a town of Spain, in the kingdom of Leon and province of Extremadura, towards the confines of Portugal, with a bishop's see. It is seated on a little river called Allagon, in a very fertile plain. There is nothing remarkable but the cathedral church, except at a little distance a river without a bridge, and a bridge without a river. This was caused by an earthquake, which turned the river another way. W. Long. 6. 46. N. Lat. 39. 59.

CORYDRUM, coriander: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandra class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 45th order, Umbellatae. The corolla is radiated; the petals inflexed-emarginated; the involucrum universal and monophyllous; the partial involucra halved; the fruit spherical. There are only two species, both of them herbaceous annuals, the leaves of which are useful for the kitchen, and the seeds for medicine. Both species have divided small leaves, somewhat resembling parsley; but there is but one species generally cultivated; namely, the sativum. This hath a small fibrous white root, crowned by many parted leaves, having broadish segments; and in the centre an upright, round, branchy stalk, two feet high, having all the branches terminated by umbels of flowers, which are succeeded by globular fruit. It is propagated by seed, which when a good crop is wanted, ought to be sown in March, either in drills a foot asunder, or by broadcast, and then raked in. When the plants are an inch or two high, they should be hoed to six or eight inches distance. The seeds when fresh have a strong agreeable smell, which improves by drying, and becomes sufficiently grateful: they are recommended as carminative and stomachic. They are also much used by the brewers both in England and Holland, to give a flavour to their strongest beer. The ancients had a notion, that the juice of coriander would deprive people of their senses, and even of life. The leaves are sometimes used for culinary purposes in soups, and as an ingredient in salads; but as they are of a fetid smell, they are held in no great esteem in this country.