503 



BLAUW-BOC. 



BLKNNIUS. 



60 



like nature, and ramified with nerves ; one elytron laps over the 

 other; the posterior extremity of the abdomen is furnished with two 

 conical articulated appendages ; legs furnished with spines. 



The Blattidif are extremely active voracious insects, some species 

 apparently eating almost anything that comes in their way. Mr. 

 Stephens enumerates seven species indigenous to this country, and 

 four that are not strictly so ; among the last mentioned, the well- 

 known and troublesome Cockroach (Blatta oriental^) may be enume- 

 rated. It is said to have come originally from Asia, but on this point 

 there is some little doubt ; the nocturnal habits and ravages of this 

 species are too well known to need description. The male in its 

 mature state has wings extending only half the length of the body ; 

 the female has only rudimentary wings ; her eggs, which are about 

 10 in number, are deposited inclosed in an oblong, nearly cylindrical, 

 but slightly compressed case, with an elevated serrated edge on one 

 side : this at first is of a whitish colour, but after a little time becomes 

 brown and of a firm nature; the female carries this case about with 

 her at first, fixed to the abdomen by a gum-like substance. From this 

 asylum the young make their escape by emitting a fluid which softens 

 a part of the case. 



The species of this family have been divided into two genera by 

 Latreille ; Blatta and Kakerlac (a named used for the Blatta by the 

 American colonists), the latter division including those species in which 

 the females are apterous (of which the B. orientalif forms a type), 

 and the former those in which both sexes possess wings. 



The number of exotic species of this tribe is very great ; the 

 indigenous species of this country are B. Germanica, fallens, perspi- 

 cUlarii, Panzeri, nigripes, livida, pallida, and Lapponica. Most of 

 these are comparatively small, and are found in woods; the last- 

 mentioned species is said to swarm in the huts of the Laplanders, 

 where it commits great havoc, and in conjunction with SUpha 

 Lapponica has been known to devour their whole supply of dried 

 fish in a single day. 



(Kirby and Spence, Introduction to British Entomology ; Stephenson, 

 Illustration* of British Entomoloyy.) 



BLAUW-BOC, or BLUE BUCK. [ANTILOPE^.] 



BLAZING-STAR. [HELOMIAS.] 



BLECHNUM, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order of 

 Ferns and the tribe Adiantnria. It has its theoe in a continuous 

 line parallel to the midrib upon the transverse anastomosing veins, 

 and covered by a continuous scarious indusium. There is but one 

 British species of this genus, the B. borealt, Hard Fern. It has 

 barren pectinate-pinnatifid fronds, with broadly linear rather obtuse 

 pinnit', fertile frond pinnate, pinnae linear acute. This plant is 

 exceedingly common in Great Britain, and is found almost everywhere 

 in woods, on commons, heaths, and all uncultivated ground. It occurs 

 in every European list of plants, and has been found in Northern 

 Africa and North America. It is the Lomaria Spicant of Desveux, 

 who is followed by Mr. Newman, in his ' History of British Ferns." 

 Linnreus described it as an Otmtmda. The roots of this fern are 

 black, tough, and wiry ; the rhizoma tufted and hairy. The other 

 species of Blechnum are inhabitants of South America, Australia, and 

 the Cape of Good Hope. They are frequently cultivated in collections 

 of Ferns. (Babington, Manual ; Newman, History of British Perm.) 



BLE'DIUS, a genus of Insects of the order Coleoptera and family 

 Simula. Antenna; with the basal joint very long, the remaining 

 joints bent at an angle with the first ; maxillary palpi with the 

 second, and third joints large, terminal one slender; mandibles 

 armed with a tooth internally towards the apex ; body elongate and 

 cylindrical ; head furnished with two tubercles or spines ; thorax 

 armed with a horn in the males ; legs short, the four anterior tibia? 

 broad and flat, having numerous spines on the external part ; tarsi 

 four-jointed. 



The Jlledii appear to be peculiar to the sea-coast, where they 

 burrow in the wet clay or sand near pools of water, by means of the 

 spined anterior tibia! above described. They are gregarious in their 

 habits. Three species have been discovered in this country, all 

 of which are of a black colour, with the wing-cases more or less red. 



Bledius tricornis, in the male sex, has two short horns on the 

 head, and one long smooth horn proceeding horizontally from the 

 front of the thorax. Length about 3-12ths of an inch. 



B. Taurus, in the male, has two long and slender horns on the 

 head ; the thoracic horn is pubescent at the apex ; about the same 

 .size as the last. 



B. Kuddii has short acute horns on the head, and the thoracic 

 horn pubescent at the apex ; it is rather less than the two foregoing 

 species. 



BLE'MUS, a genus of Insects of the order Coleoptera and family 

 //iir/Hilidce. Head almost as large as the thorax, the portion joining 

 the anterior part of the eyes distinctly elevated ; antenna; very 

 long; palpi with the terminal joint somewhat conical and rather 

 acute ; labium slightly notched in front ; thorax considerably narrowed 

 riorly ; body elongate and rather depressed ; wings ample ; the 

 joints of the anterior tarsi of the male dilated. 



