I) 1 R 
V I 5 
S3S D 1 It 
procure any Kind of sustenance that could 
induce it to eat; therefore, when caught, it 
lived only a dav and a lialL l he lirst ] was 
so fortunate as io catch, was taken in a large 
field near the fails of Montmorenci, and by 
its having strayed too tar from the skirts ot 
the wood, allowed myself, assisted by three 
other gentlemen, to surround it, and after 
an hour’s hard chase, to get it unhurt, though 
not before it was thoroughly fatigued, winch 
might in a great measure accelerate its death. 
During the time the animal remained in its 
usual vigour, its agility was incredible for so 
•small a creature. It always took progressive 
leaps of from three to tour, and sometimes of 
live yards, although seldom above 12 or 14 
inches from the surface of the grass ; but 1 
have frequently observed others in shrubby 
places, and in the woods, among plants, 
where they chiefly reside, leap considerably 
higher. When found in such places, it is 
impossible to take them, from their wonder- 
ful agility, and their evading all pursuit, by 
bounding into the thickest part ot the covert 
they can find. With respect to the figure 
given of it in its dormant state, 1 have to ob- 
serve, that the specimen was found by some 
workmen, in digging the foundation for a 
summer-house in a gentleman’s garden, about 
•two miles from Quebec, in the latter end ot 
May, 178.7. It was discovered enclosed .in 
a ball of clay, about the size of a cricket-ball, 
nearly an inch in thickness, perfectly smooth 
within, and about 20 inches under ground. 
The man who first discovered it, not knowing 
what it was, struck the ball with his spade, 
by which means it was broken to pieces, or 
-the ball would have been presented to me. 
How long it had been under ground it is im- 
possible to say ; but as I could never observe 
these animals in any parts of the country 
after the beginning of September, I conceive 
•they lay themselves up some time in that 
month, or beginning of October, when the 
frost becomes sharp. Nor did 1 ever see 
{them again before the last week in May or 
.beginning of June. From their being enve- 
loped in balls of clay, without any appear- 
ance of food, 1 conceive they sleep during 
•the winter, and remain for that term without 
sustenance. As soon as I conveyed this spe- 
cimen to my house, I deposited it, as it was, 
in a small chip box, in some cotton, waiting 
with great anxiety for its waking, but that 
not taking place at’the season they generally 
appear, 1 kept it until I found it begin to 
smell ; 1 then stuffed it, and preserved it in its 
torpid position. I am led to believe its not 
recovering from that state arose from the 
heat of my room during the time it was in the 
box, afire having been constantly burning in 
the stove, and which in all probability was 
boo great for its respiration.” 
D1 RCA, a genus of the monogynia order, 
in the octandria class of plants, and in the na- 
lural method ranking under the 1st order, 
vepreculau There is no calyx ; the corolla is 
tubular, with the limb indistinct ; the stamina 
are longer than the tube ; the berry is mono- 
r, Jermous. There is one species, a small shrub 
of North America. 
DIRECT, in astronomy. ,A planet is said 
to be direct when it appears to an observer 
on the- earth to go forward in the zodiac, or 
according to the succession of the signs. See 
Astronomy. 
Direct, in matters of genealogy, is un- 
derstood of the principal line, or the line of 
ascendants and descendants, in contradis- 
tinction to the collateral line. The heirs in 
the direct lines always precede those in the 
collateral lines. 
Direct ray, in optics, is a ray flowing 
from a point of a visible object directly to the 
eye, through one and the same medium. 
"Direct east and west dials, dials drawn 
upon planes that directly face the east and 
west points of the horizon, or parallel to the 
meridian. See Dial. 
Direct south and north dials, are those 
which face directly the north and south 
points of the horizon, or parallel to the prime 
vertical circle. See Dial. 
DIRECTION, in mechanics, signifies the 
line or patli of a body’s motion, along which 
it endeavours to proceed, according to the 
force impressed upon it. See Mechanics. 
DIRECTOR, in surgery, a grooved probe 
to direct the edge of the^knife or scissars, in 
opening sinuses, or fistula;, that by this means 
the subadjacent vessels, nerves, and tendons, 
may remain unhurt. See Surgery. 
JJIRIGENT, or Directrix, a term in 
geometry, signifying the line of motion along 
which the describent line or surface is carried 
in the genesis of any plane or solid figure : 
thus, ir the line All (plate Miscei. lig. 43) 
move along the line AC, so that the point A 
always keeps in the line AC, a parallelogram, 
as A 13 C D, will be formed, of which the side 
AB is the describent, and -the line AC the 
dirigent; so also, if the surface A BCD be 
supposed to be carried along CE, in a posi- 
tion always parallel to itself in its first situa- 
tion, the solid ADFII will be formed, where 
the surface AD is -the describent, and the line 
CE the dirigent. 
