i> A c 
dactyls. Anciently there were dactylic, as well as fpon- 
daic, flutes, tibia daBylica. The daPtylic flutes conlifted 
of unequal intervals; as the dactylic foot does of un¬ 
equal meafures. 
Dactylic Metre. A daPlylic verfe is compofed 
folely of daPlyls and fpondees. In this fpecie?, one foot 
conftitutes a metre. The common heroic is hexameter 
acatalePlic, having a daPlyl in the fifth metre, and a 
fpondee in the fixth. Though an heroic verfe is con¬ 
fined to a fmaller number of admiflible feet than an iam¬ 
bic or trochaic verie, feveral licences are allowed, which 
are not ufed in the latter. The mod confiderable are the 
final caefura and the hiatus. Casfura is improper in 
verfes fliorter than hexameters. Hiatus is the concur¬ 
rence of two vowels in contiguous words without elifion. 
In which cafe a final long fyllable or diphthong is made 
Ihort at pleafure. That irregular fort of dactylics, which 
Hephaeftion calls ao/ics, admits in the firfl metre any foot 
of two fyllables; the reft muft be all daPlyls, except 
when the verfe is cataleptic, and then the cataleptic part 
muft be a part of a daPtyl. A fecond fort of daPtylics, 
which the fame author terms logoadics, require a trochaic 
fyzygy at the end, all the other feet being daPtyls. 
DACTYLIO'MANCY, f. [of oWvAio?, Gr. a ring, 
and jwavTfia, divination.] Divination by a ring. In per¬ 
forming this, they held a ring fufpended by a fine thread 
over a round table, on the edge of which was made di¬ 
vers marks with the twenty-four letters of the alphabet. 
The ring in its vibration flopping at certain letters, and 
She joining of thefe together, compofed the anfwer to be 
given. The operation was ufually preceded by a great 
many fuperftitious ceremonies. 
DACTY'LOGY, J. [of ?, Gr. a finger, and 
Aoy)?, fpeech.] A difcourfing by figns made with the 
fingers. 
DACTYLO'NOMY,/ [of WnAo 5 , Gr. a finger, and 
rof/.os, law.] The art of numbering on the fingers. The 
rule is this: the left thumb is reckoned one, the index 
two ; and fo on to the right thumb, which is the tenth, 
denoted by the cypher o. 
DAC'TYLIS,yi [^ktvAi?, Gr. fingered, having fpikes 
long and llender, like the finger.] In botany, Cock’s- 
rooT Grass; a genus of the clafs triandria, order di- 
gynia, natural order graffes. The generic characters are— 
Calyx : glume many-flowered, two-valved, collePting the 
flofcules into an ovate-oblong fpicule ; valves concave, 
keeled, on one fide convex broader half-ovate, on the 
ether narrow ; the inner largeft. Corolla: two-valved; 
She lower valve larger concave acute, mucronate, or 
awned ; the inner lanceolate, acutely bifid, fcarcely 
fhorter than the lower ; nePtaries two lanceolate, acumi¬ 
nate, gibbous at the bafe. Stamina: filaments three, 
capillary, longer than the corolla ; antherse oblong, two- 
forked. Piftillum: germ ovate ; ftyles two, fpreading ; 
ftigmas feathered. Pericarpium : none; corolla includ¬ 
ing the feed, and dropping it. Seed : Angle, oblong, 
grooved on one fide .—EJfential CharaEler. Calyx, two- 
valved, comprefled ; one valve larger, keeled. 
Species, i. DaPlylis cynofuroides, or American cock’s- 
foot grafs: fpikes fcattered, numerous; flowers clofely 
imbricate, and pointing one way; culm erePt. Culm 
two feet high, reedy. Native of Virginia and Canada. 
2. DaPlylis glomerata, or rough cock’s-foot grafs: 
panicle turned to one fide, glomerate. Root perennial; 
culms from two to three feet high, ancipital, naked, 
and rugged at the top, having four or five fmooth pur- 
plifh knots or joints, and three leaves, with ancipital 
villofe or rugged flieaths, fharply keeled ; leaves fix 
inches or more in length, and three or four lines broad, 
fpreading, fomewhat glaucous, very rugged on both fides 
with extremely minute fpinules. There is fome diffe¬ 
rence of opinion relpePting the genus of this grafs. Sco- 
poli at firfl made it a poa, but afterwards, following Hal¬ 
ler, he ranged it among the bromi. He fays it is not a 
poa, becaufe it has one awned petal; not a cynofurus. 
