X> JE M 
I) A L 
tween the rows. Though they are generally 
considered only as ornamental shrubs, yet the 
first species, it originally trained to a stent, 
and suffered to stand, will grow to a size of 
pretty large timber-trees. They grow na- 
turally on the Alps, the mountains of Dau- 
phiny, and in the Highlands of Scotland ; and 
the timber being very hard, and taking a fine 
polish, is frequently used for making house- 
hold furniture, and is said to equal the finest 
mahogany in beauty. A species of cytisus, 
called by Linnaeus evtisus cajan, is known in 
the West Indies, where it is a native, by the 
name of the pigeon-pea, from the seeds being 
D the fourth letter of the alphabet, as a 
5 numeral denotes 500 ; and with a dash 
over it, thus \), 5000. Used in ab- 
breviation, it has various significations: thus, 
D. stands for doctor, as M. D. doctor of 
medicine; D. T. doctor of theology; D. I), 
signifies doctor of divinity; D. D.D. is used 
for dat, dicat, dedicat ; and four D. D. I). D. 
for dignum deo donum dedit. fn music D 
marks in thorough-basses what the Italians call 
descanto, and intimates, that the treble ought 
to play alone, as T does the tenor, and B the 
bass. D -C, in the Italian music, an abbre- 
viation of da capo, that is, from the head, or 
beginning. Among Roman writers D stands 
for divus, decimus, devotus, diebus, and 
diutius. 
DAB. See Pleuronectes. 
DACTYL, Saxruxos, dactyl us, in antient 
poetry, a metrical foot, consisting of one long 
and two short syllables, as aAxi^of, and Can- 
didas. The dactyle and spondee are the 
only feet or measure used in hexameter 
verses, the former being esteemed more 
sprightly, and the latter more solemn and 
grave. Accordingly, where great activity is 
signified, we find the dactyls used with much 
propriety, as in the following verses of Vir- 
gil. 
Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula 
Ccinnpum ; 
and, 
Terte cito ferrum, date tela, scandite muros. 
DACTY LIS, coc/c’s-foot grass, a genus of 
the digynia order, in the triandria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 4th order, gramina. The calyx is 
bivalved and compressed, with one valve 
longer than the other, carinated, or having 
the rachis prominent and sharp. There are 
seven species. The cynosuroides, or smooth 
cock’s-foot grass, and the glomeratus, or 
rough cock’s-foot grass, are natives of Britain; 
the first grows on marshy places, and the 
latter is common in meadows and pasture- 
grounds. This last is eaten by horses, sheep, 
and goats, but refused by cows. 
DAC 1 YLONOMY, the art of counting 
by the fingers. The rule is this ; the left 
thumb is 1, the forefinger 2, and so on to the 
right thumb, \vliich is the tenth, or last, and is- 
denoted by the cypher. 
DACZAJIF, a silver money current in 
Persia, and worth five mamoudis. See Ma- 
MOUDl. 
ILL M ON, a name given by the antients 
to certain spirits, or genii, which appeared to 
mi n, either to do them service, or to hurt 
them. The Platonists distinguish between 
gods, daemons, and heroes. The gods are 
those whom Cicero calls clii majorum gen- 
tium. The daemons are those whom we call 
angels. Christians, by the word daemon, un- 
derstand only evil spirits, or devils. Justin 
Martyr speaks of the nature of daemons as if 
he thought them not absolutely spiritual and 
incorporeal, for which reason he attributes 
such actions to them as cannot be performed 
without the intervention of a body. 
The Mahometans allow several sorts of 
daemons ; and the miners of Hungary pretend 
that while they are at work in the mines, 
they often see da-mons in the shape of little 
negro-boys, doing them no other harm than 
often extinguishing their lights. 
D/EMONIACS, in church - history, a 
branch of the anabaptists, whose distinguish- 
ing tenet is, that the devils shall be saved at 
the end of the world. 
DAC GY S A, a genus of the vermes class, 
and mollusca order, of which there is only a 
single species. The body is loose, noyant, 
angular, tubular, and open at each extremity: 
it is marked at one end with a brown spot. 
The dagysa inhabits the Spanish sea, is about 
three inches long, and one inch thick. They 
adhere to eacli other by the sides, and so 
nearly resemble the genus salpa, that it is 
thought they might, with propriety, be in- 
corporated into one. 
