CROSSBILL. 611 CROSS-EXAMINATION. act of alliiwiiij; tlic |"iinls to slip |)ast oiio an- other exerts a powcitul lateral inovemenl, open- ing the scale; and llie lon<riu', wliieli terminates in a singular movable scoop, formed of a bone articulated to the os hyoides, or ordinary bone of the tonirue, is inserted to detach the seed. BKAK UF THE CKOSyBlLL. Side view, shut aud ojien, and top view. The power of the bill is such that wood may be torn to pieces, and crossbills in conlincnient seem to take a mischievous pleasure in destroyin<; the cage. An ajiple is cut to pieces almost in an instant, in order that its seeds may be reached, and flocks of these birds sometimes do great mischief in orchards. Three or four species are known, two of which are found in America, al- though only one, the common red crossbill (Loxia ctirvirostra) . is numerous, and even this in most years is scarcely to be seen in the United States. It is a native of Europe. Asia, and Xorth Ameri- ca, dwelling chiefly in evergreen forests and ex- tending as far north as they do, not dreading the coldest climates. The American bird is gen- erally regarded as a subspecies, and a second subspecies is foimd from the southern Rocky Mountain region to central llexico. The white- winged crossbill (Loxia leiicoptera) is the other American species, but is not so common as the preceding. Botli species are red in the males and olive-brown in the females, the former species with blackish wings and the latter having wings crossed by two conspicuous white bars. They go about in small, chattering flocks, and are resi- dent in the most northern jiarts of the United States and in Canada. They breed in the late winter or early spring, sometimes during very severe weather. CROSS-BILL. In chancery or equity, a bill brought by the defendant in an equity proceed- ing against the plaintifl^ or other defendants, or both, in the same- suit, either to obtain a discovery of facts in aid of the defense, or to bring the matters in dispute more completely before the court than could be done by a mere answer to the original bill. It must not intro- duce new parties nor new matter not embraced in the original suit, and is considered as an atixiliary suit in the nature of a defense to the original bill, the two proceeding together as one cause. However, the jiersons made de- fendants in it must answer, plead, or demur to it. or the relief demanded will be granted by default. Cross-bills are used in the equity prac- tice of the United States and many of the State courts, and in the English chancery courts. See Bill: Dlscovery, Bill of; Equity: also Plead- ing: and consult the authorities there referred to. CROSSBOW. See articles Arb.lest: Arch- ery. CROSS-BREEDING. See Breeds .xd Breed- ing. CROSS BTIN. A small cake especially pre- pared for (food Friday, and in many towns of England cried about the streets on the morning of that day as "hot cross buns.' Good-Friday tmns were appropriately marked with the cross, and hence the name. The origin of the practice is obscure. .Most probably it is a relic of some heathen observance, to which the early Church gave a I luistian significance. CROSS-CUT. A term applied to a short transverse tunnel driven between two levels or gangways in a mine. In the case of parallel veins a crosscut is often driven from one to the other, through the intervening barren rock. CROSSE, Andrew (17S4-1855). An Engli-li ])hysicist. He was born at Fyne Court, in the Quantock Hills, Somersetshire, and was educat- ed at Bristol and Brasenose College, Oxford. He early devoted himself to the study of electricity, and in 1807 lie conMnenee<l experiments with the view of forming artificial crystals. These experiments were quite successful, and, in the course of thirty years of quiet research, during which ])eriod he remained totally imknown to the scientific world, he obtained in this way no less than twenty-four miner.als, including crys- tals or quartz, aragonile, carbonates of lime, lead, and copper, besides numerous other arti- ficial minerals. These discoveries and other in- vestigations in electricity were describc^d at the meeting of the British Association for the Ad- vancement of Science, at Bristol, in 1830. A few montlis later, while experimenting with some highly caustic solution, out of contact with atmospheric air, there appeared, as if gradually growing from specks between the poles of the voltaic circuit, certain animals of the genus Acarus. Crosse never aflirmed that he had de- veloped animal life out of inorganic elements, but simply that imder physical conditions he could make acari appear, and not otherwise. This discovery aroused such violent criticism that Crosse retired from the world and for some time neglected his researches; but later he pub- lished papers on Mode of Extracting Metals from Their Ores: On the Perforation of Non- conductinfi Suhstanccs hij the Mechanical Action of the Electric Fluid; and On the Apparent Mechanical Action Accoiiip<iiu/in(j Electric Trans- fer. CROSS-EXAMINATION. The examination of a witness on behalf of the party against whose interest he has been called and has given testimony. The object is to test the correctness of the testimony given, to disclose any prejudice, lack of intelligence, weakness of memory, or un- truthfulness that may exist, and to break in any proper way the force of the direct examination. Greater latitude is allowed to counsel in cross- examination of an adverse witness tlian in ad- ducing direct testimony for his own <'li<'nt. Thus, 'leading questions' — that is, those which in their form suggest or indicate the answer de- sired — are allowed in cross but not in direct ex- amination. In the United States generally it is held that cross-examination should he limiteil to inquiry into matters drawn out (m the direct examination. :ind if coimsel asks questions as to new matter he thereby makes the witness his own, and, as to such questions, vouches for the truthfulness of his testimony. Counsel must confine the questions to material and relevant matters: but the detenuination of whether the facts sought to be shown may be considered such is in the discretion of (he court, and, when occasion seems to demand it, this is
