430 
COR 
of the shops. It is fixed to rocks and shells 
by stony joints, which, as thf-y rise, are united 
to others by extremely line and slender tubes: 
these may be discovered by a good eye, or a 
common magnifier. As the stems extend 
themselves, they become pennated by side- 
branches which come out opposite to each 
other, and are joined in the same manner ; 
the joints of this species are like the upper 
part of an inverted cone, but a little com- 
pressed : the whole surface is covered over 
with very minute circular-shaped cells like 
pores. If a branch of this coralline is put 
mto vinegar, these cells are dissolved with 
the whole cretaceous substance ; instead of 
which there appear rows of minute ramifica- 
tions, which seem to have communicated 
with each of these cells. Upon some speci- 
mens of this coralline, we may observe 
small figures like seed-vessels, with which 
the branches frequently terminate : they 
are also found on the sides, as may be seen 
at A, where they are margined. When a 
branch is rendered soft by being steeped in 
vinegar, there may be squeeezd out from the 
little knobs at the ends and sides, small twist- 
ed figures. W e frequently find this coralline 
of different colours, as red, green, ash, and 
white ; but all of it, by being exposed to the 
sun and air on the shore, becomes white. 
Besides the above, Mr. Ellis enumerates 
other genera of marine productions ; as the 
keratophyta eschara fig. 7, sponges, and 
alyconium ; all which are the nests or ma- 
trices of sea-animals. This class of marine 
bodies is formed lilie fungi of various figures, 
and with different sorts of covering ; some 
having a gritty, and some a callous skin, with 
a spongy substance in the inside: other species 
are of a fleshy substance. 
C and C 1 are views of one of the warts 
magnified-: C 2 is the appearance of the 
polype, when the cretaceous matter was dis- 
solved: C 3 represents the particles that 
compose the incrustation, magnified ; D fig. 
-8, is a sea-willow, or keratophyton dichoto- 
>m im. 
CORANICH, among the Scotch and Irish, 
the custom of singing at funerals, antiently 
prevalent in those countries, and still prac- 
tised in several parts. Of this custom Mr. 
Pennant gives an account, having assisted at 
one in the south of Ireland, where it was 
performed in the fullness of horror. “ The 
cries (says he) are called by the Irish ugohne 
and hullulu ; two words very expressive of 
the sound uttered on these occasions ; and 
being the Celtic stock, etymologists would 
swear to be the origin of the 0 X 0 X 107 iJv of the 
Creeks, and ululatus of the Latins. Virgil is 
verv fond of using the last whenever any of his 
females are distressed ; as are others of the 
Roman poets, and generally on occasions simi- 
lar to this. It was my fortune to arrive at a 
certain town in Kerry at the time that a per- 
son of some distinction departed this' life ; 
my curiosity led me to the house, where the 
funeral seemed conducted in the purest clas- 
sical form. The conclamatio was set up by 
the friends in the same manner as Virgil de- 
scribes that consequential of Dido’s death. 
Immediately after this followed another cere- 
mony, fully described by Camden in his ac- 
count of the manners of the antient Irish; 
the earnest expostulations and reproaches 
given to the deceased for quitting this world, 
where she enjoyed so many blessings, so good 
COR 
a husband, and such fine children. But 
when the time approached for carrying out 
the corpse, the cry was redoubled. 1 Tre- 
mulis ululatibus sethera complent’ a nu- 
merous baud of females waiting in the outer 
court to attend the hearse, and to pay in 
chorus the last tribute of their voices. The 
habits of this sorrowing train, and the neglect 
of their persons, were admirably suited to 
the occasion; their robes were black and 
flowing, resembling the antient pallia ; their 
feet naked, and their hair long and dishe- 
velled. The corpse was carried slowly 
along the verge of a most beautiful lake, the 
ululatus was continued, and the whole proces- 
sion ended among the venerable ruins of an 
old abbey.” 
The same custom prevailed among the 
Hebrews, and is beautifully described in 
bishop Lowth’s justly celebrated Lectures on 
the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews. 
CORBAN, in Jewish antiquity, were those 
offerings which had life, in opposition to the 
minchab, or those which had not. It is de- 
rived from the -word karab, which signifies 
“ to approach ;” because the victims were 
brought to the door of the tabernacle. The 
corbans were always looked upon as the most 
sacred offerings. The Jews are reproached 
with defeating, by means of the corban, the 
precept of the fifth commandment, which 
enjoins the respect due to parents : for 
when a child had no mind to relieve the 
wants of his father or mother, he would say 
to them, “ It is a gift (corban) by whatso- 
ever thou mightest be profited by me ;” i. e. 
