CON 
and sometimes on both ; they may be dis- 
tinguished under the appellation of anterior 
or posterior lunules, according to the slope 
in which they are situated. Cartilage of 
the hinge, called also the ligament of the 
hinge, the substance of a flexible, fibrous, 
and somewhat horny nature, by means of 
which the two valves are united near the 
beak. Ears, the lateral processes near the 
beaks, as in the scallop tribe : those occur 
either on one side, or on both. Ligament 
perforation, the opening, or aperture, 
through which the ligature of the animal 
passes in the anomia genus, by the as- 
sistance of which it fastens itself to the 
rocks, or other bodies ; in some it is si- 
tuated in the flat valve, in others at the 
beak of the gibbous valve. Length and 
breadth of the shell. The length is mea- 
sured from the cartilage or beak to the 
margin below, the breadth is of course taken 
in the opposite direction. The breadth of 
many bivalve shells exceeds their length : 
some remarkable instances of which occur 
in the solen tribe. Hinge, the point of 
union between the two valves, formed by 
the connection or articulation of the teeth 
in both valves, or by the teeth in one valve, 
fitting into hollows or sockets in the valve 
opposite. The amazing variety of structure 
observable in the hinge of different tribes of 
shells renders this one of the most essential 
characters in the generical definition ofshells. 
The teeth in some are small and numerous, 
in others thick, solid, and few in number, or 
sometimes single, long, spatuliform, lamini- 
form, acicular, &c. the principal of which 
may be divided into inarticulate hinge, when 
only furnished with callosities, ov having 
no visible teeth ; articulate, when it has 
teeth, but only a small number ; and mult- 
articulate, when the teeth are numerous. 
Cicatrix, the impression on the inside of the 
valves indicating the point of connexion be- 
tween the muscles of the animal, and its 
shell. In some kinds, as the common oyster 
for example, there is only one such muscular 
impression in each valve, in others there are 
two, and some have more. The cicatrix is 
not of the same figure in all shells, being ei- 
ther round, semi-ovate, lunate, or elon- 
gated, in different kinds. Byssus, tire ap- 
pendage called the beard ; by means of 
which some bivalves fasten themselves to 
the rocks. 
Multivalves. The shells of this order are 
few, compared with either of the preced- 
ing ; and the terms proposed for those are 
applicable for tlie most part to tlie multi- 
CON 
valves. The following require more expli- 
cit mention. Base, that part of the shell 
upon which it rests : in the lepas tribe, it 
implies the part immediately seated upon 
the stem or pedicle ; in the balani tlie base 
is generally larger than the summit, and is 
the bottom by means of which the shell is 
fixed upon the rocks or other extraneous 
bodies. Ligament, the substance, whether 
membranaceous or tendinous, which serves 
to connect the valves together. The com 
nexion of the valves in some multivalves is 
formed by the parts of one valve locking 
into another. Operculum. The balani have 
the aperture at the summit closed by means 
of four small pieces or valves, which are 
commonly called the operculum; these 
opercula of the balani are, however, very 
different from those of univalve shells. 
The primary divisions of the • Linnman 
system, in the latest edition of the “ Sys- 
tema Naturae,” as before observed, consist 
of three orders. Multivalve, Bivalve, and 
Univalve, each of which is subdivided into 
genera. The Multivalvcs contain the chiton, 
lepas and pholas ; the Bivalves, mya, solen, 
tellina, cardium, mactra, donax, venus, 
spondylus, chama, area, ostrea, anomia, 
mytilus, and pinna ; and the Univalves, ar- 
gonauta, nautilus, conns, cyprasa, bulla, 
voluta, buccinum, strombus,- murex, tro- 
chus, turbo, helix, nerita, haliotis, patella, 
dentalium, serpula, teredo, and sabella. 
Which see. See also Shells. 
CONCLAVE, the place in which tlie 
cardinals of the Romish church meet, and 
are shut up, in order to the election of a 
pope. The conclave is a range of small 
cells, ten feet square, made of wainscot : 
these are numbered, and drawn for by lot. 
They stand in a line along the galleries and 
hall of tlie Vatican, with a small space be- 
tween each. Every cell has the arms of the 
cardinal over it. The conclave is not fixed 
to any one determinate place, for the con- 
stitutions of the church allow the cardinals 
to make choice of such a place for the con- 
clave as they think most convenient ; yet it 
is generally held in the Vatican. The con- 
clave is very strictly guarded by troops: 
neither the cardinals, nor any person shut 
up in the conclave, are spoke to but at the 
hours allowed of, and then in Italian or 
Latin; even the provisions for the conclave 
are examined, that no letters be conveyed 
by that means from the ministers of foreign 
powers, or other persons who may have an 
interest in the election of the pontiff. 
CONCLUSION, in logic, the conse- 
