Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

COL . ( 22.
Here it is to be obferved, that they give the name
- crimfon to all colours made with cochineal.
Colour, in heraldry. The colours generally ufed in
heraldry are red, blue, black, green, and purple,
which the heralds call gules, azure, fable, vert or fx-
nople, and purpure ; tenne or tawny, and fanguine,
are not fo common : as to yellow and white, called or
and argent, they are metals, not colours.
The metals and colours are fometimes expreffed in
blazon by the names of precious ftones, and fometimes
by thofe of planets or liars. See Blazoning.
Oenomaus is faid to have tirll invented the diftinc-
tion of colours, to dillinguilh the gundiliae of comba¬
tants of the Circenfian games ; the green for thofe
who reprefented the earth, and blue for thofe who re-
prefented the fea.
Colours, in the military art, include the banners, flags,
enfigns, he. of all kinds, borne in the army or fleet.
See Flag, and Standard.
Field-Cohov■ See Field.
Colours, in the Latin and Greek churches, are ufed
to dillinguilh feveral mylteries and fealls, celebrated
therein.
^ Five colours only are regularly admitted into the
Latin church; thefe are white, green, red, violet,
and black : the white is for the mylleries of our Sa¬
viour, the fealls of the virgin, thofe of the angels,
faints, and confelfors ; the red is for the mylleries
and folemnities of the holy facrament, the fealts of the
apollles and martyrs ; the green for the time between
pentecoll and advent, and from epiphany to feptuage-
lima ; the violet in advent and Chriltmas, in vigils,
rogations, he. and in votive mafles in time of war;
laltly, the black is for the dead, and the ceremonies
thereto belonging.
In the Greek church, the ufe of colours is almoll
abolilhed, as well as among us : red was, in the Greek
church, the colour for Chrillmas, and the dead, as
black among us.
To Colour grangers goods, is when a freeman allows
a foreigner to enter goods at the cullom-houfe in his
name.
COLOURING, among painters, the manner of apply¬
ing and conducing the colours of a picture; or the
mixtures of light and lhadews, formed by the various
colours employed in painting. See Painting.
Colouring See Glass.
Colouring /,*/«. See Porcelain. •
COLT, in zoology. See Equus.
Colt-evil, among farriers, a fwelling of the yard and
-ferotum, incident both to Honed horfes and geldings ;
for which, after walhing the part with lukewarm vine¬
gar, it is ufual to anoint them with juice of rue, mixed
with honey, and boiled in hog’s greafe, adding bay-
leaves and the powder of fenugreek.
Colt’s-foot, in botany. See Tussilago.
COLTIE, a term ufed by timber-merchants for a de-
ftft, or blemilh, in fome of the annular circles ol a
tree, whereby its value is much diminifhed. .
COLUBER, in zoology, a genus of ferpents belonging
to the clafs of amphibia. The characters are thefc ;
) COL
They have a number of feuta, or hard crufls, on the
belly; and fcutellae, or feales, on the tail. Linnasus
enumerates no lefs than 97 pecies under this genus,
diftinguilhed folely by the number of feuta and feu-
telke. For the fake of brevity, we lhall give the num¬
bers in figures, the firft den .ting the number of feuta,
and the fecond the number of fcutellae, thus, 140-22.
The firll fpecies is the vip^ra, 118-22. This is
the viper of the fliops, the flefh of which has been
much recommended in fcrophulous, leprous,' and o-
ther obllinate chronical diforders: but its virtue* in
thefe cafes have been too much exaggerated : the flefh
of the viper is howevef highly nutritive, and is there¬
fore properly efleemed to be a good reflorative : but,
to anfwer any good purpofe, even when given with
this intention, it ought to be ufed liberally, aftd for a
confiderable time, as food. This animal is a native of
Egypt. The body is very'fhort, and of a pale co¬
lour, with brownifh fpots ^ and the head is gibbous,
and covered with fmall feales. 2. The atropos. 131-
22, is a native of America ; the body is white, and
the eyes are brown, with a white iris. 3. The le-
beris, ito-yo, is a native of Canada, and has many
linear black rings. 4. The ammodites, 142-32, is
about fix inches long, and has an ere<fl flefhy protu¬
berance on its nofe. It is a native of the Eafl. 5.^
The berus, 146-39, or common Britifh viper, is'
found in mofl countries in Europe : It is of a dufky
blackifh colour-. 6. The cherfea, 150-34, is a native
of Sweden, and rather lefs than the afp. 7. The
prefter. i5‘2-32, is found in the northern parts of
Europe, and the whole body is black. 8. The afpis,
146-46, is a native of France, and is of a reddilh colour,
with dufl<y fpots on the back. 9. Lebetinus, 155-46,
. is a native of Afia, and is of a cloudy colour, with
red fpots on the belly, xo. The feverus, 170-42, is
likewife a native of Afia, and is alh-coloured, with
white belts, n. The llolatus, 143-76, is a native
of Afia, and is of a greyilh colour, with two white
fillets. 12. The la&eus, 203-32, is a native of the
Indies ; the colour is white, with black fpots. 13.
The naja, 193-60, is a native of the Eafl Indies ; and
is the mofl poifonous of all ferpents ; they are eat by
the ichneumon. 14. The atrox, 196-69, is a native
of Afia ; it is of alioary colour ; and the head is com-
prefled and covered with fmall feales. 15. The ni-
veus,-209-62, is white, without any fpots. It is a
native of Africa. i6r*The corallinus, 193-82, is a
native of Afia ; It is greyilh, with three brown fillets.
17. The dipfas, 152-135, is a native of America : it
is of a blueifh colour, with the margins of the feales
white. 18. The myfterizans, 192-167, is a native
of America ; the fnout is flretched out, and triangular.
Although this genus comprehends 97 fpecies, the a-
bove 18 are all whpfe bite is fuppofed to be poifonous.
The poifon is contained in a little bag at the bafe of
their long fangs. See Natural History.
The. 19th fpecies is the lutrix, 134-27 ; the back
and belly are yellow; and the fides are blueilh. It
is a native of the Indies.' 20,The calamarius, 140-22,
is of a livid colour interfperfed with dufky fpots
and