Cynips (sinips)

[NL., altered from LL. cyniphes, conifes, ciniphes, cinifes, pl., a kind of stinging insect, corrupt forms of Gr. κνίψ, pl. κνίπες, varying with σκνίψ, pl. σκνίφες, applied to several kinds of insects, esp. such as live under the bark of trees.] The typical genus of the gall-making hymenopterous insects of the family Cynipidæ, founded by Linnæus in 1748. Cynips quercus-prunus. (Cro shows natural size.) It was formerly a genus of large extent, but has been recently much subdivided. Its species in the main form galls on oak, in which their larvæ develop. cynocephalic (sī"no-se-fal'ik or si-nō-sef'a-lik), a. [As cynocephalus + -ic .] 1. Of or pertaining to a cynocephalus. - 2. In myth . , etc., having a dog's head, or a head like that of a dog. Hermes (Thoth) in temple holding caduceus and purse or caduceus and cynocephalic ape. B. V. Head , Hist or i a Numorum, p. 723. cynocephalous (si-no-sef'a-lus), a. [L. cynocephalus, adj.: see Cynocephalus .] Dog-headed, as a baboon; cynocephalic. Cynocephalus (si-no-sefa-lus), n . [NL., κυνοκέφαλος , dog-headed, the dog-faced baboon, κύων ( κυν- ), a dog, + κεφαλή , head, akin to E. head .] 1. A genus of baboons, of the family Cynopithecida . It formerly included all those baboons to which the term "dog-faced" Cynoidea was applied, from the extremely prognathous jaws, giv. ing a canine physiognomy; but it is now restricted to exclude the drill, mandrill, etc. The common baboon is C. babu in, inhabiting northerly parts of Africa, where it lives in troops in rocky places. In this species the tail is about one third the whole length. Closely related are the chacma, C. porcarius, of South Africa, and the sphinx baboon, C. sphinx, of West Africa. The hebe or hamadryad, C. hamadryas, of Aby in i a, differs in having long hair on the head and shoulders, and a shorter tail, only about one fourth of the total length. Cynocephalus is nearly a synonym of Papio, of prior date. 2. [l. c.] A dog-faced baboon. Cynodia (si-nodi-a), n. pl. [NL.,