About six British species of this genus have been discovered, the 

 largest of which does not exceed 3-12tha of an inch. All the species 

 are of a pale-yellow or ochre colour, having more or less of a bluish 

 shade on the disc of the elytra, excepting B. consputus, which 



although generally placed in this genus we do not consider as strictly 

 belonging to it. B. fasciattis, which may be considered the type of 

 the genus, is rather more than 2-12ths of an inch in length, and of a 

 pale ochre-colour, with a blue-black fascia crossing the elytra. This 

 beautiful little species has been found near London, and in various 

 other parts ; but, like all the species of this genus, is rather scarce. 



BLENDE, a name particularly given to Zinc-Blende, but most 

 commonly used by mineralogists as denoting an order which in the 

 system of Professor Jameson of Edinburgh contains the following 

 genera : Manganese-Blende, Zinc-Blende or Garnet-Blende, Antimony- 

 Blende, Ruby-Blende. The word is probably derived from a German 

 verb (used only in combinations) signifying to mix : the term 'blende' 

 signifies a mineral which contains no ore in fact a pseudo-galena. 



[ZINC.] 



BLE'NNIUS, Blennies (French, Baveuses), a genus of Fishes of the 

 section Acanthopteryyii and family Gobioidce (Gobies). Both the Greek 

 and the French names have been applied to this genus from the mucous 

 matter with which the bodies of these fishes are covered. They 

 may be easily distinguished by their having the ventral fin placed 

 before the pectoral, and containing generally but two rays. The 

 head is short and rounded ; teeth long and slender, and placed in a 

 single row ; body long, compressed, smooth, and possessing only one 

 dorsal fin, which extends nearly the whole length of the back ; they 

 have no air-bladder. 



The species of this genus are small, live in shoals, but not in great 

 numbers. They are very active and tenacious of life, and frequent 

 rocky coasts, where they may often be found in the pools of water 

 left by the tide, hiding themselves among the weeds and in the 

 crevices of the rocks. 



The genus Blenniiu of Linnaeus, in Cuvier's 'Regne Animal,' is 

 divided into the following subgenera : My fades Salariai, Clinus, 

 Cirrhibarba, Afaratnoidet, Opistoynathus, and Zoarcus. At present we 

 confine ourselves to the Blennies, properly so called, of which, 

 according to Mr. Yarrell, we have five species frequenting our coasts. 

 The first, B. Montayiti, Montagu's, or Diminutive, Bleuny, is generally 

 of an olive-green above, spotted with pale-blue shaded to white; 

 belly white, pectoral fins spotted with orange. The head, viewed 

 laterally, forms an obtuse angle in front, and is furnished with a 

 transverse conic or angular fimbriated crest. The dorsal fin has 

 30 rays, pectoral 12, ventral 2, anal (which extends from the vent to 

 the tail) 18, and the caudal (which is rounded) 14. It is found on 

 the south coast of Devon. 



B. ocellaris, the Ocellated Blenny, or Butterfly-Fish, is scarcely three 

 inches long, the head is rounded, the part anterior to the eyes very 

 short, and above the eyes two slender fimbriated appendages are 



Butterfly-Fish (Bleimiiu ocellaria). 



situated ; body elongate ; dorsal fin extending from the back part of 

 the head to the tail, and consists of 26 rays, of which the first is con- 

 siderably longer than the rest, the nine following diminish in length to 

 the eleventh, which is shortest, the twelfth nearly double the length 

 of the last, from this the remaining rays gradually increase in length 

 to about half-way, and then decrease towards the tail ; a large dark- 

 brown spot extends from the sixth to the ninth ray. The pectoral 

 fins have each 12 rays, ventral 2, anal 17, and caudal 11. The body 

 is of a pale-brown colour, varied with patches of a deeper hue ; the 

 pectoral and ventral fins are darker than the others. This species 

 frequents the coast of Devonshire and elsewhere, but is not common. 



B. yattorugine, the Gattorugiuous Blenny, is about five or six inches 

 in length ; it is elongate, rather robust anteriorly, the forehead slopes 

 considerably from the posterior part to the anterior; the head is 

 grooved between the eyes, and furnished with two branched mem- 

 branes situated just above the eyelids ; the dorsal fin extends from the 

 back part of the head to the tail, the central part is very slightly nar- 

 rower than the rest. The fins and body are of a dark reddish-brown 

 colour, the belly and hinder portion of the former is of a paler brown. 

 The dorsal fin has 33 rays, the pectoral fins are broad and rounded, 

 and have each 14, the ventral fin 2, and the anal 23 rays; the tail is 

 slightly rounded, aSd has 11 rays. It has been found in Poole 

 Harbour and other parts. Not common. 



B. pholia, the Shanny. In this species all the rays of the dorsal fin 

 are nearly of equal length, except the eleventh and twelfth (which are 

 short) ; the number of these rays is 31, pectoral 13, ventral 2, anal 19, 

 caudal 11 ; the colour is very variable, but consists of shades of brown. 