DISA, a genus of the gynandria -diandria 
class .and order. The spathe is one-valved ; 
petals three, the third less, two-parted, gib- 
bous at the base. There are four species, 
herbaceous plants of the Cape, with beautiful 
blue flowers. 
DISABILITY, inlaw, an incapacity in a 
man to inherit or take a benefit which otherwise 
lie might have done, which may happen four 
ways; by the act ot' the ancestor, by the act 
of the party, by the act of law, and by the 
act of God. 1. Disability by the act of the 
ancestor ; as if a man be attainted of treason 
or felony; by this attainder his blood is cor- 
rupt, and himself and his children disabled to 
inherit. 2. Disability by the act of the par- 
ty himself; as if one make a feoffment to an- 
other who then is sole, upon condition, that 
he shall enfeoff a third before marriage, and 
before the feoffment made, the feoffee takes 
a wife ; he has by that disabled himself from 
performing the condition according to the 
trust reposed in him, and therefore the feoffer 
may enter, and oust him. Lit. 357. 3. Disabili- 
ty by act of law, is when a man by the sole act 
of the law is disabled, as an alien-born, Ac. 
4. Disability by the act of God, is where a 
person is of nan-sane memory, and in cases 
of idiocy, Ac. But it is a maxim in out- 
law, that a man of full age shall never be re- 
ceived to disable his own person. Co. lib. 4. 
123, 124. See also Aliens, Dissenters, 
Idiocy, and Infamy. 
DISAGREEMENT, will make a nullity 
of a thing that had effect before : and disa- 
greement may be to certain acts to make 
them void, Ac. Co. Lit. 380. 
D1SANDRA, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the heptandria class of plants. I lie 
calyx has seven leaves ; the corolla is parted 
into seven, and flat ; the capsule two-celled. 
There are two species, pretty trailing plants, 
natives of Madeira. 
DISARMING, in law, the prohibiting - 
people to wear arms. It is an offence by the 1 
common law of England for persons to go or 
ride armed with dangerous and uncommon 
weapons: though gentlemen may wear com- 
mon armour, according to their qualify. It 
is also ordained by statute, that no persons 
shall come before the king’s justices with 
force of arms, on pain of imprisonment, Ac. 
DISC, discus, in antiquity, a quoit made ■ 
of stone, iron, or copper, rive or six lingers j 
broad, and more than a loot long, inclining j 
to an oval figure, which was hurled in the I 
manner of a bowl, to a vast distance, by the j 
help of a leathern thong tied round the per- i 
son’s hand who threw it, and put through a 
hole in the middle. 
Disc, in astronomy, the body and face of 
the sun and moon, such as it appears to us on j 
the earth; or the body or face of the earth, j 
such as it appears to a spectator in the moon. | 
The disc in eclipses is supposed to be divided j 
into 12 equal parts,. called digits; in a total ] 
eclipse of lire luminaries, the whole disc is j 
obscured; in a partial eclipse, only apart 
of it. See Astronomy. 
Disc, in botany, is an aggregate of florets j 
forming, as it were, a plane surface. 
Disc, in optics, is the width of the aper- ■ 
lure of telescopic glasses, whatever their form 
be, whether plane, convex, concave, Ac. 
DISCHARG E, is where a man confined by ] 
some legal process, performs that which the \ 
law requires, and is released from the matter ; 
for which he is confined. If an obligee dis- j 
charge one obligor where several are jointly j 
bound, it discharges the others. See Arrest, 1 
Bond, Payment. 
DISCLAIMER, is a plea containing art 
express denial, renouncing or disclaiming ; as 
it the tenant sues a replevin upon a distress 
taken by the lord, and the lord avows, saj ing I 
that he holds of him as his lord, and that he 
distrained for rent not paid, or service not 
performed; then the tenant denying to hold 
of such lord, is said to disclaim; and the lord I 
proving the tenant to hold of him, the tenant 
loses his land. Co. on Lit. 102. 
DISCONTINUANCE of possession. 1 
A man may not enter upon his own lands or 
tenements alienated (such alienation being a 
discontinuance of possession), whatsoever his i 
right he to them, of his own self or by his 
own authority, but must bring his writ, and 
seek to recover possession by law. Co. Rep,. : 
lib. 3. 85. 
Discontinuance of process, is where j 
the plaintiff leaves a chasm in the proceed- 
ings of his cause, whereby the opportunity of 
prosecution is lost for that time, in which 
case he must begin again, and usually pays j 
costs to the defendant, or the plaintiff is dis- . 
missed the court, &c. Every suit, whether 
civil or criminal, and every process therein, 
ought to be properly continued from day to ’ 
day, Ac. from its commencement to its con- , 
elusion ; and the suffering any default or ggp ' 
herein, is called a discontinuance. 2 Haw. : 
298. 
Discontinuance of plea: if where di- j 
vers things should be pleaded to, .then some 
