CYN 



DAI 



the cutting foot a shoe of even thick- 

 ness from heel to toe, not projecting 

 in the shghtest degree beyond the 

 crust, and the crust itself to be rasp- 

 ed a little at the quarters. This shoe 

 should only have one nail on the in- 

 side, and that almost close to the toe. 

 — (Library of Useful Knowledge.) 



CYAN'iTE (from Kvavor, blue). A 

 massive and crystallized mineral. It 

 has a pearly lustre, is translucent, 

 and of various shades of blue : it is 

 a silicate of alumina, with a trace of 

 oxide of iron. Only found in primi- 

 tive rocks. 



CYANOGEN (from Kvavoc, blue, 

 and yiyvofiai, I form). A gas which 

 burns with a blue flame, the bicarburet 

 of nitrogen ; it is a compound radi- 

 cal, forming acids with oxygen {cyan- 

 ic) and hydrogen {hydrocyanic or prus- 

 sic). The gas is poisonous : it com- 

 bines directly with many metals, 

 forming cyanides. 



CYANURIC ACID. A product of 

 the action of heat on urea, formu- 

 la C„ Ne Og. 



CYCADE.E (from Cycas, a genus 

 of plants). A small family of dwarf 

 palms which are gymnospermous. 

 The Cycas circinalis yields sago. 



CYCLOSIS (from kvkIo^, a circle). 

 A circulation of the elaborated sap in 

 the higher plants in delicate anasta- 

 mosing vessels. The latex circula- 

 tion. 



CYDONIA. The generic name of 

 the quince-tree. 



CYLINDER (from kvIlvSu, I roll). 

 A solid, the height of which exceeds 

 the diameter, which is constant ; it 

 offers a circular section at every part 

 when made at right angles to the axis. 

 As stacks are often nearly cylindrical, 

 their contents may be discovered by 

 the formula for a cylinder : the solid 

 contents are equal to the height mul- 

 tiplied into the area of the base or 

 section. 



CYME. An inflorescence: the 

 flower stems spring from one part, but 

 are afterward variously subdivided. 



CYNARACEJE. Plants like the 

 artichoke, thistle, &c., with the flow- 

 ers included in a scaly capitulum, also 

 called a cynaroccphalus. 

 220 



CYNIPS. A genus of hymenop 

 terous insects without stings. They 

 insert their eggs in parts of living 

 trees, causing tumours, of which the 

 gall nut is a specimen. 



CYNOSURUS. A genus of grass- 

 es, of which the C. cristatns is con- 

 sidered a good sheep grass. See 

 Grasses. 



CYFERACE.E (from Cypenis, a 

 genus). The tribe of plants consist- 

 ing of rushes, sedges, and other marsh 

 grasses without nodes or joints. 

 They are of trifling value ; the Cype- 

 rus csculcnius of Italy furnishes a 

 sweet nut or tuber. 



CYPRESS-TREE. Cupressus 

 sempcrtircns. A hardy shrub, a na- 

 tive of the Levant, growing from fif- 

 teen to twenty feet high, which 

 throws out yellow blossoms in May. 

 Its wood is red, very hard, and sweet- 

 scented. It likes a good soil. Its 

 wood, from being sonorous, is used 

 for harps, viohns, and other musical 

 instruments. Worms never attack 

 it. — {Philiip's Shrub., vol. i., p. 188 ; 

 M'Culloch's Com. Diet.) 



CYPRESSES, AMERICAN. See 

 Cedar. 



CYPSELA (from Kvxpelr], a bee- 

 hive). A one-celled, one-seeded, in- 

 dehiscent fruit. An Achenium. 



CYSTIC (from Kvang, a bag or blad- 

 der). Appertaining to the bladder. 

 Cystic oxide, a rare ingredient in uri- 

 nary calculi. 



D. 



DACTYLIS. A genus of grasses, 

 of which D. glomerata, orchard or 

 cock's-foot, is the only important spe- 

 cies. See Grasses. 



DAIRY. " The name usually given 

 to the place where the milk of cows 

 is kept and converted into butter or 

 cheese. 



"A dairy-house should be situated 

 on a dry spot somewhat elevated, on 

 the side of a gentle declivity, and on 

 a porous soil. It should be on the 

 west or northwest side of a hill if 

 possible, or, at least, sheltered from 

 the north, east, and south by high 

 trees. In some countries where there 

 are natural caverns with an opening 



