COB 
edges of the prime wing-feathers are alfo green. 
The weight of this bird is about a quarter of an 
ounce; it's length, from the tip of the bill to the 
extremity of the tail, is five inches ; and the exten- 
fion of it's wings is feven. It is diftinguifhed from 
all other tit-mice by it's inferior fize, 
CO ATI. A Brazilian name for the racoon. 
See Racoon. 
COATIMONPI. ABrazilian animal, of which 
there are feveral vai ieties ; though their natural hif- 
tory is fo imperfetlly known, that they have gene- 
rally been blended under one general defcription. 
The Coatimondi is remarkable for the extreme 
length of it's fnout, which in fome meafure refem- 
bies that of a hog, but is elongated to a furprizing 
degree. It bears fome affinity to the racoon, ex- 
cept that the neck and body are longer, that the fur 
is fhorter, and that the eyes are fmaller. But the 
principal diftin£lion between this and all other ani- 
mals, confifts in it's fnout, which is moveable in 
every divifion, and reverts at the extremity. Like 
the racoon, it refts on it's hinder legs with great fa- 
cility, and in this pofition carries it's food to it's 
mouth with both it's paws. 
This animal has been known frequently to prey 
on it's own tail, which is rather longer than it's 
body: but this flrange appetite is not peculiar to 
the Coatimondi alone; themaucauco, and fome of 
the monkey tribe, do the fame, and feem to feel no 
pain in wounding a part of their body fo remote 
from the centre of circulation. 
The Coatimondi is about three feet long from 
the tip of the nofe to the extremity of the tail ; the 
fore-paws are divided into five toes, the nails of 
which are long, black, crooked, and hollow like 
thofe of the beaver; the under-parts of the fore- 
paws are covered with a foft fkin ; and at the ends of 
the heels there are feveral callofities, half an inch in 
length, and one-tenth of an inch in breadth, which 
cling together like a marigold when it fnuts up it's 
flower during the night. The hair is fhort and un- 
equal, and of a black :olour on the back and fome 
parts of the head, as well as on the paws and fnout; 
but on the reft of the body it contains a mixture 
of black and red, and under the neck and belly 
has fomewhat of a golden tinge. The tail is fur- 
rounded with annular ftripes of black and red ; the 
eyes are fmall ; and the ears are round, like thofe of a 
rat, and covered with very fhort hair externally, but 
internally with long whitifli hair. In each jaw 
there are fix fore-teeth ; the canine teeth are very 
large, of a greyifn colour, and fomewhat tranfpa- 
rent ; the mouth is large, refembling that of a hog ; 
and the under-jaw is much Ihorter than the up- 
per. 
This creature feems to be fportive and amufing 
in a tame ftate ; but, if left at liberty, will not only 
deftroy poultry, but all other animals over which 
it's ftrength gives it the fuperiority. It is playful 
with it's keeper, but is neverthelefs obftinately bent 
againft receiving any inftruftion ; and neither threats 
nor carefTes can induce it to praflife any arts to 
which it is not naturally inclined. When it fleeps, 
it rolls itfelf up in a lump, and in that pofition often 
continues for fourteen or fifteen hours at a time. 
COBITIS. A fmall frefh-water fiih, commonly 
called in England the loach. It greatly refembles 
the gudgeon both in fhape and colour, but is much 
Irnaller, being never more than three inches long. 
It's body is foft and flippery; it's tail is flat and 
broad; and it's fcales are extremely minute. It's 
colour is brown, fpotced with black; and from it's 
c o c 
upper-jaw proceed three pair of beards. This fifli^ 
which is caught in the rivers of many different 
countries, is efteemed very delicate food, efpeci- 
ally when young. 
Artedi enumerates three fpecies of the Cobitisj 
and Linnseus makes it a genus of abdominales, in^ 
eluding five fpecies. 
CoBlTIS ACULEATA, Or OxYRYNCHUS, Tllis 
fpecies is armed with two prickles on the coverings 
of each of it's gills, by means of which it moves 
very nimbly among fcones at the bottoms of rivers, 
COBIUS. The Greek appellation for the go- 
bius marinus, or fea-gudgeon, diftinguifhed by 
Artedi under the name of the blackifh variegated 
gobius with fourteen rays on the fecond fin of the 
back. 
COBIUS LEUCOTERUS. A Greek name 
for the fifh called gobius albus by modern writers. 
It feems to be a genuine fpecies of the gobius ; and 
is diftinguiflied by Artedi under the name of the 
gobius with a blue ventral fin, and the rays of the 
anterior back-fin rifing above the membrane ; which 
feems to be a lufficient difcrimination from all the 
other fpecies. 
COBRA DE CIPO. An appellation given by 
the Portuguefe to an American ferpent, more ufu- 
ally known by it's Brazilian name boitjapo. 
COBRA DE CORAL. An American fer- 
pent, called by the natives ibibiboca. It is about 
two feet long, and beautifully variegated with a fine 
red colour. 
COBRA DE LAS CABECAS. A Portuguefe 
name for an American Ipecies of ferpent of the am- 
phifbcena kind, the bite of which is very fatal. It 
lives under ground, and feeds on ants. 
COBRAS DE CAPELLO. A Portuguefe 
name for a peculiar fpecies of ferpent called by au- 
thors ferpens Indicus coronatusdiademate; inEng- 
lifh, the IpeiStacle-fnake, fo named from the ftrange 
refemblance of the back of it's head and neck to a 
pair of fpedacles. It grows fomewhat larger than 
the common viper; the fnout is long; the head is 
flat, or depreifed; and the bite is very fatal. It is 
fuppofed by miany that there is a ftone lodged in 
the back-part of the head, which is a fpecific for 
it's bite ; but the ftones generally known under the 
appellation of lapides Cobr^e de Capello are ail 
artificial compofitions. 
COBRE DE VERD. A Brazilian ferpent, 
fo called by the Portuguefe; but, by the natives, 
boiobi. 
COCCINELLA. A genus of infers of the 
coleoptera kind ; the diftinguifhing charafteriftics 
of which are, that the antennse are clavated and 
truncated; and that the thorax, with the exterior 
wings, which are marginated, form an hemifpheri- 
cal figure. There are feveral fpecies of this ge- 
nus, diftinguiflied by the colour and fpots of their 
wings; among which are included all the lady- 
cows, commonly fo called. 
COCCOTHRAUSTES. A bird with a very 
fliort body and large beak ; whence it is called, in 
Englifli, the grofs-beak, or hawfinch. It is confi- 
derably larger than the chaffinch; it's head is very 
large in proportion to it's body; and it's large beak, 
which tapers from a very thick bafe to an acute 
point, refembles a funnel. This bird, which is 
common in Germany, lives in the woods and moun- 
tains during the fummer; but in winter it retires 
to the champain country, and fometimes vifits 
England during that feafon. It feeds on the ker- 
nels contained in tiie ftones of fruits, which it breaks 
with 