“ I have devoted that to God which you ask 
of me, and it is no longer mine to give.” 
Corban is also a ceremony which the Ma- 
hometans perform at the foot of mount Ararat 
in Arabia, near Mecca. It consists in killing a 
great number of sheep, and distributing them 
among the poor. 
COR BEILS, in fortification, little baskets 
about a foot and a half high, eight inches 
wide at the bottom, and twelve at the top ; 
which being filled with earth, are frequently 
set one against another upon the parapet or 
elsewhere, leaving certain port-holes, whence 
to fire upon the enemy under covert, with- 
out being seen by them. 
CORBEL, in architecture, the representa- 
tion of a basket, sometimes seen on the heads 
of caryatides. The word is also used, in 
building, for a short piece of timber placed 
in a wall, with its end sticking out six or 
eight inches, as occasion serves, in manner 
of a shouldering-piece. 
CORCELET, in natural history, that part 
of the fly-class which is analogous in its situa- 
tion to the breast in other animals. Many 
have called it the breast in these also, but 
improperly ; because the breast of other 
animals is the seat of the lungs and trachea, 
but these organs are in the fly-class distri- 
buted through the whole body. The wings 
are affixed to this part in the lly*»elass ; and 
there are some distinctions of great conse- 
quence in regard to the arrangement and dis- 
tribution of these animals into genera. Some 
flies have a double corcelet, or one divided 
into two parts; and this is the case of the 
fly produced from the formica leo, which 
therefore does not carry its only distinction 
in the figure of its antenna*. One pair of. the 
legs of this fly are attached to the first or an- 
C o R 
terior corcelet, which is also capable of mov* 
ing on the other. 
The corcelets of some flies are also much 
more elevated than those of others ; and in 
some this elevation is carried so far, that the 
head is forced by it to be bent downward, 
and the creature is nearly made hump-back- 
ed by it. The gnat kind, and the tipular, 
furnish instances of this elevated and hump- 
backed form. A series of flies of two wings 
are known by a very particular armament 
which they carry on the corcelet, usually 
called their breast. This consists of two long 
slender sharp-pointed prickles, which are im- 
moveable in their insertions, and seem meant 
as offensive or defensive weapons ; " but in 
what manner they are used is not easily to be 
determined. All these flies are -produced 
from long water-worms with open and funnel* 
fashioned tails, or furnished with t heir aper- 
ture for respiration at the hinder extremity. 
CORCHORUS, a genus of the monogy- 
nia order, in the polyandria class of plants, 
and in the natural method ranking under the 
37th order, columnea*. The corolla is pen- 
tapetalous, the calyx pentaphyllous and de- 
ciduous, and the capsule many-valved and 
many-celled. There are lb species; of 
which the most remarkable is the oiitoritis, an 
annual, and a native of Asia, Africa, and 
America. It rises with a round, striated, 
upright, branched stalk, to near two feet, 
with leaves differing in shape; some being- 
oval, some cut off straight at their base, and 
others almost heart-shaped. The flowers 
come out at the sides of the branches oppo- 
site to the leaves. They stand singly on very 
short peduncles ; are composed of five small 
yellow petals, and a great number of stamina 
surrounding an oblong germen, which be- 
comes a long, rough, sharp-pointed capsule, 
opening in four parts, each filled with green- 
ish angular seeds. This plant is sold by the 
Jews about Aleppo, and is therefore called 
Jew’s mallow. The leaves are a favourite 
salad among that people ; and they boil and 
eat them with their meat. 
CORCULUM. See Botany, and 
Plants. 
CORD of wood, a certain quantity of 
wood for burning, so called because formerly 
measured with a cord. The dimensions of a 
statute cord of wood are eight feet long, 
four feet high, and four feet broad. 
CORDAGE, a term used, in general, for 
all sorts of cord, whether small, middling, or 
great, made use of in the rigging of ships. 
Cordage cable-laid, as the seamen term it, 
is made with nine strands, i. e. the first three 
strands are laid slack, and then three of them 
being closed together, make a cable. See 
Cable. 
The same for tacks, but they are laid ta- 
pering. 
Cordage hawser-laid, is made only with 
three strands. Cordage-stays are eable-laid, 
but made with four strands, as cables are 
with three ; with the addition of a heart, 
which goes through the centre of them. 
White cordage is that which has not yet 
been tarred. Cordage tarred in spinning is 
that which is made of rope-yarn ready tar- 
red. 
Cordage tarred in the stove is that which 
has passed through hot tar, in coming out of 
the stove. Every quintal cf cordage may 
take about twenty pounds of tar. Cordage 
