CIV 
CIV 
Ctrl, Foolish. This bird, fo called by Al- 
drovanduSj is of the fame magnitude, and nearly of 
the fame figure, with the former. The upper part 
of the head, and the whole back, are of the colour 
of rufty iron; the prime -feathers of the wings and 
tail are blackifh, but their edges are of a ruft-cololirj 
and on the wings thfere are a few black fpots. 
CIRRIS. A fmall fpecies of heron ; called by 
fome authors the ardea hjrmatopus, or the red- 
legged heron, from it's beautiful red legs. 
CITELLUS, A fmall animal of the moufe 
kind, which lives in caves and holes of the earth. 
It's body, like that of the common weafel, is long 
and thin ; it's tail is very Ihort; and it's colour is a 
pale filvery grey. It refembles the moufe in the 
want of external ears; but it has apertures which 
fupply their places, in the manner of birds. Thefe 
animals live in communities, great numbers of them 
being ufually found together in the fame cave, fur- 
nilhed with a large ftock of nuts, chefnuts, and 
other fruits. Their flefh is well-flavoured; and 
their fkins are much valued in cold climates. Tliey 
are natives not only of the frigid regions, but like- 
wife of Bohemia, Auftria, and Hungary. 
CITHARUS. A fifh frequently caught In the 
German and Mediterranean feas. It is flat, and 
of the turbot kind, but entirely covered with large 
fcaies. 
CITRIL. An appellation given by naturalifls 
to the citrinella, or verzellino ; a bird common in 
Italy, where it is generally caged on account of the 
beauty of it's plumage and the fweetnefs of it's 
notes. It's fliape bears a ftrong refemblance to 
that of the common linnet. The head and back 
are green ; the rumip is a greenifli yellow ; and the 
neck, vv^ith a fmall part of the head behind, are grey. 
CITULA. The name given by Paulus Jo- 
vius to the fifh called faber by the generality of 
authors, and doree in Englifh . Pliny calls it zeus ; 
and hence Artedi has made zeus the generical name 
which comprehends this, and feveral other fpecies, 
under the fame arrangement. The faber is called 
the zeus with the prickly belly and the tail rounded 
at the extremity ; and this feems to be the true fpe- 
cific name of the Citula. 
CIVET. This animal, called the Civet-cat by 
various authors, conftitutes a fpecies of the viverra, 
or weafel, in the Linnsean fyflem of zoology; and, 
by Buffon, is made to confift of two fpecies, one 
of which he calls the Civet, and the other the Zibet. 
The latter difi^ers principally from the former in 
having a longer and more flender body, a fmaller 
nofe, longer and broader ears, in being deflitute 
of the mane or long hair running down the back, 
and in having the tail longer, and more annulated 
with different colours from one end to the other. 
Such are the variations which have induced this 
great naturalise to fuppofe that thefe animals are of 
different fpecies; but, in conformity to tlie ufual 
praftice of zoologifts, we fhail confider them 
merely as two varieties of the fame animal, and only 
altered in figure by climate, food, or education. 
The Civet flrongly refembles animals of the 
weafel kind in the lehgth and thinnefs of it's body, 
the fliortnefs of it's legs, the odorous matter which 
exfudes from it's poilerior glands, the foftnefs of 
it's fur, the number of it's claws, and their incapa- 
city of being flieathcd; v/hile it differs from them 
in being confiderably larger, in having it's nofe 
lengthened i'o as to refemble that of the fox, in it's 
tail being long and tapering to a point, and in it's 
ears being firaight like xhok of the cat. 
The colour of the Civet varies confiderably: 
however, it is commonly afli fpotted with black ; 
but, in the female, it is more white, ahd the fpots 
much larger. The colour on the belly, and under 
the throat, is black; and the other parts of the body 
are fometimes black flreaked with grey : it has fre- 
quently the variegated hues of the tabby-cat; and, 
in fhort, it is impofTible to give a precife idea of 
it's various external fhades. 
The opening of the pouch, or bag, which is the 
receptacle of the Civet, differs from that of the reft 
of the weafel kind, in not opening into, but under 
the anus. Befides this aperture, v/hich is pretty 
large, there is another flill lower down ; but for 
what purpofe it is defigned, naturalifts are not 
agreed. The pouch itfelf is about two inches and 
a half broad, and two long ; it's opening makes a 
chink, from the top downwards, about two inches 
and a half long; and it is covered on the edges, 
and internally, with fliort hair. When the two 
fides are drawn afunder, the inv.^ard cavity may be 
feen, which is large enough to contain a pullet's 
egg; and round it on every fide there are fmall 
glands, which open, and furnifh that ftrong per- 
fume fo well known and form.erly fo much admired. 
Thofe who are employed in rearing thefe ani- 
mals for the fake of their perfume, uiually col'edt 
it twice or thrice in the week, and fometimes oftener. 
The creature is on fuch occafions confined in a 
long box, in which it has not room to turn itfelf 
round: the perfon opens the box behind, drags the 
animal backward by the tail, keeps it in this pofi- 
tion by means of a bar in front, and v/ith a wooden 
fpoon fcrapes the Civet from the pouch with the 
greateft care; after which he quits his hold of the 
tail, and fhuts the box. The perfume, thus pro- 
cured, is put into a vefi'el, which is kept very clofely 
fhut; and, when a fufficient qusintity is obtained, 
it is difpofed of to confiderable advantage. 
The Civet, though a native of the warmefl cli- 
mates, thrives very well in temperate, and even in 
cold ones, provided it be carefully defended from 
the injuries of the air; and hence it is bred not only 
in Turky, India, and Africa,, but alfo in Holland, 
where the Dutch reap confiderable advantage from 
it's perfume. The Civet of Amfterdam is reck- 
oned the pureft; it being frequently adulterated in 
other countries with various gummy fubftances, 
which at once increafe it's weight and diminifii 
it's value. The quantity which a fingle animal af- 
fords generally depends on it's liealth and nourifh- 
ment. Raw flefh chopped fmall, eggs, rice, birds, 
young fowls, and particularly fifh, are the kinds 
of food mioft acceptable to this creature ; and tliefe 
fhould be varied, in order to fuit and entice it's ap- 
petite, and continue it's health. Though it drinks 
very fparingly, it waters frequently; and, on fuch 
occafions, it is impoffible to diftinguifh the male 
from the female. 
The perfume of the Civet is fo very ftrong, that 
it communicates itfelf to every part of the animal's 
body : the fur is impregnated with it; and the flcin 
penetrated to fuch a degree, that it retains the fcent 
a confiderable time after it is ftripped off; and, 
were any perfon to be fhut up with one of thefe 
creatures in a clofe room, fo copioufly is the odouf 
difiufed, that he would very foon be unable to fup- 
port it. Vv hen the animal is irritated, the fcent is 
much more violent than ordinary; and, if it be fo 
tormented as to produce a perfpiration, this is alfo 
a ftrong perfume, and ferves to adulterate or in- 
creafe Vi'hat is otherv/ife obtained, 
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