C AL 



18J 



AL 



characterised by large and simple cylin- 

 drical stems, articulated at intervals, but 



without sheaths. 2. From Ital. cala- 



mita , loadstone ; a mineral variety of horn- 

 blende, found in serpentine with magnetic 

 iron and calcareous spar. It is more gene- 

 rally called Actiuolite, (q. v.) 



CAI/AMTS (Latin), a reed: in Roman 

 archeology. 1. The C. pastoralis was a 

 simple reed, used as a musical instrument. 



2. The C. scriptorius, or C. chartarius, 



was split like our pens, and sharpened 

 with a knife : it was used to write on 

 materials %vhich the style would injure. 



3. Calamus is now applied as the 



generic name of the true Indian reed or 

 rotaug. Hexandria Monogynia. There 

 are several species, one of which the 

 C. rotang affords the rattan canes used as 

 walking-sticks ; and another, the C. aro- 

 maticits, the sweet flag or Acorus cala>i.8, 

 Linn., is used by the distillers of Dantzic 

 to correct the empyreumatic odour of 

 spirits. 



CALAN'DRA (Latin), the lark ; applied as 

 the name of a genus of coleopterous in- 

 sects, of the family Rhynchophora. The 

 species are all destructive : the well- 

 known weevil, the destroyer of our gra- 

 naries, is the larva of the C. granaria. The 

 /arva of the C. palmarum, called ver pal- 

 mitte, is considered a great delicacy by the 

 inhabitants of South America. 



CALA'IHIUM, ) ^aPuxfle? , a cup. A 



CALATHI'DIUM, ) botanical term denot- 

 ing an umbel with all the flowers sessile. 



CAL'ATOR, in Roman archeeology ; an 

 Apparitor or officer who attends courts to 

 summon the parties : naX^ru^ , a crier. 



CALATRA'VA, a Spanish military order, 

 instituted by Sancho HI., in memory of 

 his taking Calatrava from the Moors. 



CALCAI'RE GROSSIER (French), a coarse 

 limestone often passing into sand, and 

 abounding in marine shells : it belongs to 

 the eocene tertiary period. 



CALCAI'RE SIMCIEUX (French), a com- 

 pact silicious limestone, belonging, like 

 the calcaire grossier, to the eocene tertiary 

 period. 



CAL'CAR (Latin), a spur: applied, 1. In 



anatomy, to the oscalcu or heel-bone. 



2. In botany, to a tube forming a sac at 



the side of the receptacle. 3. The name 



of a small reverberatory furnace , in which 

 the first calcination of sand and potash is 

 made for the purpose of converting them 

 into frit, from which glass is ultimately 

 made. The calcar is 10 ft. long, 7 wide", 

 and 2 deep. 



CAI/CARATE, Lat. calcaratus, spurred ; 

 applied to corols and nectaries of plants. 



CALCA'REOCS EARTH, commonly denotes 

 lime in any form, but properly it is pure 

 lime. 



CALCA'REOUS ROCK, limestone 



CALCA'REOCS SPAR, crystallised native 

 carbonate of lime ; it is found in veins in, 

 all rocks from granite to alluvial strata. 

 The most beautiful crystals are found in 

 Derbyshire, but the purest variety is the 

 Iceland spar. Its optical effects are well 

 known. 



CALCA'REOFSTUFA, calcareous incrusta 

 tions of carbonate of lime, sometime* 

 found so thick and hard as to be used for 

 architectural purposes. This tufa appears 

 to be formed generally by springs, which 

 issuing through limestone strata, hold in 

 solution a portion of calcareous earth ; 

 this they deposit on coming in contact 

 with air and light. 



CAL'CEDON. With jewellers, a foul vein 

 like calcedony in some precious stones. 



CALCED'ONT, a simple silicious uncrys- 

 tallised mineral, semi-transparent and 

 translucent, thus named from it* being 

 formerly found at Calcedon. There are 

 several sub-species: common calcedony 

 occurs in various shades of white, grey, 

 yellow, brown, green and blue : the grass- 

 green varieties are called Plasma; the 

 apple-green isChrysoprase ; those with red, 

 brown, and yellow tints are Cornelian; 

 others are known as heliotrope, jasper, 

 onyx, sard, &c. 



CAL'CIFRAGA, breakstone (calx, a stone, 

 and frango, to break), a plant so named 

 from its supposed property of breaking 

 the stone in the bladder. By some writers 

 the term calcifraga is used synonymously 

 with saxifraga. 



CALCINA'TION, the process of subjecting 

 a body to the action of fire to drive off 

 the volatile parts, whereby it is reduced 

 to a condition that it may be converted 

 into a powder (calx). Thus marble is 

 converted into lime by driving off the 

 carbonic acid and water ; and gypsum, 

 alum, borax, and other saline bodies, are 

 said to be calcined when they are de- 

 prived of their water of crystallisation. 

 In a narrower sense, calcination consists 

 in subjecting metallic bodies to a roast- 

 ing heat, whereby they are changed into 

 a metallic calx or earth. 



CALCITRAPOI'DES, fossil shells, so named 

 from their having four lobes disposed in. 

 a triangular form, like the four iron 

 points of a caltrop. 



CAL'ciuM,the metallic basis of lime. See 

 LIME. 



CALCO'GRAFHT, from calx, chalk, and 

 yaot$ca, to write, engrave. See ENGRAVING. 



CALC-SINTER, stalactitical or stalagmi- 

 tical carbonate of lime, so called from 

 German kalk, lime, and sintcrn, to drop. 

 Calc-sinter is often formed by the infil- 

 tration of carbonated lime-water through 

 the crevices of the roofs of caverns, &c. 

 "When it hangs from the roof it is called 

 I Stalactites, when found on the floor, the 

 1 irregular masses are termed Stalagmite. 



