Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/455

* COPPERHEADS. 393 COPROLITES. mous with 'Democrats.' The most prominent fintl most obnoxious of the 'Copperheads' was Clement L. Valhmdigham (q-v. ). The name was taken from the copperlieaJ snake, which gives no warning before it strikes. It originated in iSti'i, and quickly came into general use through- out the Xorth. COPPER INDIGO. A name given to the mineral ciivellite, especially when found in spheroidal masses of an indigo-blue color, as is the case at various localities in Thuringia and at Vesuvius. Covellite is a copper sulphate. COPPERMINE RIVER. A river of north- ern Canada, so named, in common with the moun- tains to the west of it, from the metallic prod- ucts of the vicinity. It rises in Point Lake, Mackenzie division, and enters Coronation Gulf, in the Arctic Ocean, about latitude 68° X. ajid longitude 110° W. (Map: America, North, G. 3). The Coppermine River, throughout its course of over 300 miles, is little better than a series of falls and torrents. COPPER-NOSED BREAM (so called from the color of the snout | . The blue sunfish. or dollardee (Lepomis pfillirlus) . of the Mississippi Valley. See SVNFISH ; and Plate of D.RTERS .XD SrXFI.SH. COPPER-PLATE ENGRAVING. See En- Gt!.VIX(i. COPPER RI'VER. A river of Alaska, which rises near Mount Wrangel, Hows at iirst north- west, and then, turning sharply toward the south, maintains a general southerly direction imtil it empties into the Gulf of Alaska, in about latitude G0° X. and longitude 145° W. (Map: Alaska, F 3). Its total lencth is about 500 miles, and it receives a number of tributaries, some of which bring down copper in solution — hence the name of the river. COPPERSMITH (translation of the native Philippine tainbariiit, which is imitative of the liird's cry). One of several barbels (q.v.) of India and eastward to the Phili])pines, which are called by the natives by names meaning 'coppersmith,' 'ironsmith,' etc., on account of their sharply accented metallic notes. A fa- miliar species in Xatal is called 'tinker-bird.' They are gorgeously plumaged. sluggish, fruit- eating birds, very numerous and noisy, but keeping in the tops of the trees and making only short, heavy flights. The crimson-breasted cop- persmith { Mcri<il(Tiii(i hwmacephala)- is one of the best-known and most gaudy. COPPET, ko'p:'. A village in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, situated on the west bank of the Lake of Geneva, nine miles north-northeast of Geneva (Map: Switzerland, A '2). It has a charming appearance, and is famous as the resi- dence of Madame de Stael. Population, in 1900, 552. COPPICE. See Copse. COP'PINGER, .John Joseph (1834—). An American soldier. He was bom at Queenstown, Ireland, and early joined the Papal Army in the struggle against King Victor Emmanuel. After- wards he came to the United States, was ap- pointed a captain in the Fourteenth Infantry in ISOl. ser'ed throughout the Civil War. being brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel for gal- lantry at Trevillian's Station and Cedar Creek, respectively, in 18G4. In 1805 he became colonel of the Fifteenth New York Cavalry. He served in several Indian camjiaigns (1800-08), receiv- ing the brevet of colonel (1808), and was pro- moted to be major of the Tenth Infantry ( 187'J), lieutenant-colonel of the Eighteentli Infantry (1880), colonel of the Twenty-tliird Infantry (1801), and brigadier-general on April 25, 18'.)5. During the Spanish-American War he was ap- jiointed major-general of United States Volun- teers, and was placed in eonnuand of the Foiirtli Army Corps, stationed at Camp Wheeler, Hunts- ville, Ala. He was retired from active service October II, 1898. COPPINO, kdp-pe'ni, MicilELE (18'22— ). An Italian statesman and author. He was born in Alba, Piedmont, and was the son of a shoemaker ill that city. He was educated in Turin, where lie became professor of Italian literature in 1801 and rector in 1809. He was ilinistcr of Educa- tion in the Cabinets of Itattazzi ( ISO"), Dcpretis, Cairoli ( 1870-79) , Depretis ( 1884-88), and Crispl (1888-91), in which capacity he introduced several marked improvements and secured the passage of an important law regulating com- pulsory elementary education. His most im- portant work is the Parole al popolo italiano (1S4S). CO'PRA (Hind. hhoprCi, from Malayalani Koppara). The dried kernel of the eocoanut. It is much used in India as an ingredient of cur- ries, but its chief value is for the eocoanut oil which is extracted from it. It is stated that 50O jiounds of copra yield 25 gallons of oil. COPRI'NUS. See Fungi, Edible, for article and Colored Plate. COP'ROLITES (from Gk. /tiir/jos, kopro.i, dung + 'Ktffos, lithos, stone). The fossil excre- ments of animals found at times in the Paleo- zoic and !Mesozoic strata of the earth's crust. Their true nature was first inferred from their occurrence in the bodies of several species of ichthyosaurus, in the region where was situated the intestinal tube. It has been since .shown that they are the voidings chiefly of saurians and also of fishes. They ofteu contain portions of scales, bone, teeth, and shells, the indigestible parts of the food on which the animals lived. Occasionally they may be found exhibiting the spiral twisting and other marks produced by the conformation of the intestinal tube, similar to what is noticed in the excrement of soiiie living fishes, and some siiecimens have been erroneously described as plants. These peculiar markings obtained for them the name, when their true na- ture was imkno«Ti, of 'larch-cones' and 'bezoar- stones.' Coprolites are found to contain a large quantity of phosphate of lime; and as this forms a valuable manure, the deposits containing them have been of late years largely quarried. Among the most interesting coprolites are those of spiral form from the Waverly group of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, originally de- scribed as fossil algoe and problematic plants under the generic names of Palreoxyris, Spiran- gium, Spiraxis, and now known to be the dung of ancient shark-like fish such as Cladoselaehe. The silicified coprolites of the Lias of Hanover, Gennany, have afforded great numljers of radio- iarian remains which have been described by Tthst. (See I{adiolari..) Consult: ]Iantell, I'rlrifnctions and Th-rir Trnchinnn (London, 1851); id., Medals of Creation (London, 1844).