DAIS, a genus of the monogynia order, in 
the decandria class of plants, and in the natu- 
ral method ranking under the 31st order, ve- 
precula.'. The involucrum is tetraphyllous ; 
the corolla quadrifid or quinquefid; the fruit 
a monospermous berry. There are three 
species, natives of India and the Cape. 
DAKIR, in our statutes, is used for* the 
twentieth part of a last of hides. According 
to the statute of 51 Hen. III. de compositione 
ponderum & mensurarum, a last of hides 
consists of 20 dakirs, and every dakir of 10 
hides. But by 1 Jac. cap. 33. one last of 
hides or skins is 12 dozen. 
DALBERGIA, a genus of the decandria 
order, in the diadelphia class of plants. There 
are two filaments or stamina quadrifid at top. 
The fruit is pedicellated, not gaping, legu- 
minous, membrano-eompressed, and bearing 
seeds. There are two species, trees of Ma- 
labar and Surinam. 
DALECHAMPIA, a genus of the mona- 
delphia order, in the moncecia class of plants, 
and in the natural method ranking under the 
38th order, tricoccx. The involucrum of 
the male is common and quadripartite; the 
calyces hexaphyllous ; corolla none; the nec- 
tarium laminated or scaly ; the stamina mo- 
nadelphous or coalited at the base, and po- 
Iyandrous or numerous. The female invo- 
lucrum is common and triphyllous; corolla 
none ; style one ; the capsule tricoccous. 
D A M 437 
the common food of these birds in that part 
of the world. r l hese seeds are also some- 
times used as tood for the human species; 
and as they are of a very binding quality , 
afford a wholesome nourishment during the 
wet season, when dysenteries' are so frequent. 
There are two species, of which the scandens 
is a native of Jamaica. It is a climbing plant, 
which rises to a considerable height, and is 
remarkable for nothing but having its leaves 
armed with bristly hairs, which sting the 
hands of those w ho touch them.. 
DALLE, a nominal money, used in 
keeping books of account in many cities of 
Germany. It is worth 32 sols lubs, which 
make 4(5 French sols. 
DAMAGE, generally signifies any hurt or 
hindrance that a man receives in his estate; 
but in the plural in common law, are the re- 
compence that is given to a man by a jury as 
a satisfaction for some injury sustained ; as for 
batterv, imprisonment, slander, or trespass. 
2 Black. 438. 
In actions upon the case, the jury may find’ 
less damages than the plaintiff lays in his de- 
claration, though they cannot find more ; 
but costs may be increased beyond the sum 
mentioned in the declaration for damages;', 
for costs are given in respect of the plaintiff ’s 
suit to recover his damages, which may be 
sometimes greater than the damage. 1 0 Co. 
115. A jury may, and now frequently do, 
give interest on book-debts, in the name of 
damages. 
For a more general account of damages,, 
see 7 Yin. Abr. and 2 Bac. Abn title Da- 
mage. 
Dam age feasant or faisant, is where the 
beasts of another come upon a man’s land, 
and there feed, tread, or spoil his corn or 
grass there growing ; in which case the owner 
of the ground may distrain and impound 
them, till satisfaction be made. Wood, b. 4. 
c. 4. 
Damage cleer,, was formerly a fee or gra- 
tuity (generally a tenth part of the damages 
recovered) paid to the p.rothonotaries or 
clerks of the king’s-Hench, common-pleas and 
exchequer. But this is abolished by 17 C. II. 
c. 6. s. 2. and if any officer shall take any 
money in the name of damage cleer, or in 
lien thereof, or shall delay to sign any judg- 
ment until' damage cleer is paid, he shall for- 
feit treble the sum so taken or demanded to 
the party grieved. 
DAMASK,. a silk stuff, with a raised pat- 
tern, so that the right side of the damask 
is that which has the flowers raised or satu- 
rated. Damasks should be of dressed silk,, 
both in warp and woof ; and in France, half 
an ell in breadth : they are made at Chalons 
in Champagne, and in some places in Fland- 
ers, as at Tournay, &c. entirely of wool* 
3-8lhs of an ell wide, and 20 ells long. 
Damask.' is also a kind of wrought linen, 
made in Flanders and in this country. It 
takes its name on account of its resenxblanqg-' 
