ancient kind of castagnetta, or musical instrument, found on medals in the hands of the priests of Cybele. The crotalum differed from the sistrum, though authors frequently confounded them. It consisted of two little brass plates or rods, which were shaken in the hand, and in striking against each other made a noise.

It was sometimes also formed of a reed split lengthwise, one part of which they struck against the other; and as this made a noise somewhat like that of a crane's bill, they called that bird crotalistria, a player on the crotala. Aristophanes calls a great talker a crotalum. Clemens Alexandrinus attributes the invention to the Sicilians, and forbids the use of it to the Christians, because of the indecent motions and gestures which accompanied it.

**Crotalystriæ**, in *Antiquity*, a kind of morrice dancers, admitted to entertainments, in order to divert the company with their dancing and playing on an instrument called *crotalum*, whence they had their name.

**Crotchet**, in *Music*, one of the notes or characters of time, equal to half a minim, and double of a quaver.

*Crotchets* are also marks or characters, serving to inclose a word or sentence which is distinguished from the rest, being generally in this form [ ].

**Croto**, or **Crotona**, in *Ancient Geography*, a noble city of the Bruttii, founded by an Achaean colony 759 years before the Augustan age, and situated 150 stadia to the north of Lacinium, and in the neighbourhood of Metapontum, in the bay of Tarentum. Pythagoras, after his long peregrinations in search of knowledge, fixed his residence at this place, which some authors think was his native one, at least that of his parents, supposing him to have been born in the isle of Samos, and not at any town of the name of Crotona in Italy. This incomparable sage spent the latter part of his life in training up disciples to the rigid exercise of sublime moral virtue, and in instructing the Crotonites in the true arts of government, such as alone can inspire happiness, glory, and independence.

Under the influence of this philosophy, the Crotonites inured their bodies to frugality and hardships, and their minds to self-denial and patriotic disinterestedness. Their virtues were the admiration of Greece, where it became a current proverb, that the last of the Crotonites was the first of the Greeks. In one Olympiad seven of the victors in the games were citizens of Crotona; and the name of Milo is almost as famous as that of Hercules. The vigour of the men and the beauty of the women were ascribed to the climate, which was believed to be endowed with qualities peculiarly favourable to the human system.

Of all the colonies sent out from Greece, this alone furnished succour to the mother country when invaded by the Persians; and by its avenging arms the Sybarites were punished for their shameful degeneracy. But the victory proved fatal to the conquerors; for riches, and all their pernicious attendants, insinuated themselves into Crotona, and soon contaminated the purity of its principles. Not long afterwards, the Locrians, who were less corrupted, defeated them on the banks of the Sagra, and reduced the republic to great distress and penury. This reverse restored the remaining Crotonites to their pristine vigour of mind, and enabled them to make a brave though unsuccessful resistance when attacked by Dionysius of Syracuse. They suffered much in the war with Pyrrhus, and, by repeated misfortunes, decreased in strength and numbers, from age to age, down to that of Hannibal, when they could not muster twenty thousand inhabitants. This small population being incapable of manning the extensive works erected in the days of prosperity, Crotona was taken by the Carthaginians, and its citizens were transported to Locri. The Romans sent a colony thither about two centuries before Christ. In the Gothic war this city rendered itself conspicuous by its fidelity to Justinian, and Totila besieged it long in vain.

**Crousaz**, Jean Pierre de, was born at Lausanne on the 13th of April 1668. He was one of the most prolific writers of the eighteenth century; but his works seldom rise above mediocrity, and are now but little read. He was a Protestant of noble extraction, and his father destined him for the profession of arms, but he preferred the more tranquil pursuit of letters. He applied himself particularly to the study of the mathematics, and became a warm partisan of the Cartesian philosophy. After some time spent in travelling, he returned to his native place, where he was successively appointed pastor, professor of philosophy, and rector of the academy. In 1724, he was called to Groningen to teach the mathematics, and appointed governor to the young prince Frederick of Hesse-Cassel. The King of Sweden also conferred upon him the title of counsellor of embassies. Crousaz died on the 22d of March 1750, at which time he was a member of the Academy of Bordeaux, and foreign associate of the Academy of Sciences at Paris. His principal works are, 1. *Système des Réflexions qui peuvent contribuer à la netteté et à l'étude de nos Connaissances, ou nouvel Essai de Logique*, Amsterdam, 1712, 2 vols. 8vo; 2. *Traité de Beau, où l'on montre en quoi consiste ce qui l'on nomme ainsi*, Amsterdam, 1715, 8vo, and 1724, 2 vols. 12mo; 3. *De l'Éducation des Enfans*, Hague, 1722, 2 vols. 12mo; 4. *Examen du Traité de la Liberté de Penser d'Antoine Collins*, Bruxelles, 1713, Amsterdam, 1718, 8vo; 5. *Géométrie des Lignes et des Surfaces rectilignes et circulaires*, Amsterdam, 1718, 2 vols. 8vo; 6. *Examen du Pyrrhonisme ancien et moderne*, Hague, 1733, fol.; 7. *Ouvres diverses*, 1737, 2 vols. 8vo; 8. *Traité de l'Esprit Humain, against Wolff et Leibnitz*, 1741; 9. *Réflexions sur la belle Wolfenue*, Lausanne, 1743, 8vo. In his *Traité de Beau* Crousaz maintains that, to constitute beauty, there must be a concurrence of five qualities or conditions, namely, unity, variety, order, proportion, and regularity. But this definition, it must be obvious, is far from having that character of simplicity which is suited to the nature of beauty; and a more refined analysis has since demonstrated that the only condition necessary to constitute beauty is association with certain feelings and emotions of an agreeable or a pleasurable kind. The most important of all his works, however, is the Examination of ancient and modern Pyrrhonism, which displays sound thinking, and no inconsiderable degree of philosophical learning. Besides the works above enumerated, Crousaz was the author of some sermons, an essay on metaphysics, reflections on gambling, remarks on the utility of physics and mathematics, an essay on rhetoric, another on motion, a treatise on algebra, observations on the logic of Horace, an examination of Pope's *Essay on Man*, a commentary on the analysis of quantities infinitely small, several dissertations crowned by the academy of Bordeaux, and other pieces. (See his *Éloge de Fouchy en l'Histoire de l'Académie des Sciences*, 1750, p. 779.)

**Crow**, in *Mechanics*, a kind of iron lever, with a claw at one end and a sharp point at the other, used for heaving or purchasing great weights.

**Crow's Bill**, among surgeons, a kind of forceps for extracting bullets and other foreign bodies out of wounds.

**Crow's Feet**, in the military art, machines of iron, having four points, each about three or four inches long, and so made that, whichever way they fall, there is still a point up. They are thrown upon breaches, or in passes where the enemy's cavalry are to march, and prove a formidable obstruction, by running into the horses' feet and laming them.

**Crowland**, a town of the hundred of Elloe, in the county of Lincoln, in which formerly stood one of the largest abbeys of the kingdom. As the town is intersected with water-courses, there is a curious triangular bridge which connects the several portions, with an inscription bearing the date of 860. The inhabitants amounted in 1811 to 1718, in 1821 to 2113, and in 1831 to 2716.

**Crowle**, a market-town in the wapentake of Manby, in the county of Lincoln, 166 miles from London. It is situated in a marshy district, formerly the isle of Axholm, but now by draining made a part of the surrounding country. The inhabitants amounted in 1811 to 1424, in 1821 to 1729, and in 1831 to 2113.