are divided into sessile, 

 that is, either themselves firmly united at 

 their bases to rocks or solid masses ; and 

 pedunculated, or attached by a long pedun- 

 cle or footstalk. They are closely allied to 

 the Crustacea. 



CISSITIS. A genus of Coleoptera. [See 



HOHIAD^E.] 



CISTELA : CISTELID^E. A genus and 

 family of Coleopterous insects, belonging to 

 the section Hcteromera. They are cha- 

 racterized by antennas nearly filiform, the 



joints serrated; body ovoid, arched above; 

 feet long, but none of the legs formed for 

 leaping ; penultimate joint of the tarsi bi- 

 fid ; mandibles entire. They generally live 

 amongst leaves and flowers. They are an 

 important group numerically, both as re- 

 gards genera and species, several being found 

 in this country. 



CITILLUS. A small Rodent animal, of 

 the genus Spcrmophilus, with a long thin 

 body, short tail, and of a silvery grey colour. 

 It is a native of the northern parts of Eu- 

 rope, and dwells in communities, great num- 

 bers of them being usually found together 

 in the same cave, furnished with a store of 

 nuts, chestnuts, &c. Their flesh is well fla- 

 voured, and their skins are much valued. 



[See Sl'ERMOPHILUS.] 



CIVET. (Viverra civetta.) This animal, 

 popularly known by the name of the Civet- 

 cat, belongs to a genus of carnivorous, mam- 

 miferous quadrupeds, and is a native of 

 several parts of Africa and India. It is 

 particularly distinguished by having a se- 

 cretory glandular receptacle, situated at 

 some little distance beneath the tail, wherein 

 is formed a powerfully odorous matter called 

 civet. In general appearance, this animal 

 reminds one of the fox, which it also re- 

 sembles in its predatory habits ; but the legs 

 are short, the tail is long, hairy, and cylin- 

 drical, and the claws, though by no means so 

 acute as those of the cat, are still partially 

 retractile. The ground colour of the body 

 is yellowish-grey, with large dusky spots 



disposed in longitudinal rows on each side ; 

 and a sort of upright mane on the neck and 

 back. The tongue is covered with stout, 

 horny prickles ; and the ears are straight 

 and rounded at the tips. The pouch, situ- 

 ated near the genitals, is a deep bag, some- 

 times divided into two cavities, whence a 

 thick, oily, and strongly musk-like fluid is 

 poured out. When good, this odoriferous 

 substance is of a clear yellowish or brown 

 colour, and of about the consistence of butter; 

 when undiluted, the smell is powerful and 

 very offensive, but when largely diluted with 

 oil or other ingredients, it becomes an agree- 

 able perfume. Important medical virtues 

 were formerly attributed to the civet; it, 

 however, not only no longer forms an article 

 in the Materia Medica, but even as a per- 

 fume it has been laid aside. The foregoing 

 description will apply to another species, 

 the Viverra zibetha, except that this has no 

 mane : it should be observed also, that the 

 Viverra civetta is peculiar to Africa, and 

 the zibetha to Asia. 



CL ADOCERA. An order of minute Crus- 

 tacea, characterized by the body being in- 

 closed in a bivalve shell, including, among 

 others, the genus Daphnia. 



CLAM. The shell of a species of Con- 

 chiferous Mollusca. [See TBIDACNA.] 



CLAUSILIA. A genus of Mollusca 

 cliicfly inhabiting mosses at the foot of trees. 

 The species are very numerous, and they 

 are all small shells, in shape somewhat re- 

 sembling the pupa or chrysalis of an insect ; 

 the largest scarcely exceeding an inch in 

 length. Within the mouth, in the last 

 whorl but one, there is a little elastic shelly 

 plate attached to the shell, and called a 

 clausium, from which the genus takes its 

 name It is used to close up the aperture 

 when the animal has retreated within its 

 shell, and in that respect resembles an oper- 

 culum, except that the latter is attached to 

 the animal, or is loose and thrown off, 

 whereas the former is fixed permanently 

 to the shell. 



CLAVIGER. A genus of Coleopterous 

 insects, of the section Trimera; characterized 

 by six-jointed antennae, the maxillary palpi 

 very short, and the eyes apparently wanting. 

 The species are found under stones, and in 

 the nests of small yellow Ants. One was 

 found a few years ago in a nest of Formica 

 flava, by Mr. J. O. Westwood, at Ensham, 

 Oxon, and it was considered one of our rarest 

 insects; but Mr. F. Smith says (in the 

 Zoologist), " I have been an examiner of , 

 ants' nests, and an observer of their habits, | 

 some years, and have searched in scores of 

 the nests of Formica flava for the Claviger; I 

 and this perhaps is the reason why I have [ 

 not found it. In the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of London there are no stony fields 

 like those in chalky districts ; and where 

 the soil is subject to retaining a greater 

 degree of moisture, like the London clay, 

 the ant appears to find it necessary to raise 

 up a hillock like a mole-hill, to the upper 

 chambers of which she conveys her larvse, 

 eggs, and pupae, as the atmospheric changes 



