CRY 
Mr. Hatchett found them composed of 
three ingredients : 1. A cartilaginous sub- 
stance possessing the properties of coagulat- 
ed albumen. 2. Carbonate of lime. 3. Phos- 
phate of lime. By the presence of this last 
substance they are essentially distinguished 
from shells, and by the great excess of car- 
bonate of lime above the phosphate they 
are equally distinguished from bones. Thus 
the crusts lie intermediate between bones 
and shells, partaking of tlie properties and 
constitution of each. The shells of tlie eggs 
of fowls must be referred likewise to the 
class of crusis, since they contain both 
phosphate and carbonate of lime. The 
animal cement in them, however, is much 
smaller in quantity. From experiments it 
is extremely probab'e that the shells of 
snails are composed likewise of Ihe same in- 
gredients, phosphate of lime having been 
detected in them by these chemists. 
Mr. Hatchett examined the crusts of 
crabs, lobsters, prawns, and crayfish. When 
immersed in diluted nitric acids these crusts 
effervesced a little, and gradually assumed 
the form of a yellowish-white soft elastic 
cartilage, retaining the form of the crust. 
The solution yielded a precipitate to ace- 
tate of lead, and ammonia threw down 
phosphate of lime. Carbonate of ammonia 
threw down a much more copious piecipi- 
tate of carbonate oflime. 
On examining the crust which covers dif- 
ferent species of echini, Mr. Hatchett 
found it to correspond with the other crusts 
in its composition. Some species of star- 
fish yieldeth phosphate of lime, others none : 
hence the covering of that genus of animals 
seems to be intermediate between shell and 
crust. 
CRUZITA, in botany, a genus of the 
Tetrandria Digynia class and order. Atri- 
plices, Jussieu. Essential character: inner 
calyx four-leaved; outer three-leaved; co- 
rolla none ; seeds one. One species, viz. 
C. hispanica, a native of South America. 
CRYPSIS, in botany, a genus of the 
Diandria Digynia class and order. Natural 
order of Grasses. Essential character : ca- 
lyx glume two valved, one-flowered; co- 
rolla glume two-valved, awnless. One spe- 
cies, viz. C. aculeata, prickly crypsis. This 
grass is a native of the South of Europe and 
Siberia ; it is common also in Barbary. 
CRYPTOCEPHALUS, in natural his- 
tory, a genus of insects of the Coleoptcra 
order. Characterised by filiform antenna? ; 
four feelers ; thorax margined ; shells im- 
marginate ; body somewhat cyliudrical. 
CRY 
This is a very extensive genus, nearly 300 
species have been enumerated. They are 
divided into two sections, A. feelers equal, 
filiform ; B. feelers unequal ; fore ones hat- 
chet-shaped. A. is subdivided into a, jaw 
one-toothed; t. lip entire, cylindrical; 2 
lip entire, palpigerons at the tip ; 3. lip bi- 
fid ; body oblong : b, jaw bifid ; body ob- 
long. In B. there are some of the genera 
that have horny lips ; others with lip mem- 
branaceous, entil e ; and some whose lip is 
membranaceous, widely emarginate. 
CRYP'rOG.YMIA, in botany, filename 
of the twenty-fourth class of Linnaeus's 
Sexual Method, consisting of plants, in 
which the parts of fructification are, eitlier 
from their minuteness or their situation, en- 
tirely concealed or imperfectly visible. 
CRYPTDSTOMUM, in botany, a genus 
of the Peutandria Monogynia class and or- 
der. Essential character : calyx ventricose, 
five-cleft ; tube of the corolla inserted into 
the throat of the calyx ; bot ,Ier five-cleft ; 
nectary five-toothed, closing the mouth of 
the corolla ; berry ; seeds scarred. There 
is but one species, viz. C. Guianense, Gui- 
ana crvptostomuin. 
CRYSTALLINE humour, in anatomy, a 
thick, compact humour, in form of a flatfish 
convex lens, situated in the middle of the 
eye, serving to make that refraction of the 
rays of light, necessary to make them meet 
in the retina, and form an image thereon, 
whereby vision may be performed. See 
Eye. 
CRYSTALLIZATION. When the at- 
traction of aggrega tion has been weakened, 
either by the application of heat, or of a 
chemical affinity, and is suffered to resmne 
its force more slowly or equally, the parti- 
cles are not united indiscriminately, but in 
uniting assume a particular arrangement; 
and thus form masses of regular fiirures,, 
bounded by plain surfaces and determinate 
angles. When aggregation is exerted in 
this manner, and with this result, the ope- 
ration is named ciystallization, and the re- 
gularly figured masses are denominated 
crystals. 
Ciystallization is of two kinds ; first, as 
it takes place trom the reduction of tem- 
perature in a body which has had fluidity 
eommunicated to it by the operation of 
heat ; and, secondly, as it proceeds from the 
diminution of the solvent power of a fluid, 
which has communicated fluidity to a solid 
by having combined with it. 
Of the first kind of crystallization, water 
affords an example in passing into ice by a 
