C R A 
which can overtake it being ufually valued at a 
thoufand ducats, or a hundred camels. 
Cow, American. This variety has a vaft bunch 
on the Ihoulders ; and fliort black rounded horns, 
with large intervals between their bafes. The 
fore-parts of the body are thick and ftrong, but 
the hinder ones are flender and weak; and the head 
and hunch are covered with hair of a dull ruft- 
colour, which is at times fo very long, as to give 
the animal a fhapelefs appearance, and obftrufl it's 
fight. During winter the whole body is cloathed 
in the fame manner; but in fummer the hind-part 
of the body is naked, wrinkled, and dufl<;y. The 
tail is about a foot long, and naked, except a tuft 
of black hairs at the extremity. This animal in- 
habits Mexico, and the interior parts of North 
America: it is fond of marfliy places, and is ex- 
tremely fierce and dangerous; but, if taken young, 
is capable of being tamed. It feems to be the fame 
with the bifon and other cattle in a wild ftate, and 
to be comimon to Europe and America. See 
Bison. 
COWRIES. A genus of Ihells of the cyprea 
cl^fs . Sec C Y P R E A • 
cbxOLITLI . A Brazilian bird of the fize of 
the peacock, and of a brownifh colour. Though 
it differs from the jacupema in fome particulars, 
it feems to be of the fame fpccies. 
COYOLCOZQUE. An American bird, de- 
fcribed by Hernander and Nieremberg as a fpecies 
of quail or partridge. The colour of it's back is 
a mixture of white and yellow; it's bread and belly 
are wholly yellow; it's head and neck are orna- 
mented with fpots of black and white ; it's eyes 
are black; and it's legs are yellow. It is very 
common in many parts of Spanifh America, and 
is efteemed excellent food. 
COZCACOAUHTLI. The Mexican name 
of a large bird of the eagle kind defcribed by 
Nieremberg; and called by fome regina aura- 
rum, from the power it polTeffes of flying againft 
the Avind. 
CQU ILAQUIL. The Philippine name of a 
kind of parrot common in thefe idands; and dif- 
tinguiflied from the other fpecies by being very 
large, and entirely of a green colour. 
CRAB. A genus of aptera in the clafs of in- 
fe£ts in the Linnsean fyftem, comprehending no 
lefs than .eighty-feven fpecies; the diftinguifliing 
chara6lers of which are, that it has generally eight 
or ten feet, two of them being clawed; the two 
eyes are remote, and for the mod part peduncu- 
late, elongated, and moveable ; the two feelers are 
cheliferous; and the tail is articulated. To this 
genus belong the Crabs properly fo called, cray- 
filh, Ihrimps, lobfters, &c. 
The Crab is found equally in fre{h and fait wa- 
ter, and as well on land as in the ocean. It differs 
elTentially from the lobfter in it's conformation, 
but entirely refembles it in it's habits. The body 
is in general roundifh; the back is a little arched; 
and the tail turns up under it, lying in a cavity 
defigned for that purpofe. Thefe fifh are of dif- 
ferent fizes, fome weighing feveral pounds, and 
others only a few ounces. The male is diftin- 
guifhed from the female in having a broader tail, 
like that of the lobfter; and it likewife refembles 
that fifh with refpedl to the number of it's claws, 
which are two; and it's legs, which are eight. 
As Crabs, however, are found on land as well as 
in the water, the peculiarities of their fituation pro- 
duce the following difference in their habitudes. 
C R A 
Land-Crabs are found in moft of die warmer 
regions of Europe, and in great abundance in all 
the tropical climates in Africa and America. They 
are of various kinds, and endued with different pro- 
perties : fome are falubrious, delicious, and nou- 
rifliing food; others are poifonous and malignant 
to a very high degree ; fome are not above half an 
inch broad, others are a foot in diameter; fome 
are of a dirty brown colour, and others are mot- 
tled in a very beautiful manner. 
The coafts of the Britifh ifles afford a confider- 
able number of fpecies, the more remarkable of 
which will be defcribed : but the moft extraordi- 
nary animals of the kind are the Violet-Crab of the 
Caribbees, and the Soldier-Crab. 
Crab, Violet, of the Caribbees. This ani- 
mal refembles two hands cut in the middle, and 
united together, for each fide bears fome refem- 
blance to four fingers; and the two nippers or 
claws reprefent the thumbs. All the reft of the 
body is covered with a fhell as large as a man's 
hand, and bunched in the middle; on the fore-part 
of which there are two oblong eyes, each of the fize 
of a grain of barley, as tranfparent as cryftal, and 
as hard as horn. A little below thefe, the mouth 
is placed, covered with a fort of barbs, under which 
are two broad fliarp teeth, as white as fnow, placed 
not much unlike the blades of a pair of fciffars: 
with thefe teeth it can eafily mafticate leaves, fruits, 
and rotten v/ood, which conftitute it's ufual food. 
However, the principal inftruments for cutting, as 
well as feizing it's food, are it's nippers, which 
catch fuch fure hold, that the creature fooner lofes 
it's limbs than it's grafp ; and is often feen retreat- 
ing after having left one of it's claws fixed in it's 
enemy, which claw will frequently retain it's hold 
upwards of a minute after the Crab has made it's 
efcape. In fa6l, this animal lofes little by leaving 
either a leg or an arm, for they foon grow again, 
and then the creature is feen as perfect as before. 
This, however, is the leaft Angular part of the hif- 
tory of thefe animals; and the following circum- 
ftances, were they not well authenticated, might not 
only ftagger the belief of an ordinary reader, but 
bring the veracity of naturalifts in queftion. 
They not only live in a kindoforderlyfocietiesin 
their mountainous retreats, but annually defcend to 
the fea-fide, in a regular army compofed of millions. 
As they multiply in vaft numbers, they generally 
begin their expedition about the month of April 
or May; and then fally forth in myriads from the 
ftumps of hollow trees, the clifts of rocks, and 
holes dug by themfelves beneath the furface of 
the earth. At fuch times the whole ground to a 
confiderable diftance is fo covered with thefe ad- 
venturers, that it is almoft impoffible to advance a 
fingle ftep without treading on fome of them. The 
fea being the place of their rendezvous, to it they 
direft tiieir march with the utmoft precifion ; they 
neither turn to the right nor left, whatever obfta- 
cles intervene ; and, if they even meet with a houfe, 
they attempt to fcale the walls, rather than luffer 
their ranks to be thus broken. 
But, though the above be the general order of 
their route, on other occafions they are obliged to 
conform to the face of the country ; and, if it be in- 
terfered by rivers, tiiey then wind along the courfe 
of the ftream. The procefTion fets forward from 
the mountains with all the regularity of an army 
under the guidance of an experienced general. 
They are commonly divided into three battalions; 
of which the fbremoft confifts of the ftrongeft and 
3 D boldefl: 
