HIND-WEED. 





HIND \\ K ED. [Co* Yoivctoa.] 

 B1XXY. [BARML.] 



BINO'OULUS, Geoff., Leach, a genus of Entomostraoous Cnutofta ; 

 Ap*$, Scop., Cuv., Latr. ; Limuliu, Miill., Lam. ; llonocultu, Linn., 

 Fabr. Of the** name* Apia is that now generally adopted. The 

 species of thin genus are gregarious, and 

 occur oftaii in innumerable quantities. 

 Sometime* whole awarnu are swept away 

 by violent winds, and have been seen to 

 fall like rain. The spring and the com- 

 mencement of summer are the seasons 

 when they are most commonly found ; and 

 they often appear suddenly in great 

 numbers in accidental rain-water puddles 

 where they never have been before seen, 

 as well as in ponds. The generic name 

 Binoculiu appears to be unnecessary, and 

 that given by Scopuli should be restored : 

 the true Limuli form a marine genus, 

 making a natural group of different form 

 and habits. Linnams's genus ifmoculiu 

 comprehends Apia, Limultu, and other 

 crustaceans. The species figured is Apia 

 product**, Latreille (Lepidurut productui, 

 Leach ; Monoculut A put. Linn.). Only one 

 species occurs in England, A. cancrifurmii 

 the Shield-Shrimp. It is about 21 inches 

 long, and 1 J inch in diameter ; it is of a 

 brownish-yellow colour, clouded with 

 marks of a deeper hue. The segments of 

 the abdomen are each studded over with 

 . numerous short stout hooked spines of a 

 dark brown colour ; while the long caudal 

 appendages are furnished with numerous 

 short hairs, or setae. It is a rare creature, and only a few localities for 

 it have been recorded. [ExTOMOBTBACA.] (Baird's Jlittory of the 

 Jiritiik Entomottrata.) 



BIPAPILLA'RIA, a genus of Marine Molluscs established by 

 Lamarck upou a species figured and described in the manuscript 

 notes of Poron. 



BIPES, a genus of Reptiles belonging to the order Saura, or Lizards. 

 Cuvier dissected one of the species Bipa lepidopodut of Lace'pede), 

 and found that, though its posterior and only apparent pair of feet 

 had the external fonu of two oblong and scaly plates or processes, 

 the integument covered a femur (thigh-bone), a tibia and fibula (leg- 

 bones), and four metatarsal, or finger-bones, but no phalanges 

 (terminal finder-bones). He also states that one of the lungs is less 

 by one-half than the other. 



This genus is an example of one of those gradations by which 

 nature glides from one type of form into another, and is a link 

 between the Saurians (lizards) and the Ophidians (serpents). 



The Bipa lepidopodut of Lace'pede is now referred to the genus 

 Pygoput, of which the following characters are given : scales of the 

 back keeled ; preanal pores numerous ; the hinder limbs elongated ; 

 the pupil circular. 



Aput productiu. 



former by its auditory apertures, and by the hollow tubercles near 

 the anus. ' It is a native of Australia. 



Dr. Oray has described a second species of Pygopui as P. tgua- 

 otirept. 



Bijpes as an English word is applied to the Anguu bipa of Linnaeus, 

 the Kfdola bipa of Gray. It belongs to the order of Lizards, and is 

 a native of the Cape of Oood Hope. 



BIPHORES, a division of the shell-less Acephalous MoUvtca, 

 according to the arrangement adopted in the 'Regne Animal' of 

 Cuvier. It includes the genera Salpa and Thalia. [Tu.siCATA.1 



BIRCH-TREE. [BBTCLA.] 



BIRD-CHERRY, one of our native wild fruits. [CKRASCS,] 



BIRD-LIME, a glutinous vegetable product, also called Jiitcia, 

 and related to Caoutchouc. It is obtained principally from the inner 

 bark of the holly, from the berries of the mistletoe, and also other 

 plants. It is prepared from the holly bark by bruising, long boiling 

 in water, and fermentation ; the mass is again boiled in water, and 

 evaporated to a proper consistence. In different countries various 

 processes are employed. 



Water does not dissolve bird-lime, but separates from it some 

 mucilage and extractive matter, and a little acetic acid. The alkalies 

 dissolve it, and so does sulphuric ether very perfectly. Dilute acids 

 soften it, and dissolve a portion ; concentrated sulphuric acid blackens 

 and carbonises it, while nitric acid renders it yellow, converting a part 

 of it into oxalic and malic acids, and separates resin and wax ; chlorine- 

 bleaches and hardens it ; alcohol dissolves some resin and acetic acid. 

