C L A 
C L E 
CLAVA, a genus of vermes mollusca, 
having one common aperture, dilatable, ver- 
tical, surrounded by club-shaped tentacuia. 
There is only one species. 
CLAVARIA, club-top, a genus of the 
crvptogamia class of plants, and of the order 
of fungi ; thejSth in the natural method. The 
fungus is smooth and oblong. Mr. Miller 
asserts, that the whole genus of clavaria be- 
longs to the tribe of zoophytes, that is, to the 
animal, and not to the vegetable kingdom. 
According to his method, he ranks them 
among the vermes, under a subdivision which 
he terms fungosa osculis atomiferis ; suppos- 
ing them to be compound animals with many 
orifices on their surface, from which are pro- 
truded atoms or animalcules, which have a 
■visible spontaneous motion, something si- 
milar to what is now acknowledged to be a 
fact, with regard to a numerous class of ma- 
rine bodies, termed corallines. This mo- 
tion, however, has not been observed by 
other naturalists. Schaeffer has figured the 
seeds of several clavaria- as they appeared to 
him through the microscope ; and none of 
these fungi, when burnt, emit the strong 
disagreeable smell peculiar to animal sub- 
stances. 
1 . Clavaria hemotades, or the oak leather 
club-top, exactly resembles tanned leather, 
except that it is thinner and softer. It is of 
no determinate form. It grows in the clefts 
and hollows of old oaks, and sometimes on 
ash in Ireland and in some places of Eng- 
land, &rc. In Ireland it is used to dress ul- 
cers, and in Virginia to spread plasters upon, 
instead of leather. 
2. Clavaria mifitaris, and one or two other 
species, are remarkable for growing only on 
tiie head of a dead insect in the nympha 
state. 
CLAVARIUM, in antiquity, an allowance 
the Roman soldiers had for furnishing nails to 
secure their shoes with. They frequently 
raised mutinies, and demanded largesses of 
the emperors, under this pretence. 
CLAVES IN SUL/E, a term used in the 
Jsle of Man, where ail weighty and ambi- 
guous causes are referred to a jury of twelve, 
who are called claves insula’, the keys of the 
island. 
CLAVICLES. See Anatomy. 
CLAUSE-ROLLS, in the l ower, contain 
all such matters as were committed to close 
writ. 
CLAVUS, in antiquity, an ornament upon 
the robes of the Roman senators and knights, 
which was more or less broad, according to 
the dignity of the person. Hence the dis- 
tinction of tunica angusticlavia and laticlavia. 
CLAW, among zoologists, denotes the 
sharp-pointed nails with which the feet of 
certain quadrupeds and birds are furnished. 
CLAY, is a mixture of alumina and silica 
in various proportions. The alumina is in 
the state of an impalpable powder; but the 
silica is almost always in small grains, large 
enough to be distinguished by the eye. Clay 
therefore exhibits the character of alumina, 
and not of siiica, even when this last ingre- 
dient predominates. The particles ot silica 
are already combined with each other ; and 
they have so strong an affinity for each other, 
that few bodies can separate them; whereas 
the alumina,'* not being combined, readily 
displays the characters which distinguish it 
from other bodies. Besides alumina and silica, 
V’OL. I. 
C L E 
clay often contains carbonat of lime, of mag- 
nesia, barytes, oxs'd of iron, &c. and as 
day is merely a mechanical mixture, the 
proportion ot its ingredients is exceedingly 
various. Its specific gravity is 1.8 to 2.68. 
Adheres slightly to the tongue. Often feels 
grea-y. Fails to powder in water. Colour, 
when pure, white, often tinged blue or yel- 
low. 
The specific gravity of potter’s clay isl.8 to 
2. Stains the lingers slightly. Acquires 
some polish by friction. Colour white; often 
with a tinge of yellow or blue ; sometimes 
brownish, greenish, reddish. Totally diffu- 
sible in watyr ; and when duly moistened, 
very ductile. A specimen from Dreux, ana- 
lysed by Vauquelin, contained 
43.5 silica 
33.2 alumina 
3.5 lime 
1 .0 iron 
18.0 water 
99.2 
Very common in strata. Tobacco-pipe day 
is a variety of this sub-species. 
Indurated clay does not diffuse itself in 
water, but falls to powder. Discovers but 
little ductility. Colours grey, yellowish, blue- 
ish, greenish, reddish, brownish. 
The structure of shisfose clay is slaty. 
Specilic gravity from 2.6 to 2.68. Feels 
smooth. Streak white or grey. Colour com- 
monly bluish, or yellowish grey ; sometimes 
blackish, reddish, greenish. Found in strata, 
usually in coal-mines. This variety is some- 
times impregnated with bitumen. It is then 
called bituminous shale. 
