en A 



216 



cn A 



by DC Blainvillc in the order Laraalli- 

 branchiata. It comprises the genera 

 ch*ina, diceras, etheria, isocardium, tri- 

 gonia, &c. In the arrangement of Cuvier 

 it forms the third family of testaceous 

 acephala, and comprising only the genus 

 chama, Lin. 



CHA'MA GIGAS, Lin., a species of chama 

 inhabiting the Indian ocean ; it is the 

 largest and heariest shell known, weigh- 

 ing sometimes between 300 and 400 Ibs. 

 Its occupant is so large as to furnish 120 

 toen with a good meal. 



CHA'MBER, Lat. camera, from xott&a%et, 

 an arched roof, the vaulted room. This 

 word has generally the signification of 

 apartment, as the chamber of a mine, a 

 place generally of a cubical form, where 

 the powder is confined ; the chamber of a 

 inortar, which is that part of the chase 

 where the powder lies. In a general 

 sense the word is taken to mean the place 

 where an assembly meets, and also the 

 assembly its-elf. 1. The star-chamber, the 

 authority of which was abolished by the 

 statute 17 Car. 1. This hall was so called 

 because the roof was painted with stars. 

 2. Chamber of Commerce, an assembly 

 of merchants to discuss the affairs of 



trade. 3. Chamber of assurance, usually 



a society of merchants and others for car- 

 rying on the business of insurance, but 

 in Holland a court of justice where insur- 

 ance causes are tried. I. Chamber of 



London, an apartment in London where 

 the city money is deposited. 



CHA'MBERED" SHELLS, such shells as are 

 divided into compartments by septa, 

 usually called multilocular. 



CHA MJJF.RLAIJJ , an officer charged with 

 the management of a chamber or cham- 

 bers. The lord chamberlain of Great 

 Britain is the sixth officer 01 ihe crown. 

 His office is hereditary, and he is entitled 

 to livery and lodging in the imperial 

 court. He has the oversight of all officers 

 belonging to the royal chambers, except 

 the bed-chamber, wardrobe, &c., and ad- 

 ministers the oath to all officers above 

 stairs. The chamberlains of the Exche- 

 quer of London, of Chester, of North 

 "Wales, &c., are commonly receivers of 

 rents and revenues, and have certain 

 rights and immunities attached to their 

 situations. 



CHA'MBRANLE, an ornamental border on 

 doors, -windows, and lire places. This 

 ornament is commonly taken from the 

 architrave of the order of the building. 

 Iii window frames, the sill is also orna- 

 mented, forming a fourth side. The top 

 of the three sided chambranle is called 

 the transverse, and the sides ascendants. 



CHAMELEON , a name common to all the 

 pecies (seven) of the genus Chamceleo. 

 The chameleon is particularly remarkable 

 for tbe great size of its lungs, which when 



fully dilated, make the body almost trans- 

 parent. This circumstance enables it 

 to change colour at pleasure, by enabling 

 it to throw a greater or less quantity of 

 blood upon the surface of the body, and 

 perhaps also somewhat to change the hue 

 of the blood itself, by varying ibr degree 

 of its aeration. 



CHAME'LEON MIN'ERAL. "When peroxide 

 of manganese is mixed with an equal 

 weight of nitre or carbonate of potash, 

 and the mixture fused at a red heat . a 

 green coloured mass is obtained called 

 chameleon mineral. When this substance 

 is dissolved in water, the solution is at 

 first green ; it then becomes successively 

 blue, purple, and red, and finally throws 

 down a brown precipitate and becomes 

 colourless : from these phenomena it de- 

 rives its name. 



CHAM'FER, j a small gutter or furrow 



CHAM'FRET, I cut in wood or other hard 

 material, as in stones, pillars, or other 

 ornamented parts of a bjilding. The 

 word is also used as a verb, meaning to 

 channel. 



CHA'MOIS, a species of the antelope tribe 

 of animals, whose skin is made into the 

 soft leather called shammy. It inhabits 

 the Alpine mountains. 



CHAM'OMILE, a name (from chamteme- 

 him, from %ct[&oc.i, the ground, and fj.tf.ot, 

 an apple), common to all the plants of the 

 genus Anthemis, but especially applied to 

 the A. nobilis, a well known perennial, 

 cultivated for its medicinal properties. 



CHAM'PAIN, in heraldry, champain, or 

 point champain, is a mark of dishonour in 

 the coat of arms of an individual who hag 

 killed a prisoner of war after he has asked 

 for quarter. 



CHAM'PAIS LINE In ornamental carved 

 work formed of excavations, the line 

 parallel to the continuous line, either as 

 cending or descending, is called the cham- 

 pain line. 



CHAMP DE MARS, in French history, the 

 public assemblies of the Franks, which 

 were held in the open air, and in the 

 month of March, whence the name. 



CHAM'PERTT, Fr. champart, field-rent; 

 a species of maintenance, being a bargain 

 with a plaintiff or defendant, to divide 

 the land or other matter in suit between 

 them, if they prevail ; whereupon the 

 champertor is to carry on the party's suit 

 at his own expense. This is equivalent 

 to a purchase of the right of suing. 



CHAKCE-MED'LEY, in taw, the killing of 

 a person by chance, when the killer is 

 doing a lawful act ; if he be doing an un- 

 lawful act the kil'ing is felony. 



CHANCELLOR, Lat. caticellnrius, a chief 

 soribe or notary under the Roman em- 

 perors ; but in England in later times, an 

 officer invested with judicial powers, and 

 particularly with the superintendence of 



