Colybus; a term in the Greek liturgy, signifying an offering of corn and boiled pulse, made in honour of the saints, and for the sake of the dead.

Balfamon, P. Goar, Leo Allatius, and others, have written on the subject of colyba; the substance of what they have said is as follows: The Greeks boil a quantity of wheat, and lay it in little heaps on a plate; adding beaten peas, nuts cut small, and grape-stones, which they divide into several compartments, separated from each other by leaves of parsley. A little heap of wheat, thus seasoned, they call κολυβα. They have a particular formula for the benediction of the colyba, wherein, praying that the children of Babylon may be fed with pulse, and that they may be in better condition than other people, they desire God to bless those fruits, and those who eat them, because offered to his glory, to the honour of such a saint, and in memory of the faithful deceased. Balfamon refers the institution of this ceremony to St Athanasius; but the Greek Synaxary to the time of Julian the apostate.

Columbus, a genus of birds belonging to the order of anseres. See Ornithology Index.

Com, a town of Asia in the empire of Persia, and province of Irac-agemi. It is a large populous place, but has suffered greatly by the civil wars. E. Long. 51° 56'. N. Lat. 34° 5'.