Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" / Volume 7, Slice 6

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

32423

Title

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" / Volume 7, Slice 6

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This volume from the Eleventh Edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica offers concise, authoritative entries on a diverse range of subjects, including French geography, historical figures, scientific discoveries, and natural history. Written with clarity and precision, it serves as an essential reference for arts, sciences, literature, and general information.

Summary up to 500 words

This volume of the Eleventh Edition of Encyclopædia Britannica offers a diverse array of entries ranging from French geography and history to natural science and classical archaeology. The text begins with detailed profiles of French locales, notably Coucy-le-Château, highlighting its formidable feudal fortress constructed between 1230 and 1242 under Enguerrand III. The entry details the castle's architectural unity, massive towers, and historical significance to the Sires de Coucy family, noting its eventual dismantling in 1652. Adjacent entries cover Coulommiers and other regional towns, providing population data and geographical context for early 20th-century readers. The volume also honors notable individuals who shaped their respective fields. Elliott Coues is celebrated as a pioneering American naturalist whose work on ornithology, particularly his *Key to North American Birds*, advanced the systematic study of avian species in America. Similarly, Charles Augustin Coulomb is profiled as a distinguished French physicist and military engineer. His contributions to mechanics, specifically the laws of friction, and his experimental investigations into electricity and magnetism using the torsion balance remain foundational. The practical unit of electrical charge, the coulomb, bears his name. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to Crete, exploring its rich prehistoric heritage through the lens of Minoan civilization. Archaeological findings from sites like Cnossus and Phaestus reveal a highly advanced culture with distinct Early, Middle, and Late periods. The entry discusses the evolution of Minoan art, including polychrome pottery and wall paintings, as well as the development of a complex writing system comprising hieroglyphic and linear scripts. These discoveries revolutionized understanding of prehistoric Greece, proving that Cretans possessed a sophisticated civilization millennia before the introduction of Greek letters. The volume further examines the religious life of ancient Crete, focusing on the worship of a Great Mother goddess and the cult of the Double Axe. It connects archaeological evidence to legendary traditions, such as the Labyrinth at Cnossus and the Minotaur myth, suggesting these stories have a solid substratum of reality. Finally, the text provides an extensive scientific overview of crocodiles. It details their anatomy, behavior, and classification across various species found in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The entry debunks the common misconception that crocodiles inhabit only the Old World and alligators only the New, citing fossil evidence from the Tertiary epoch. It also describes hunting methods, ecological interactions with birds like the plover, and the creature's unique physiological adaptations for breathing while submerged.

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Categories

• Encyclopedias and dictionaries