CAN 
of an instrument like that used for drawing 
wire festened at one side of the bason. 
Candles, sale or auction hij inch of, 
is when a small piece of candle being 
lighted, the bystanders are allowed to 
bid for the merchandise that is selling ; but 
the moment the candle is out, the commo- 
dity is adjudged to the last bidder. 
Candle berry-tree, in hottixcy. See Mv- 
RICA. 
CANDLEMAS, a feast of the church, 
held on the second day of February, in 
honour of the purification of the Virgin 
Mary. It is bonnwed from the practice 
of the ancient Christians, who on that day 
used abundance of lights both in their 
churches and processions, in memory, as is 
supposed, of our Saviour’s being on that 
day declared by Simeon, “ to be a light to 
lighten the Gentiles.” In imitation of this 
custom, the Roman Catholics, on this day, 
consecrate all the tapers and candles which 
they use in their churches during the whole 
year. 
CANDY, or sugar Candy, a preparation 
of sugar, made by melting and crystallizing 
it six or seven times over, to render it hard 
and transparent. It is of three kinds, white, 
yellow, and red. The white comes from 
the loaf-sugar, the yellow fi'om the cas- 
sonado, and red from the muscovado. 
CANE is the name of a long mea- 
sure, which differs according to the several 
countries where it is used. At Naples, the 
Cane is equal to 7 feet 3i inches English 
measure : the cane of Toulouse, and the 
upper Languedoc, is equal to tlie varre of 
Arragon, and contains 5 feet 8| inches : at 
Montpelier, Provence, Dauphine, and the 
lower Languedoc, to 6 English feet 5i 
inches. 
CANELLA, in botany, a genus of theDo- 
decandria Monogynia class and order. Essen- 
tial character : calyx three-lobed ; corolla 
fiye-petalled ; antliers twenty-one, festened 
to a pitcher-shaped nectary ; berry three- 
celled ; seeds two to four. There is but 
one species, viz. C. alba, laurel leaved ca- 
nella, is a tree, the stem of which rises from 
ten to fifty feet in height, straight, upright, 
branching only at the top. The flowers 
grow at the tops of the branches in clusters, 
upon divided peduncles. It is common in 
most of the West India islands. The whole 
tree is very aromatic, and when in blossom 
perfumes the whole neighbourhood. The 
flowers, dried and softened again in warm 
water, have a fragrant odour, resembling 
tliat of musk. 
CAN 
CANEPHORA, in botany, a gemis of 
the Pentandria Monogynia class and order : 
common calyx tubular, toothed, many 
flowered : perianthum five or six-cleft ; 
corolla campanulate, five or six-cleft ; fruit 
inferior, two-seeded. There are two spe- 
cies, viz. the axillaris and capitata, natives 
of Madagascar. 
CANES, walking, are said by Bradley 
to be Joints of the roots of a sort of reed, 
called canna Tndica. This plant shoots in 
Joints of about three or four feet long, near 
the surface of the ground, and at every 
knot produce great numbers of fibres, by 
which it receives its nourishment. The 
joints are made straight by the fire, which 
occasions those shades or clouds frequently 
seen in them. Bradley thinks the cane- 
tree might be propagated here by planting 
some of the roots with their knots in artifi- 
cial bogs, &c. 
Canes, rattan, are a smaller sort brought 
from China, Japan, and Sumatra, very 
tough;, which being split, are used for 
making of cane chairs. They are the pro- 
duce of a reed called rattang malabarica 
minor, or lesser rattan. The specific name 
is rotang, whence rattan, and in the Ma- 
layan language signifies a staff or walking 
stick. These, when di-y, being struck 
against each other, will give fire, and are 
used accordingly in some places in lieu of 
flint and steel. Being twisted together 
they make cordage of them. Tlie Chinese 
and Japanese vessels are said to have their 
cables made of them, which are less liable 
to rot in the water tlian hemp. 
Canes vemtici, in astronomy, the grey- 
hounds, two new constellations first esta- 
blished by Hevelius between the tail of the 
great Bear, and the arm of Bootes, above 
the Corona Berenices. That next the Bear’s 
tail is called Asterion, the other Chara. 
CANICULA, or Caniculus, in astro- 
nomy, the same as the Cauis Minor. See 
Canis Minor. 
It is also a name given to one of the stars 
of the constellation Canis Major, called the 
Dog-star, and by the Greeks Sirius. 
CANICULAR days, commonly called 
dog-days, a certain number of days preced- 
ing and ensuing tlie heliacal rising of the 
Canicula, or the Dog-star, in the morning. 
The Ethiopians and Egyptians began their 
year at the rising of the Dog-star, reckoning 
to its rise again the next year, which is call- 
ed the annus canarius. The Romans sup- 
posed it to be the cause of the sultry wea- 
ther usually felt in tlie dog-days ; and, there- 
