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CORINTH

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CORMORANT

Isthmian games. The gods of the sea and of love especially were worshiped; it was the most vicious city of Greece, noted for its luxury and art. Later, Corinth was overrun by Alaric, the Slavs, Franks, Turks, Venetians and Turks again. When freed from the sultan in 1822, it had a steady growth until 1858, when it was devastated by an earthquake. It has since been rebuilt, three miles northeast of the old site and near the western mouth of the canal that has been cut through the isthmus. The population of Corinth at the height of its fame was about 300,000; population of the cormnune (Gortho) to-day is about 12,000.

Corinth, a village in Alcorn County, Miss. It is a railroad-junction, and so was of great importance during the Civil War. On Oct. 3, 1862, it was held by a Union force of 20,000 under General Rose-crans, and firmly intrenched. The Confederates, 40,000 strong, under Generals Price and Van Dorn, tried to carry the works by storm, but were repulsed and pursued with heavy loss. The Federal loss was 2,502; that of the Confederates, 3,117. Population, 5,020.

Corinth, Gulf of. See LEPANTO.

Coriolanus (kd-ri-o-ld'nus), Qaius Mar-cius, so called from his bravery at the taking of Corioli, a Volscian town, in 493 B. C. He was a Roman patrician, and so opposed the plebeians or common people. The people refused to choose him consul, and in return he made a speech in the senate against a free distribution of wheat to the citizens, which had just come from Sicily. Thereupon he was banished; but soon, at the head of the powerful Volscians, he won victory after victory, and now swooped down upon Rome. In vain did the leading men go to his camp. to dissuade him from attacking the city. At last the noblest women of Rome, headed by Coriolanus's aged mother and his wife leading his two sons, came to his tent. His wish for vengeance could not withstand their tears, and he led the Volscians back to their own country. Shakespeare founded his Coriolanus on this story, as related in North's Plutarch.

Cork, a tissue usually formed in the outer part of the cortex of perennial plants. The tissue is characterized by the fact that the cells are flat, with no spaces between them, and the walls are water-proof. Cork is the most prominent part of bark, and the commercial supply is obtained from the bark of a species of oak, Quercus Ilex (often called Q. suber). Forests of cork-oak are cultivated in southwestern Europe.

Cork (meaning swamp), a city of Ireland, is situated on the River Lee, in a pretty valley, built partly OH a group of little islands, joined by nine bridges to the rest of the town, whicb. is built on the river-

banks. Its race-course park and Mardyke, a shaded walk a mile long, are its chief features. The cathedral, St. Ann de Shan-don's church and Queen's College, founded in 1849, are ^ne iftai*1 buildings. The city owes its growth to the facilities afforded by Cork harbor, a basin ten miles square. It is guarded by batteries, with three forts fitted with the heaviest guns. On the banks of the Lee are also four miles of wharves. Cork is a busy manufacturing and exporting city. Its port is Queens-town. In 600 an abbey was erected on its site, and the Danes built its walls in the 9th century. It was surrendered by its last king Dermod MacCarthy, to Henry II in 1172. Cork also is a county in the province of Munster, area 2,890 square miles. Population, 391,090. Population (1911) of the city, 76,632.

Corrn, a special form of thickened underground stem which resembles a bulb in outline, but has thin scale-leaves upon it, instead of fleshy ones. Indian turnip (from Jack-in-the-pulpit) is a typical corm.

Cormorant, a web-footed bird related to the pelican, that feeds like a glutton on fish,

which it catches b y swimming and diving. It has a strong, hooked bill, long neck, short wings and a rather long round tail. Its plumage is blackish,but the face is usually naked and brightly colored. It is very widely distributed; some forms live inland by rivers and lakes, others on the seacoast and about islands. Some of the cormorants of the United States live in pairs, but more often in great flocks, flying around vessels at sea in great numbers. They are also called shags. The Chinese breed and train them for fishing. A ring of hemp is tied around the neck to prevent them from swallowing the fish, and,, for two or three hours at a time, they will dive and bring up fish in their bills, which are taken into the boat by the fishermen. Fish too large to be managed by one are attacked by two or three birds at a time. In 1898 a very large non-flying cormorant was discovered on one of the Galapagos Islands. The bird is rare.

CORMORANT