Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/100

COLOSSUS 74 tions to specific duties of Christian morality. COLOSSUS, a Greek word of unknown origin, used to denote a statue very greatly beyond the size of life. The "Bavaria," the "Germania," and our own "Liberty" are noted modern examples. The colossal was the peculiar character- istic of Egyptian art, and innumerable colossi v/ere raised in Egypt, mostly of the hardest stone, many of them from 50 to 60 feet in height. The most cele- brated is the vocal statue of Memnon, in the plain of Thebes. It was in Greece, however, that the most famous colossi appeared; e. g., the bronze statue of Pallas Athene, on the Acropolis of Athens, the plume of whose helmet and the point of whose spear were landmarks to sailors between Su- nium and Athens; another statue of the same goddess, of gold and ivory — the so-called Palladium in the Parthenon at Athens; and the Olympian Jupiter, of the same materials, the masterpiece of Phidias. Among the Seven Wonders of the Old World was reckoned the gigantic Colos- sus of Rhodes, representing Fhcebus, the national deity of the Rhodians. It was erected in honor of the sun by Chares of Lindus, disciple of Lysippus, 290 or 288 B. c. The figure stood upon two moles, a leg being extended on each side of the harbor, so that a vessel in full sail could pass between. COLPORTEUR (kol-por-ter) , a French term now naturalized in the United States, and appropriated to a class of men most commonly employed by socie- ties or associations to distribute religious publications. COLQUHOUN, ARCHIBALD ROSS, an English traveler and writer, born in 1848. He was engaged in government service in Siam and other eastern coun- tries, and in 1883-1884 made extensive tours of exploration for the purpose of finding a route for a railway between India and China. In 1890 he was ap- pointed Administrator of Mashonaland. He visited Central America in 1895 in an investigation of Panama and Nica- ragua canal projects. His numerous books on travel and politics include "The Opening of China" (1884) ; "English Policy in the Far East" (1885) ; "Over- land to China" (1901); "The Whirlpool of Europe" (1907) ; "Germany and Sea Power" (1909) ; and "China in Reforma- tion" (1912). He died in 1914. COLT, LE BARON BRADFORD, United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Dedham, Mass, in 1846, he graduated from Yale in 1868, and COLUMBA, ST. from the Columbia Law School in 1870. Later he practiced law in Chicago and Providence, R. I. In 1881 President Gar- field appointed him United States Dis- trict Judge for Rhode Island, and later President Arthur made him a Circuit Judge of the United States. He was elected to the Senate in 1913 for the term 1913-1919, and re-elected in the latter year for the term 1919-1925. A Repub- lican in politics. COLT, SAMUEL, an American in- ventor; born in Hartford, Conn., July 19, 1814. He had a common school educa- tion and was employed in his father's textile mill; but went to sea as a sailor boy when aged 15. His attention being drawn to fire-arms while at sea, he be- gan to perfect a revolver and patented it in 1835. Its great success led to the erection by him at Hartford of one of the most extensive weapon factories in the world. He died in Hartford, Jan. 10, 1862. COLTSFOOT, a composite plant, Tus- silago Farfara. The species now named is cordate, angular, toothed, downy be- neath. The flowers are yellow, and come forth in March and April, before the leaves appear. It is abundant in the United States in moist and clayey soils. The leaves have been used medicinally as an infusion, or have been smoked like tobacco for the cure of asthma. COLUBER, a linnasan genus, compre- hending all the snakes now included under the family Colubridse. The same genus, as limited by Cuvier and his successors, is the typical one of the family Coluhridse, and the sub-order colubrina. The species are very nu- merous, some of them beautifully colored, and all are harmless. For a long time the common snake of England was called C. natrix; now it is termed Matrix torquata, or Tropidonotus Natrix. C. dumfriesensis of Sowerby is probably an immature variety of the common species. C. austriacus is common in Ger- many and France. C or Boscanion Con^ stridor, the black snake of Catesby, is common in all the Southern and South Atlantic States. It is very useful in destroying rats and kindred vermin. It sometimes attains a length of eight or nine feet. COLUMBA, or COLUMBA NOACHI (Lat. "Noah's dove") , a small constella- tion S. of Lepus and Canis Major, It is situated between Puppis, Pictor, Caelum, Lepus, and Canis Major. COLUMBA, ST., a native of Ireland (Gartan in Donegal) ; born in 521. In 545 he founded the monastery of Derry,