Vol, V. No. 295. 
DAD 357 
becaufe the calyx is many-flowered, and it has no brae, 
tes ; not a daily 1 is, becaufe the calyx is very acute. 
Pollich mentions a viviparous variety; and Mr. Wood¬ 
ward has obferved it to be fo in rainy feafons. This is 
ufual in other graffes on lofty fituations, where they are 
frequently drenched by the clouds. No grafs is more 
common than this, from its flourifhing particularly un¬ 
der the fhade of trees, whence it has been called orchard, 
grafs. It flowers from June to Augtift. It is a rough 
coarfe grafs, and hence has the names of rcugh-grafs and 
hard-grafs, but it is extremely hardy and productive : 
Mr. Curtis adds that it is rather early. Its flourifhing 
under the drip of trees may be a recommendation, but 
the head is fo large that in heavy rains it is apt to be 
laid. It fhould always be cut whilft young and tender 
either for hay or fodder. 
3. DaPlylis ciliaris, or hairy cock’s-foot grafs : Spike 
in a head turned to one fide ; calyxes three-flowered ; 
Item creeping. Root filiform, creeping with long white 
fibres; culms a palm high, afeending, very Ample, even, 
with one joint. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
4. DaPlylis lagopoides, or rough cock’s-foot grafs : 
fpikes roundifh, pubefeent; culm proftrate, branched. 
Root perennial, fibrous; culms a palm high, feveral, 
covered on every fide with the flieaths of leaves. Na¬ 
tive of the fields of Malabar. 
5. DaPlylis capitata, or cluftered cock’s-foot grafs ; 
fpikes in a head even; culm proftrate, branched. Root 
perennial ; leaves even, three on the culm, which is of 
the thicknefs of a fowl’s quill, a foot and half in height* 
and even. Found at the Cape by Sparrmann. 
6. DaPlylis (IriPla, or fea cock’s-foot grafs : fpikes 
terminating,ufually twin; flowers remote, prelfed,clofe; 
culms and leaves ftriPt. The calyx contains one floret 
only, which has but one ftyle, which is longer than the 
ftamensT The flruPture of the piflil marks an affinity' 
with nardus, which is confirmed by its habit. Found in 
marfhes in Effex, and other parts of the lea-coaft, very 
common ; alfo in Portugal. It is perennial, and flowers 
from July to September. This was confounded with 
the firfl fpecies, but is certainly diftinPt from it. 
7. DaPlylis patens, or fpreading cock’s-foot grafs : 
fpikes fcattered, turned one way, few; flowers clofely 
imbricate ; culm decumbent; leaves fpreading very much. 
Native of North America. Introduced 1781, by Mr. 
William Curtis. It is perennial, and flowers in July 
and Auguft. See Grass; fee alfo Phalaris and 
Phoenix. 
DAC'TYLON, f. in botany. See Panicum. 
DAD, or Daddy, f. [the child’s way of exprefting 
father. It is remarkable, that, in all parts of the world, 
the word for father, as firfl taught to children, is com¬ 
pounded of a and t, or the kindred letter d, differently 
placed : as tad, Welfh ; arra, Gr. atta, Goth, tata, Lat. ] 
Father: 
I was never fo bethump’d with words, 
Since firfl I call’d my brother’s father dad. Shahefpeare 
His loving mother left him to my care ; 
Fine child, as like his dad as he could flare ! Gay. 
DADACAR'DIM, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the 
province of Diarbekir : fixty miles fouth of Diarbek. 
DA'DAI, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the province 
of Natolia : forty miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Amafieh, 
DA'DARI, a town of Hindooftan, in the country of 
Dehli : fifty-two miles weft of Dehli. 
To DADE, v. a. To hold up by a leading firing: 
The little children when they learn to go. 
By painful mothers daded to and fro. t Drayton . 
DA'DELER, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the pro¬ 
vince of Caramania : twelve miles north of Cogni. 
DA'DEN, a town of Germany, in the circle of Weft, 
phalia, and county of Sayn, near which are fome mines 
of copper: eight miles louth of Siegen. 
7 C DADIVA'N, 
