Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/680

 668 GENEVA genet of Barbary (viverra genetta. Linn. ; G. vulgaris, Cuv.) is ashy gray, with blackish spots ; the tail is nearly as long as the body, with long hair and 10 or 11 dark and light rings ; the length of the body is about a foot and the tail about the same, and the height 5 Pale Genet (Genetta Senegalensis). in. It is only semi-carnivorous, and will live in captivity wholly on vegetable food. The claws are sharp, semi-retractile, and well adapted for climbing ; the anal secretion has a musky odor ; as in other nocturnal animals, the pupil is ver- tical. The habits of the genet are like those of the weasel tribe ; it is easily tamed, and is sometimes employed to catch rats and mice in houses ; the period of gestation in captivity is about four months. The pale genet ( G. Senega- lensis, Fischer), or fossane, resembles the for- mer species, and is reddish gray with pale spots above the eyes, brown bands and spots on the body and limbs, and an obscurely ringed tail. Both species prey upon small mammals, birds, and reptiles, and are not averse to fruits. Several other species are described. GENEVA, a S. E. county of Alabama, border- ing on Florida and intersected by the Choctaw- hatchee and Pea rivers ; area, about 550 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 2,95V, of whom 227 were colored. Pine forests abound; the soil is sandy and poor. The chief productions in 1870 were 58,642 bushels of Indian corn, 4,990 of oats, 22,039 of sweet potatoes, 4,749 of peas and beans, 420 bales of cotton, and 40,657 Ibs. of rice. There were 2,148 milch cows, 5,125 other cattle, 4,222 sheep, 8,874 swine, and 408 horses. Capital, Geneva. GENEVA, a village of Ontario co., New York, beautifully situated at the N. W. extremity of Seneca lake, on the New York Central and the Geneva and Ithaca railroads, 100 m. E. of Buffalo; pop. in 1870, 5,521. The principal street runs parallel with the bank of the lake, at an elevation of 100 ft., and from many of the residences terraced gardens extend to the shore. It commands a fine view of the lake and of the surrounding country. Geneva is handsomely built, and contains many large stores. One of the Episcopal churches is a fine stone structure in Gothic style, and was built at an expense of $40,000. Steamers ply daily on the lake, which is open throughout the year, between Geneva and Watkins, at the opposite extremity, touching at intermedi- ate places. There are six hotels, two national banks, gas works, marble works, two iron works, bending works, a flour mill, a malt house, &c. The nursery business is the chief branch of industry, employing 13 firms and many individuals. The nurseries cover over 3,000 acres, and furnish occupation to from 600 to 700 men and boys. The value of the stock is about $1,800,000, and the annual ship- ments of trees, &c., amount to over $500,000. Hobart Free college (called Geneva college till 1852) was established here in 1824, under the direction of Episcopalians, and in 1872 had 9 professors, 44 students, a library of 13,000 volumes, and a well appointed observatory. The union public school, a fine brick building costing $30,000, and its four branches, have about 1,200 pupils. A Koman Catholic school is in process of erection. There are two pri- vate schools for girls and one for boys, two weekly newspapers, and eight churches. GENEVA (Fr. Geneve; Ger. Genf ; Ital. Gine- vra). I. A canton of Switzerland, bounded N. by Vaud and the lake of Geneva, and on all other sides by France; area, 109 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 93,239, of whom 47,868 were Catho- lics, 43,639 Protestants, 771 Christians of other denominations, and 961 Jews and other non- Christians ; 20,209 families were French, 978 German, 121 Italian, and 7 Romaic. The peas- antry speak a patois which resembles some- what that spoken in the neighboring districts of France and Vaud. The canton is without mountains, and its highest hills rise only about 500 ft. above the lake. The soil is hilly and stony, and therefore not fertile ; but in conse- quence of the excellent cultivation, the canton resembles a garden. The Rhone, which flows southwesterly from the lake of Geneva, re- ceives the Arve, Nante de Vernier, Avril, Lon- don, and Laire. The canton is divided into three districts and contains 48 communes; in 31 of them the Catholics are a majority, and in 17 the Protestants. The canton has 5 gymna- sia or secondary schools and about 75 primary schools with 5,600 pupils. The receipts and expenditures are about 3,000,000 francs annu- ally, the public debt about 16,000,000 francs. The legislature, called the grand council, con- sists of one representative for every 666 inhab- itants. Geneva was the first Swiss state to introduce trial by jury (1844), and exerted a liberal influence upon the national councils in the promulgation of the federal constitution in 1848. The canton sends four delegates to the lower house of the Swiss diet, and furnishes a contingent to the army of about 4,000 men. The Protestant churches are governed by a consistory, which is elected for four years, ap- points an executive committee of 5, and is