CAP 



CAP 



seldom exceeding- four feet in height ; 

 branches long and woody; leaves oblong 

 acuminate at both ends, an inch and 

 half long ; peduncles one-flowered, slen- 

 der ; flowers without scent, calyx smooth ; 

 corolla white ; capsule furrowed on both 

 sides the length of the calyx; seeds 

 smuil. It is common in Jamaica, in all 

 the Caribbees, and the neighbouring con- 

 tinent. 



CAPRICORN, in astronomy, one of the 

 twelve signs of the zodiac, represented 

 on globes in the form of a goat, and cha- 

 racterized in books by this mark VJ . See 



ASTROXOMT. 



CAPRICORN, tropic of, a lesser circle of 

 the sphere, which is parallel to the equi- 

 noctial, and at 23 30' distance from it 

 southwards. 



CAPR1FOLIA, the third order of the 

 eleventh class of Jussieu's natural system. 

 It has the following characters: calyx 

 one-leafed, superior, often calycled or 

 bracteated at its base ; corolla generally 

 monopetalous, either regular or irregular, 

 in a few instances polypetalous ; petals 

 united by a broad base ; stamens of a de- 

 finite number, often five: in the monope- 

 talous genera always inserted into the 

 corolla, and alternating with its segments; 

 in thepolypetalousonessometimes placed 

 upon the pistil, alternating with the pe- 

 tajs, and sometimes fixed to the middle of 

 each petal; germ inferior ; style general- 

 ly single, sometimes none ; stigma single, 

 or rarely three ; fruit inferior, either a 

 berry or a one or many-celled capsule ; 

 each cell with one or many seeds ; corcu- 

 lum of the seed in a large upper cavity of 

 the large solid perisperm ; stem either a 

 shrub or a tree, rarely herbaceous; leaves 

 in most opposite, in a few alternate; sti- 

 pules none. 



CAPRIMULGUS, the goatsucker, in 

 natural history, a genus of birds of the 

 order Passeres. Generic character : bill 

 short and hooked at the end; mouth 

 extremely wide, with seven or more stiff 

 bristles on the upper mandible ; tongue 

 entire at the end and small ; tail of ten 

 feathers, and not forked; legs short; 

 toes united as far as the first joint by a 

 membrane ; middle claw with a broad 

 serrate edge. 



The birds of this genus, unless dis- 

 turbed, or in cloudy and gloomy wea- 

 ther, seldom make their appearance by 

 day, but by night are active and alert in 

 the pursuit of insects, which constitute 

 their food. The female deposits only 

 two eggs, and on the bare ground. 

 There are according to Gmelin nineteen 



species, though Latham enumerates only 

 fifteen. The most curious and interesting 

 are 



C. Europ<eus, or the European goat- 

 sucker. This is the only species met 

 with in Europe, in every part of which it 

 may be found, though no where abun- 

 dantly, and it is never observed to unite 

 in companies. Being migratory, it arrives 

 in England in May, and quits it in Sep- 

 tember. It is a mortal enemy to various 

 insects, and particularly to cockchafers, 

 six of which, besides four very large 

 moths, have been found in its stomach. 

 The glare of day is overpowering to its 

 sight, which is cleared by twilight. 

 During this, therefore, it is in quest of 

 food, and in full activity. It is singular for 

 perching, not across a branch as other 

 birds do, but lengthwise : the female 

 lays her eggs on the ground instead of a 

 nest, apparently little anxious for their 

 maturity : though when disturbed she 

 will move them it is said to a place ima- 

 gined by her to be more secure. 



C. Virginianus, or the Virginian goat- 

 sucker. This bird arrives in Virginia in 

 April, and inhabits principally the moun- 

 tainous parts of that country. As the 

 evening advances, it approaches the ha- 

 bitations of man, and, fixing on a post or 

 rail, utters many times one plaintive cry; 

 and from the evening till the morning 

 this movement and cry are with short in- 

 tervals repeated. Instead of pursuing in- 

 sects always on the wing, it often leaps 

 up for them as they pass with the most 

 successful dexterity, falling back again 

 upon its perching place. Its flesh is va- 

 lued for food 



CAPSICUM, in botany,English Guinea- 

 pepper, a genus of the Pentandria Mono- 

 gynia class and order. Natural order of 

 Luridae. Solanese,Jussieu. Essential cha- 

 racter : corolla rotated ; berry exsuc- 

 cous. There are five species according 

 to Martyn, but many botanists mention 

 sixteen, and others twenty. C. annum, 

 annual capsicum, or Guinea-pepper, is 

 two feet high, upright, branched, leaves 

 ovate lanceolate, smooth, and of a dark 

 green colour ; flowers white, lateral, so- 

 litary. The fruit is a berry, varying in 

 size and shape, extremely smooth and 

 shining on the outside, scarlet or yellow. 

 The beauty of the capsicum is in their 

 ripe fruit, forming a pretty contrast to 

 their dark leaves and white flowers, mak- 

 ing a beautiful appearance in the gardens 

 when properly disposed, or when planted 

 in pots for the decoration of courts. 

 Most of the sorts of capsicum are na- 