 When heated, bird-lime melts, swells, takes fire, and burns rapidly 



It is probable that this substance results from the decomposition ol 

 the cellulose of the cells of the plant from which it is obtained. It is 

 well known that in nearly all decompositions of cellulose, carbon 

 remains in excess, and this agieea with the composition of viscin, 

 which contains, according to Macaire Prinsep, Carbon 75'6, Hydrogen 

 9-2, Oxygen 15'2. (Schleiden, Principla of Botany.) 



BIRD-PEPPER. [CAPSICUM.] 



BIRD'S-FOOT SEA-STAR. [PAUHPBS.] 



BIRD'S-FOOT TREFOIL. [OBNITHOPUS.] 



BIRD'3-NEST. [XEOTTIA.] 



BIRD'S-NEST, YELLOW. [MOSOTBOPA.] 



BIRDS, in Latin A ret, in Greek 'Ofvitts (whence Ornithology), a 

 class of Verteberated, Oviparous, Feathered Bipeds, generally formed 

 for flight We say generally, because, though their mechanism is ih 

 its most perfect development designed for enabling them to support 

 their bodies in the air and to make progress in that medium, it is also 

 calculated for motion on the ground and for perching on trees. Some 

 families indeed are framed entirely fur moving on the ground, and 

 others for that motion and for making their way both on the surface 

 of the water and even for a short period below it, without the power 

 in either case of raising themselves into the air. 



Skeleton. 



SIcuU (Cranium). The first peculiarity which strikes an observer, 

 when comparing the skulls of birds with those of mammifers. is t lie 

 absence of sutures in the former, the proper cranial bones being 

 consolidated into one piece. The skull of birds is articulated to that 

 part of the vertebral column called the neck by a single condyle or 



Pffojnu IrpiJopoJui. 



Laco'pede describes the body and tail of P. Itpidopodtu as being 

 nearly cylindrical, very slender, and a little like those serpents called 

 by the French Orvets, of which our common Blind- Worm or Slow- Worm 

 (Anyuii fragilii, Linnaeus) is an example ; and which, though without 

 limbs, have some of the rudiments of such members in the skeleton. 

 The upper part of the head of P. lepidopodut is covered by seven 

 large scale-plates disposed around an eighth, which is a little larger 

 than the others. Each eye is surrounded by small scaly globules. 

 The gape is sufficiently large, and the teeth are equal and small. 

 The flat long tongue is without a notch. The auditory orifice is near 

 the commissure of the lips. The scales which cover the upper part 

 of the body are lozenge-like, striated, and small, especially those 

 which cover the most elevated part of the back ; but the scales 

 of the under part of the belly and the tail are hexagonal and smooth, 

 and those of the two middle longitudinal ranks are larger than those 

 of the lateral ranks. At each extremity of the curve formed by 

 these tubercles is to be seen a foot, in which no finger is to be distin- 

 guished externally, and which is surrounded by very small scales 

 on its lower part, and by scale* a degree less small on its upper 

 surface. The colour is greenish, varied with some very small black 

 blotches. 



" This reptile," says Lace>ede, " like the other species of Bipa, 

 ranks between the oviparous quadrupeds and the serpents; it is 

 related to the latter by its general form, as well as by the figure, 

 proportion, and distribution of the scales, while it approaches the 



joint, which is situated at the front margin of the great occipital 

 opening (foramen magnum), through which the brain, becoming 

 elongated as it were into the spinal cord, descends into the vertebral 

 column. It is this beautiful adaptation of structure to the wants of 

 the animal that gives such a freedom of motion to the head, especially 

 in a horizontal direction. Take for example the Wryneck (Ytmx 

 lon/uila), which, as those who have surprised the bird on the nest 

 will readily admit, can writhe her head round so as to look the 

 intruder in the face, hissing all the while like a snake ; by this 

 'terrible show' many a birds-nesting novice is frightened away. 

 Perfect repose in a bird seems hardly to be enjoyed without turning 

 back the head and nestling the beak between the wings ; this attitude 

 the articulation above mentioned enables the bird to command with 

 the least possible effort. 



The orbits are very large in proportion to the skull, to which last 

 the lower jaw is joined by a somewhat square bone (os quadratum) 

 not far from the ear. A small bone rests on the square bone at one 

 end, while the other end comes against the palate. When therefore 

 the square bone is brought forward by depressing the lower jaw, and 

 also by muscles adapted to the purpose, the small bone presses up 

 against the palate, and this raises the upper jaw, which contrary to the 

 rule in the structure of mammifers is in birds, with but few exceptions, 

 thus gifted with motion. 



Both jaws are completely destitute of true teeth, the want of which 

 is, as we shall presently see, amply compensated. The upper jaw is 



