CAV 



CAV 



clerk to a benefice. A caveat stands in 

 force for three months. 



The entering" a caveat being- at the in- 

 stance of the party, is for the benefit 

 of the ordinary, that he may do no wrong 1 ; 

 it is a cautionary act for his better in- 

 formation, to which the temporal courts 

 have no regard ; therefore, if, after a ca- 

 veat entered, the ordinary should grant 

 administration, or probate of a will, it is 

 not void by our law, though it is by the 

 canon law ; but our law takes notice of a 

 caveat. 



CAYERNOSE, among anatomists, an 

 appellation given to several parts of the 

 body on account of their spongy struc- 

 ture : thus the cavernosa corpora are two 

 , spongy bodies, made up of a number of 

 small caverns or cells. 



CAVETTO, in architecture, the re- 

 verse of a quarter round, being a concave 

 moulding frequently used in the entabla- 

 ture. 



CAVIA, the cavy, in natural history, a 

 genus of Mammalia, of the order Glires. 

 Generic character : two wedge-shaped 

 front teeth ; eight grinders ; from four to 

 five toes on the fore-feet, from three to 

 five on the hind-feet ; tail very short, or 

 none ; no clavicles. There are seven spe- 

 cies, of which those that follow are most 

 deserving attention. 



C. cobaya, or the guinea pig. This 

 animal is a native of South America, and 

 found particularly in Brazil. It is tamed 

 with great facility, and is inoffensive, ti- 

 morous, and particularly cleanly ; it does 

 not, however, appear susceptible of strong 

 attachments to its benefactors, nor is it 

 remarkable for docility. It is one of the 

 most prolific of animals, and Buffon cal- 

 culates that, in twelve months only, one 

 thousand might be produced from a sin- 

 gle pair, as the female has been known 

 to bring forth young when two months 

 eld only ; and the time of gestation is 

 only three weeks ; and she will produce 

 at least every two months. They are six 

 or seven months before they arrive at 

 their maturity of growth, but within the 

 short period of twelve hours from their 

 birth are nearly as alert and active as 

 those fully grown, and therefore require 

 parental assiduity only for a little time. 

 Vegetables form their food, and on a 

 great variety of these they will flourish 

 and fatten : very succulent food of this 

 description, however, is injurious, and 

 with sow-thistles and cabbage, should be 

 employed for them nourishment of more 

 consistency, such as grain and bread. 

 They drink but little, appear, after eating 



to ruminate, and are extremely apt to 

 be aflccted by cold. They are in some 

 places used as articles of food, and even 

 considered as delicacies. They are un- 

 commonly cleanly in their habitations, 

 and are often to be seen smoothing and 

 cleansing their fur with particular atten- 

 tion and perseverance. In contests they 

 not only bite, but kick. It is a curious 

 circumstance, if it maybe depended upon 

 as true, and it is stated by authentic re- 

 porters, that the male and female seldom 

 sleep at the same time, but exercise over 

 each other alternate vigilance. See Mam- 

 malia, Plate VII. fig. 2. 



C. paca, or the spotted cavy, of Pen- 

 nant, is clumsily formed ; a native, like 

 the former, of South America ; is highly 

 esteemed by the inhabitants of this quar- 

 ter of the world for its food ; is particu- 

 larly fond of fruits and of sugar ; and 

 continuing in its hole during the day, de- 

 votes the night to activity and refresh- 

 ment. See Mammalia, Plate VII. fig. 3. 



C. capybara, or the river cavy, inhabits 

 particularly the eastern parts of South 

 America ; and when full grown weighs 

 about a hundred pounds ; it lives not only 

 upon vegetables, but also upon fish, 

 which, as it swims and dives extremely 

 well, it procures with facility, but which 

 it brings to land before it devours ; it is 

 of a mild disposition, and easily familiar- 

 ized by man ; its pursuit of prey is ge- 

 nerally engaged in by night ; it frequents^ 

 principally, marshes and the banks of ri- 

 vers. These animals are reported to as- 

 sociate only in pairs. The female pro- 

 duces only one young at a time. Their 

 flesh is praised by some as exquisite, but 

 others represent it as rank and fishy. 



C. aguti, the long-nosed cavy. These 

 animals move like hares, and grunt like 

 pigs ; their food consists of various fruits, 

 and of nuts, which they will lude, and 

 abstain from touching for many months ; 

 they breed with the rapidity of rabbits, 

 no season checking their prolific tenden- 

 cies ; their flesh is very agreeable to the 

 taste, and, even when they are old, ac- 

 quires little or no toughness. They are 

 caught by the Indians in Guinea, and 

 other warm parts of South America, 

 where alone they are to be met with in 

 great numbers, sometimes being hunted 

 down by their dogs, and frequently being 

 taken in traps, to \vhich they are allured 

 by the accurate imitation of their pecu- 

 liar sounds. They are nearly of the 

 size of a hare ; when pursued, they re- 

 treat to burrows or holes of trees, which, 

 indeed, constitute their irregular and 