C LAYTON IA, in botany, a genus of the 
pentandria monogynia class of plants, the 
Bower of which consists of live ovato-oblong, 
erect, large petals ; the fruit is a roundish 
unilocular capsule, containing three roundish 
seeds. There are two species. 
CLEAT, on ship-board, a piece of wood 
fixed to the yard-arm, to keep the ropes from 
slipping off. 
CLECHE, in heraldry, a kind of cross, 
charged with another cross of the same figure, 
but of the colour of the iield. 
CLEF, or Cliff, in music, a mark set at 
the beginning of the lines of a song, which 
shews the tone, or key in which the piece is 
to begin ; or it is a letter marked on any line, 
which explains the rest. 
CLEMATIS, virgin’s bower, in botany, a 
genus of the polyandria pnlygynia class of 
plants, the tlower of which 'consists ol four 
oblong lax petals. There is no perieajrpiuin, 
but a small receptacle contains several round- 
ish compressed seeds, crowned with a slender 
filament, somewhat like a feather. There 
are 21 species, chiefly climbing shrubs. See 
Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 128. 
CLEOME, a genus of tin 3 siliquosa order, 
in the tetradynamia class of plants, and in the 
natural method ranking under the 25th order, 
putamineax There are three nectariferous 
glandules, one at each sinus of the calyx, ex- 
cept the lowest; tin; petals all rising up- 
wards; the siliqua unilocular and bivalved. 
There are 15 species; all natives of warm 
climates, except two. They are herbaceous 
plants, rising from one to two feet high ; and 
are adorned with flowers of various colours, 
as red, yellow, flesh-colour, &c. They are 
propagated by seeds, and require no other 
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369 
care than what is common to other exotics 
which are natives of warm countries. 
CLEPSYDRA, a water-clock, or instru- 
ment to measure time by the fall of a certain 
quantity of water. 
The construction of a Clepsydra. To 
divide any cylindrical vessel into parts, to be 
emptied in each division of time; the time 
wherein the whole, and that wherein any 
part is to be evacuated, being given : — 
Suppose a cylindrical vessel, whose charge 
of water Hows out in twelve hours, was re- 
quired to be divided into parts, to be evacu- 
ated each hour. 1. As the part of time 1 is 
to the whole time 12, so is the same time 12' 
to a fourth proportional 144. 2. Divide the 
altitude of the vessel into 144 equal parts: 
here the last will fall to the last hour; the 
three next above to the last part but one ; the 
five next to the tenth hour; and so the twen- 
ty-three last will fall to the first hour. For 
since the times increase in the series of the 
natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. and the al- 
titudes, if the numeration be in a retrograde 
order from the twelfth hour, increase in the 
series of the unequal numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, &c. 
the altitudes computed from the twelfth hour 
will be as the squares of the times 1, 4, 9, ] 6, 
25, &c. Therefore the square of the whole 
time, 144, comprehends all the parts' of the 
altitude of the vessel to be evacuated. But a 
third proportional to 1 and 12 is the square of 
12, and consequently it is the number of 
equal parts in which the altitude is to be di- 
vided, to be distributed according to the se- 
ries of the unequal numbers, through the 
equal intervals of hours. 
There were many kinds of clepsydra 
among the antients ; * but they all had this 
in common, that the water ran generally 
through a narrow passage, from one vessel to 
another ; and in the lower was a piece of cork 
or light wood, which, as the vessel filled, 
rose up by degrees, and shewed the hour. 
The reader may see a description of a very 
curious clepsydra given by Mr. Hamilton, 
in No. 479 of the Philosophical Transactions! 
CLERGY. The privileges of the English 
clergy, by the antient statutes, are very con- 
siderable: their goods are to pay no toll in 
fairs or markets ; they are exempt from all 
offices but their own; from the king’s car- 
riages, posts, &c. from appearing at sheriffs* 
tourns, or frankpledges ; and are not to be 
fined or amerced according to their spiritual, 
hut their temporal means. A clergyman ac- 
knowledging a statute, his body is not to be 
imprisoned. If he is convicted of a crime 
for which the benefit of clergy is allowed, 
he shall not be burnt iii the hand; and he 
shall have the benefit of clergy in infinitum, 
which no layman can have more than once 
The clergy, by common law, are not to be 
burdened in the general charges of the laity 
nor to be troubled nor encumbered, unless 
expressly named and charged by the statute; 
tor general words do not affect them. Thus 
if a hundred is sued far a robbery, the minister 
shall not contribute, neither ’shall they be 
assessed to the highway, to the watch, &c. 
! he revenues of the clergy were antient ly 
more considerable than at present. Elhei- 
wolf, in 855, gave them atvthe of all goods 
and a tenth of all the lands' in England, free 
from ail secular services, taxes, &e. The 
charter whereby this was granted them was 
confirmed by several of his successors; ^ 
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