440. The singular form of the verb is used—
Subject of singular form.
(1) When the subject has a singular form and a singular meaning.
Such, then, was the earliest American land.—Agassiz.
He was certainly a happy fellow at this time.—G. Eliot.
He sees that it is better to live in peace.—Cooper.
Collective noun of singular meaning.
(2) When the subject is a collective noun which represents a number of persons or things taken as one unit; as,—
The larger breed [of camels] is capable of transporting a weight of a thousand pounds.—Gibbon.
Another school professes entirely opposite principles.—The Nation.