CRO 
tton of this cnrious fossil. It was found in 
the side of a large mountain in the midland 
part of Germany, and in a stratum of black 
fossil stone, somewhat like our common 
slate, but of a coarser texture, the same 
with that in which the fossil fishes in many 
parts of the world are found. This skeleton 
had the back and ribs very {)iain, and was 
of a much deeper black than the rest of the 
stone ; as is also the case in the fossil fishes 
which are preserved in this manner. The 
pai't of the stone wiiere the head lay was 
not found; tliis being broken off just at the 
shoulders, but that irregularly ; so that in 
one place a part of the back of the head 
was visible in its natural form. The two 
shoulder-bones were very fair, and three of 
the feet were well preserved : the legs were 
of their natural shape and size: and the 
feet preserved even to the extremities of 
the five toes of each. 
CROCUS, in botany, a genus of the Tri- 
andria Monogynia class and order. Natural 
order of Ensatae. Irides, Jussieu. Essential 
character: corolla six-parted, equal; stig- 
mas convolute. There are two species with 
many varieties, viz. C. officinalis, officinal 
crocus, or saffron, and C. vernus, or spring 
crocus. 
CROISADE, Crusade, or Cruzado, a 
name given to the expeditions of the Chris- 
tians against the Infidels, for the conquest 
of Palestine ; so called because those who 
engaged in the undertaking wore a cross on 
their clothes, and bore one cm their standard. 
This expedition was also called the holy 
war, to which people flocked in great num- 
bers out of pure devotion, the pope’s bulls 
and the preaching of the priests of those 
days making it a point of conscience. The 
several nations engaged in the holy war 
were distinguished by the different colours 
of their crosses : the English wore white, 
the French red, the Flemish green, the Ger- 
mans black, and the Italians yellow. From 
this enterprise several orders of kighthood 
took their rise. They reckon eight croisades 
for the conquest of the Holy Land: the first 
begun in the year 1095, at the solicitation 
of the Greek Emperor and the Patriarch of 
Jerusalem. 
CROMLECH, in British antiquities, are 
huge broad flat stones, raised upon other 
stones set up on end for that purpose. They 
are common in .^.nglesea. They are sup- 
posed by some persons to have been tombs, 
though others imagine that they were altars 
for religious services. 
CROSIER, or Crozier, a shepherd's 
fcRO 
crook; a symbol of pastoral authority, con- 
sisting of a gold or silver staff crooked at 
the top, carried occasionally before bishops 
and abbots, and held in the hand when they 
give the solemn benedictions. The ciustom 
of bearing a pastoral staff before bishops is 
very ancient. Regular abbots are allowed 
to ofliciate with a mitre and crosier. Among 
the Greeks none but a patriarch had a right 
to the crosier. 
Crosier, in astronomy, four stars in the 
soutliern hemisphere in the form of a cross, 
serving those who sail in soutli latitudes to 
find the antarctic pole. 
CROSS, in heraldry, is defined by Guil- 
lim, an ordinary composed of fourfold lines, 
whereof two are perpendicular, and the 
other two transverse ; for so we must con- 
ceive of them, though they are not drawn 
throughout, but meet, by couples, in four 
right angles near about the fesse-point of 
the escutcheon. The content of a cross is 
not always the same; for when it is not 
eharged, it has only the fifth part of the 
field ; but if it be charged tlien it must con- 
tain the third part thereof. This bearing 
was bestowed on such as had performed, 
or, at least, undertaken some service for 
Christ and the Christian profession ; and is 
therefore held by several authors tlie most 
honourable charge in all heraldry. What 
brought it into such frequent use was the 
ancient expeditions into the Holy Land, 
tlie cross being the ensigns of that war. 
CROSSOSTYLIS, in botany, a genus of 
the Monadelphia Polyandria class and or- 
der. Essential character: calyx simple, 
four-parted; corolla four-petalled; nectary 
twenty, corpuscles between the filaments ; 
stigmas four-jagged. There is but one 
species, viz. C. biflora, a native of the So- 
ciety Isles. 
CROSSELET, a little or diminutive 
cross, used in heraldry, where the shield is 
frequently seen covered with crosselets ; 
also fesses and other honourable ordinaries, 
cliarged or accompanied witli crosselets. 
Crosses frequently terminate in crosselets. 
CROTALAlilA, in botany, a genus of 
the Diadelphia Decandria class and order. 
Natural order of Papilionacem, or Legumi- 
nosae, Jussieu. Essential character; legume 
turgid, inflated, petKcelled; filaments con- 
nate, with a fissure on the back. There are 
thirty-two species, all natives of warm 
climates. 
C ROUTE, sour evoute. As this prepara- 
tion of cabbage has been found of sovereign 
efficacy as a preservative in long rcyages 
