C R A 
felle, or lady, becaufe it is fuppofed to imitate the 
geftures and dances of the Bohennian ladies; for 
no fooner does the Numidian Crane perceive itfelf 
noticed, than it begins to dance, and to exhibit a 
variety of gcfliculations : but whether thefe antic 
tricks proceed from vanity or fear, is rather doubt- 
ful, though we are inclined to adopt the latter 
caufe. 
The Numidian Crane is furnifhed with appen- 
dices at the head three inches and a half in length, 
compofcd of white feathers confifting of long fibres ; 
but the reft of the plumage is of a leaden grey co- 
lour, except fome large feathers in the wings which 
are darker, and a few about the head and neck. 
Some of thefe birds have plumes of feathers erc6led 
like a crefb on the top of the head ; and from the 
corner of each eye a ftreak of white feathers pafles 
under the appendages which form the great fea- 
thered ears; and the fore-part of the neck is adorned 
with black feathers, compofed of very fine foft and 
lon.o- fibres hano-ine; down on the ftomach, which 
give the bird a very graceful appearance. 
The length of this fpecies, from the tip of the 
bill to the end of the claws, meafures three feet 
and a half; that of the neck fourteen inches ; and, 
from the thigh-bone to the extremity of the great 
toe, ten inches. The fore-fides of the legs are co- 
vered with large fcales; the foles of the feet have 
the appearance of fhagreen leather; and the claws 
are black. 
CRANE-FLY. An appellation given by fome 
authors to the creature vulgarly known by the 
name of father long-legs, and called by naturalifts 
tipula terreftris. 
This infe^l prefents the microfcopic obferver 
■with many curious particulars : but the furprizing 
contraflion of the mufcular fibres of it's legs is 
the moft remarkable; thefe being difi:e£led in a 
drop of v/ater, and placed before the microfcope, 
the flefhy fi.bres contrail and diftend themfelves in 
a very curious manner, and continue this motion 
for feveral minutes fucceflively ; a circumftance, 
according to the ingenious Leev/enhoek, invaria- 
bly obferved in this infeft, and in no other. The in- 
teftines of this animal are likewife very wonder- 
fully conftru6led, confifting of numerous vefiels 
and organs, as plainly perceptible by the affiftance of 
the microfcope, as the bowels of larger animals are 
by the naked eye. The tail, both in the male and 
female, is alfo of an amazing conftru6lion; that of 
the female terminating in a Iharp point, with which 
fhe perforates the ground, in order to depofit her 
eggs. 
CRASSIROSTR^. A genus of fmall birds 
diftinguifiied by the thicknefs of their beaks; of 
which kind are the fparrow, the green-finch, and 
feveral others. 
CRAVANT. An appellation given by Bello- 
nius, and fome other authors, to the barnacle, a 
fir.ali fpecies of wild-goofe common on the Lanca- 
fhire coafts during the winter feafon. 
CRAX. A name given by the ancients to the 
ortygometra, or daker hen; a bird fomewhat larger 
than the quail, and very common in Ireland, and 
fome of the northern counties of England. 
CRAX . The name of a diftinft genus of birds 
of the gallins clafs in the Linnaean fyftem of zoo- 
logy; the diftinguiftiing charafters of which are, 
that the bafe of the bill is covered with a cafe in 
each mandible; and the head is ornamented with a 
kind of featheiy crown, bending backwards. Of 
thefe birds there are five Ipecies. 
ORE 
CRAY-FISH. A fpecies of cancer, or cancer 
aftacus, in the Linnsean fyftem. 
The Cray-Fifti differs very little from the lob- 
fter, except in the fmallnefs of it's fize. The body 
is round; and the head is terminated by a pretty 
broad horn, fliort and pointed, under which the 
eyes are placed. On the fore-part of the head 
there are four horns or feelers, two long and two 
fhort, whofe ends terminate in hairs. The pin- 
chers, which confift of five joints, are foi-ked, 
rough, and dentated; and on each fide there are 
four feet, the two firft of which towards the pin- 
chers are cloven at the end, and the next two are 
each furnifhed with a fpur. The upper part of 
the body is covered with five fcaly plates; and 
there are five fins on the tail. 
Cray-Fifh are found in almoft every river, and 
even brook, in England; and their flefh is reck- 
oned cooling, moiftening, and well adapted to 
nourifh fuch as labour under atrophies. There 
are various methods of drefTing them: they may 
be either boiled or fryed, and then converted into 
a variety of difiies ; but no parts of them are proper 
for food, except their claws and tails. Prepara- 
tions and broths of Cray-Fifh not only conftitute a 
pleafant aliment, but likewife anfwer fome medi- 
cinal purpofes, as pofi^effing a moiftening quality, 
and flieathing up and correcting acrimony. The 
broth is made from four or five of thefe fifli ; which, 
after having their heads cut ofF, and their inteftines 
extraCled, are bruifed and boiled in the broth or 
flefh of poultry till they become red; after which, 
the liquor is firained off, and feafoned as the cafe 
may require. 
Cray-Fifh are reckoned to be in feafon during 
the fummer months ; but the delicacy of their fla- 
vour depends in a great meafure on their food. 
When they receive proper aliment, their flefh has 
an agreeable relifh; but when they feed on putrid 
fubftances, it is thereby often rendered very unpa- 
latable. 
In the R-iver Obra, on the borders of Silefia, 
Cray-Fifti are prodigioufly numerous; but they 
poffefs fuch a bitter aromatic flavour, as to be 
fcarcely eatable. This tafte probably arifes from 
the vafi quantities of calamus aromaticus growing 
on the banlcs of that river, the roots of which thefe 
animals devour with greedinefs. Cray-Fifli are 
likewife very plentiful in the River Don in Mufcovy, 
where they are caught, piled in heaps, and left to 
putrifv; after v/hich the ftones called crabs eyes 
are picked out. Being very fond of human flefh, 
they flock in great numbers to any carcafe acci- 
dentally immerfcd in the water, and feldom leave 
it while a fingle particle remains: they alfo feed 
on dead frogs, or any other animals which come ia 
their way. In Switzerland, there are fome Cray- 
Fifh which are red while alive, and others blueifli ; 
and fome kinds alfo which will never become red 
by boiling, but maintain their original fable hue. 
The Cray-Fiili difcharges it's ftomach, and, as 
Geoffrey thinks, it's inteftines alfo; which, as they 
putrify and dilToIve, ferve the animal for food ; and, 
during the time of the reformation, the old ftomach 
feems to be the firft food which the new one digefts. 
It is only at this period that the ftones called crabs 
eyes are to be found: they begin to be formed 
when the old ftomach is deftroyed ; and are after- 
wards wrapped up in the new one, till they gradu- 
ally difappear by a flow decreafe. 
CREEPER. The Englifli name for a fpecies 
of ifpida, which though very difTimilar to the, 
common 
