CAPHICORNUS 341 CAPUCHIN MONKEY CAPRICORNUS (Lat. caper, "a goat," and conma, "a. horn"), "the Goat," one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, between Sagittarius and Aquarius; also the cor- responding zodiacal constellation, one of Ptolemy's original 48. One of its bright- est stars. Alpha, is a wide double, easily separated by the naked eye by anyone with good eyesight. Capricornus is sur- rounded by Aquila, Aquarius, Fiscis Austrinus, Microscopium, and Sagit- tarius. CAPRID.ffi, a family of ruminant mammals, of which the genus Cajyra, or goat, is the type. CAPRIFICATION, a process of fertil- izing or accelerating the production of fruit, practiced in the Levant, partic- ularly with the wild fig. It consists in suspending on the cultivated fig branches of the wild fig, which bring with them a small insect which penetrates the female flowers, carrying the pollen of the male flower on its body, or punctures the fruit in order to lay its eggs, which hastens the ripening, and may be the only effect. The Egyptians pretend to obtain the same result by puncturing the eye of the fruit with a needle that had been dipped in oil. CAPRIVI, GEORG LEO, GRAF VON (ka-pre've),a German soldier and states- man; born in Berlin, Feb. 24, 1831; en- tered the army in 1849; fought in the campaigns of 1864 and 1866, and in the Franco-German war of 1870. In 1883- 1888 he was at the head of the Admi- ralty. On the fall of Bismarck, in 1890, he became Imperial Chancellor and Prus- sian Prime Minister. His principal measures were the army bills of 1892 and 1893, and the commercial treaty with Russia in 1894, in which year he resigned. He died at Skyren, Feb. 6, 1899. CAPSICUM, a genus of plants of the order Solanacese, consisting of annual or biennial plants, bearing membranous pods containing several seeds, noted for their hot, pungent qualities. C. anmium, a native of South America, furnishes the fruits known as chillies. These, as well as the fruits of C. frutescens and other species, are used to form cayenne pepper. For this purpose the ripe fruits are dried in the sun or in an oven, and then ground to powder, which is mixed with a large quantity of wheat flour. The mixed powder is then turned into cakes with leaven; these are baked till they become as hard as biscuit, and are then ground and sifted. C. fnictus is the dried ripe fruit of C. fastigiatum, im- ported from Zanzibar. It is a small, ob- long, scarlet, membranous pod, divided internally into two or three cells con- taining numerous flat, white, reniform seeds. It has no odor; its taste is hot and acrid. Capsicum fruits are used medicinally, in powder or as a tincture, externally, or as a gargle in cases of malignant sore throat, and internally as a stimulant in cases of impaired diges- tion. CAPSTAN, a strong, massive appa- ratus of wood or iron made to revolve, and shaped like a truncated cone, and having the upper part provided with holes for the reception of bars or levers with which to cause it to revolve, and thus raise a heavy weight by winding a rope round it. It is especially used on shipboard for weighing the anchor. Cap- stans are single or double, according as they have one or two barrels upon the same spindle. The double capstan is re- volved by two sets of men on two decks. They are known as "fore" or "aft" cap- stans, according to position. The fore capstan stands between the heel of the bowsprit and the foremast; the aft cap- stan abaft the mainmast. The drum capstan, for weighing heavy anchors, was invented by Sir Samuel Morland about 1661. CAPTAIN, one who is at the head or has authority over others, especially: (1) The military officer who commands a company, whether of infantry, cavalry, or artillery. (2) An officer in the navy commanding a ship of war. The naval captain is next in rank above the com- mander, and in the United States ranks with a colonel. (3) The master of a merchant vessel. CAPUA (ancient Capoa or Capua), a strongly fortified city of southern Italy, province Caserta, Terra di Lavoro, on the left bank of the Volturno, in a fine plain 18 miles N. of Naples. The city has a citadel, the work of Vauban. It is a finely built place and contains many handsome public edifices. Its trade is unimportant. The ancient Capua was situated about 2i/^ miles from the modern city. The remains of its amphi- theater, said to have been capable of con- taining 100,000 spectators, and of some of its tombs, attest its former splendor and magnificence. The amazing fertility of its territory, and the commercial spirit of its inhabitants, rendered Capua one of the largest and richest cities of ancient Italy. It was destroyed by the Saracens, A. D. 840. Pop. about 14,000. CAPUCHIN MONKEY (kap-ii-shen'), a name given to various species of South American monkeys of the genus Cebus.
