Circus

(sür'kus.) (Eng. pl. CIRCUSES; L. CIRCI.) [Fr. cirque; L., from Gr. kirk os, a circle.] (Antiq.) A long narrow building, rounded at the ends, its length being generally 4 times its breadth. It was divided down the centre by an ornamental barrier, called the spina, and was used by the Romans for chariot-races, . The C. Maximus, at Rome, was nearly a mile in circumference, and capable of holding nearly 400,000 people.-In modern parlance, the term is applied to designate a circular enclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship, bull-fights, .;-and is otherwise termed a hippodrome. (Zool.) A gen. of birds, O. Falconidæ, characterized by a large head, short compre ed bill, and the face partially encircled by a ring or ruff of projecting feathers. It includes the Marsh Hawk or Harrier, C. hudson i us of N. America. [s. 191]