DAC 



but one species, viz. C. pulchella, a native 

 of Jamaica. 



CYRTANTHUS, in botany, a genus of 

 the Hexandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Spathaceae. Narcissi, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : corolla tu- 

 bular, club-shaped, crooked, six-cleft ; 

 segments ovate oblong ; filaments insert- 

 ed into the tube, converging at top. 

 There are two species, viz. C. angustifo- 

 lius, narrow-leaved cyrtanthus, and C. ob- 

 liquus, oblique-leaved cyrtanthus. These 

 are both natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



CYTINUS, in botany, a genus of the 

 Gynandria Octandria class and order. Na- 

 tural order of Aristolochiae, Jussieu. Es- 

 sential character : style one ; calyx four- 

 cleft, superior ; corolla none ; anthers 

 sixteen, sessile ; berry eight-celled, with 



many seeds. There is but one species, 

 viz. C. hypocistis, rape of cistus, a para- 

 sitical plant, growing at the roots of the 

 cistus ; leaves sessile, closely imbricate ; 

 flowers terminating, heaped. Native of 

 the country of Nice, Spain, Portugal, and 

 Barbary. 



CYTISUS, in botany, laburnum, a ge 

 nus of the Diadelphia Decandria class and 

 order. Natural order of Papilionace^, or 

 Leguminosae. Essential character: calyx 

 two-lipped ; upper lip two-cleft : lower 

 three-toothed ; legume attenuated at the 

 base. There are eighteen species. All 

 the cytisus's are shrubs without spines, 

 most of them fit for ornamental planta- 

 tions. They are hardy ; the leaves are 

 ternate, and in some the flowers grow in 

 bunches. 



D. 



DOne of the letters of the alphabet, 

 5 the fourth in order, and the third 

 consonant. It is formed in the voice, by 

 applying the top of the tongue to the fore- 

 part of the palate, and then separating 

 them with a gentle gust of the breath, the 

 lips being at the same time open. 



As a numeral D denotes 500 ; and with 

 a dash over it thus, ~D, 5000. Used in 

 abbreviation, it has various significations : 

 thus, D. stands for doctor, as M. D. doc- 

 tor of medicine ; D. T. doctor of theology; 

 D.D. signifies doctor of divinity; D.D.D. 

 is used for dat, dicat, dedicat; and 

 D. D. D. D. for dignum deo donum dedit. 



DAB. See PLEUROXECTES. 



DACE, a species of Cyprinus. 

 * DACTYL, in ancient poetry, a metrical 

 foot, consisting of one long and two short 

 syllables, as murmure. The dactyl and 

 spondee are the only feet or measures 

 used in hexameter verses; the former 

 being esteemed more sprightly, and the 

 latter more solemn and grave. 



DACTYLIOMANCY, a sort of divina- 

 tion, performed by means of a ring ; con- 

 sisting chiefly in holding the ring sus- 

 pended by a fine thread over a round ta- 

 ble, on the edge whereof were made 

 several marks with the twenty-four letters 



of the alphabet ; and as the ring, in shak- 

 ing or vibrating over the table, happened 

 to stop over certain of the letters, these 

 being joined together composed the an- 

 swer required. 



DACTYLIS, in botany, a genus of the 

 Triandria Digynia class and order. Na- 

 tural order of Grasses. Essential charac- 

 ter : calyx two-valved, compressed ; one 

 valve larger, keeled. There are seven 

 species, of which D. cynosuroides, Ame- 

 rican cock's-foot grass, is a perennial, and 

 a native of Virginia and Canada. The 

 culms are two feet high and reedy ; leaves 

 on the culm six, broad, very glossy, sca- 

 brous about the edge, bent in ; spikes six 

 or more, diverging, chaffy ; calyxes one 

 flowered, scabrous on the keel, mucro- 

 nate ; pistils villose, very long. 



D-EMON, a name given by the an- 

 cients to certain spirits, or genii, which, 

 they say, appeared to men, either to do 

 them service or to injure them. The 

 Platonists distinguish between gods, dae- 

 mons, and heroes. The gods are those 

 whom Cicero calls Dii majorum gentium. 

 The daemons are those whom we call 

 angels. Christians, by the word daemon, 

 understand generally evil spirits ; but the 

 late learned' Mr. Hugh Farmer has inves- 



