COL 



COL 



tincture of galls, in not combining with 

 ammonia, and in being insoluble, and un- 

 alterable with regard to colour, by nitric 

 acid. 



COLUMELLA, in botany, a genus of 

 the Syngenesia Superflua class and or- 

 der; receptacle naked, cellular; seeds 

 crowned with a toothed margin ; calyx 

 cylindrical, imbricate ; florets of the ray 

 undivided. One species, found at the 

 Cape. 



COLUMN, a round pillar, made to sup- 

 port and adorn a building, and composed 

 of a base, a shaft, and a capital. 



Columns are different in the different 

 orders of architecture, and may be con- 

 sidered with regard to their matter, con- 

 struction, form, disposition, and use. See 

 ARCHITECTURE. 



COLUMNEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 "Didynamia Angiospermia class and order. 

 Natural order of Personatae. Scrophula- 

 riac, Jussieu. Essential character : calyx 

 five-parted; corolla ringent; upper-lip 

 three-parted ; the middle? part vaulted, 

 emarginate ; gibbous above at the base ; 

 anthers connected ; capsule two-celled; 

 seeds nestling. There are six species, all 

 natives of hot countries, and most of them 

 of the West Indies. 



COLUMN LFERJE, in botany, the name 

 of the thirty-seventh order in Linnseus's 

 " Fragments of a Natural Method," con- 

 sisting of plants whose stamina and pistil 

 have the appearanpe of a pillar in the cen- 

 tre of a flower : an instance of this order 

 is the genus BIXA, which see. 



COLURES, in astronomy and geogra- 

 phy, two great circles, supposed to inter- 

 sect each other at right angles in the 

 poles of the world, and to pass through 

 the solstitial and equinoctial points of the 

 ecliptic. That which passes through the 

 two equinoctial points is called the equi- 

 noctial colure, and determines the equi- 

 noxes;and the otherwhich passes through 

 the poles of the ecliptic is called the sol- 

 stitial colure, because it determines the 

 solstices. 



COLUTEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Diadelphia Decandria class and order. 

 Natural order of Papilionaceae or Legu- 

 rninosse. Essential character : calyx five- 

 cleft ; legume inflated, gaping on the up- 

 per suture at the base. There are nine 

 species. Most of the Coluteas are shrubs, 

 with, pinnate leaves, and stipules distinct 

 from the petiole ; peduncles sometimes 

 two-flowered, but more frequently many- 

 flowered in spikes, both axillary and ter- 

 minating. They are easily distinguished 



by their membranaceous, inflated pod ; 

 natives of hot climates. 



COLYMBUS, the diver, in natural his- 

 tory, a genus of birds of the order An- 

 seres. Generic character : bill toothless, 

 subulate, straight, and pointed : throat 

 toothed; nostrils linear; legs fettered. 

 The guillemot and the diver are included 

 by Gmelin under one genus, while Ln- 

 tham considers each as furnishing a genus 

 by itself. We shall adopt the system of 

 the former, and notice, in what follows, 

 the most important of these two classes, 

 under one head. 



C. troile, or foolish guillemot. These 

 birds are, in summer, surprisingly abun- 

 dant on the coasts of England, and furnish 

 to the sportsman an invaluable supply of 

 experience in the art of shooting flying. 

 Whatever numbers may be destroyed, the 

 rest only quit their stand to take a circu- 

 lar flight, which brings them back to the 

 spot whence the gun alarmed them, and 

 which the death of their companions 

 cannot induce them finally to leave. 

 Their flesh is eaten by theKamschatkans, 

 though extremely ill- flavoured, and their 

 skins valued by those people as a highly 

 ornamental dress. The eggs are said to 

 be extremely delicate, and it is remarka- 

 ble that no two are spotted or streaked 

 alike. 



C. glacialis, or the Northern diver, is 

 the largest of the genus, and weighs so 

 much as sixteen pounds, measuring three 

 feet six inches in length. This is found in 

 various places in the North of Europe, but 

 scarcely ever seen so far south as England, 

 unless i n wi nters extremely rigorous. It 

 is rarely see-i on land, being almost per- 

 petually on the ocean, where it dives 

 with extreme vigour in pursuit of various 

 fishes, and with such dexterity as rarely 

 fails of success. It can fly with rapidity, 

 and to a great distance. In Iceland it is 

 often found, and, while breeding, fre- 

 quents the lakes and rivers of that 

 island. The inhabitants of the banks of 

 the Oby prepare the skin of this bird 

 without injuring 1 the feathers, and ren- 

 der it convertible into compact, durable, 

 and ornamental parts of dress, as caps, 

 or even mantles, which are proofs 

 against moisture, and afford extraordinary 

 warmth. 



C. immer, or the imber, resembles the 

 last in habits and manners. It is found 

 in the lakes of Canada, and in those of 

 Switzerland, as well as in ulmost uli the 

 northern parts of Europe. It will swim 

 under water to the distance of a huh- 



