525 



BLUMENBACHIUM. 



BOE-0-LINK. 



526 



black ; the two intermediate ones are entirely dark-brown. Some 

 males have two little white spots on tbe throat, some even have three 

 while othe^ have none ; these latter are probably very old, for I have 

 observed that as the bird grows older the blue deepens and the orange 

 band becomes almost maroon." 



The female resembles the mala in the upper parts. On each side of 

 the neck is a blackish longitudinal streak passing on the upper parts 

 of the breast into a large blackish space tinged with ash-colour. On 

 the middle of the neck is a great spot of pure white. Flanks clouded 

 with olive, the rest of the lower parts white. The very old females 

 have the throat sometimes of a very bright blue. This is probably 

 a sign that they have done laying, and are putting on the plumage of 

 the male. Bechstein says that the females when young are of a 

 celestial blue tint on the sides of the throat, which deepens with age 

 and forms the two longitudinal lines. 



The young, according to Temminck, are brown spotted with white, 

 and have all a large white space upon the throat. " Its song," says 

 Bechstein, " is very agreeable ; it sounds like two voices at once ; one 

 deep, resembling the gentle humming of a violin string, the other the 

 soft sound of a flute." 



BLUMENBA'CHIUM, a genus of Fossil Alcyonoid Polypiaria, 

 proposed by Dr. Kiinig. 



BLYSMUS, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Cype- 

 racefe. The glumes are fertile, the outermost the largest and empty ; 

 bristles three to six ; style not thickened at the base, persistent, but 

 plano-convex, tipped with the nndilated base of the style ; the spike- 

 lets bracteated, alternate, forming a close distichous compound terminal 

 spike. Two species of this inconspicuous genus are found in Great 

 Britain. S. comprettiu is found in boggy pastures in England and 

 Scotland. B. rufiu inhabits marshes near the sea on the northern 

 and western coasts. (Babington, Manual.) 



BOA, a name applied to various forms of large Snakes. The species 

 to which this name has been given are mostly included in the family 

 Soida. [BoiD..] 



BOAR-FISH. [CAPBOS.] 



BOA'RMIA, a genus of Moths of the family Geometridce. All the 

 species of this genus are of an ashy colour, or white minutely dotted 

 with brown, and adorned with several fascia; of a deeper colour ; the 

 antenna; of the males, instead of being pectinated, a character common 

 in the Geometrida, are pilose ; palpi short, clothed with short scales, 

 three-jointed, the two basal joints of equal length, the terminal joint 

 concealed ; antennae simple in the females ; thorax small, velvety ; 

 wings, when at rest, placed horizontally ; body Blender in the males, 

 in the females shorter and more robust. 



Mr. Stephens, in his ' Illustrations of British Entomology,' enume- 

 rates seven species of this genus, most of which are found in woods in 

 the neighbourhood of London. 



BOAT-BILL, the English name for the genus Cochleariue of Brisson, 

 Cancroma of Linnaeus, Les Savacous of the French. 



This genus of the family A rdeido- (Heron-like Birds) would approach 

 quite closely, as Cuvier observes, to the herons [ABDEA] in regard to 

 their bill and the kind of food which it indicates, were it not for the 

 extraordinary form of that organ, which is nevertheless, when closely 

 observed, the bill of a heron or a bittern very much flattened out. 

 This bill is of an oval form, longer than the head, very much depressed, 

 and not unlike the bowls of two spoons placed one upon the other, 

 with the runs in contact. Tbe mandibles are strong, with sharp edges, 

 and dilated towards the middle. The upper mandible in carinated, 

 and hooked at its point, which has a small tooth or notch on each side 

 of it. The lower mandible is flatter than the upper, straight, mem- 

 branous in the centre, and terminated by a sharp point. The nostrils 

 art oblique, longitudinal, and closed. , 



The first quill is short ; the five next are the longest. The feet are 

 furnished with four toes, all long, and almost without membranes. 



Though zoologists have described more than one species, it appears 

 that they may be referred to the only species yet known, Cochltariu* 

 fu*ru* of Brisson, Cancroma cochkaria of Linnaeus, Le Savacou of 

 Buffon, the differences on which Cancroma cancropliaya (Linnfeus, &c.) 

 is founded not being allowed to be specific. Leach, in his ' Zoological 

 Miscellany,' figures and describes the common Boat-Bill under the 

 title of Cancroma rulyarit, but assigns no reason for altering the 

 specific name given by Linnaeus. 



The common Boat-Bill is about the size of a domestic hen. In the 

 male, the forehead and upper parts of the neck and breast are dirty 

 white; the back and lower part of the belly rusty-reddish ; the bill is 

 black, and the legs and feet are brown. From the head depends a 

 long crest of black feathers, falling lackwards. The female has the 

 top of the head black, without the elongated crest ; the back and the 

 belly rusty-reddish ; the wings gray ; the forehead and rest of the 

 plumage white ; and the bill, legs, and feet, brown. 



" This species," says Latham, in his ' Synopsis,' " for I refer all that 

 has len treated of above to one only, inhabits Cayenne, Guyana, and 

 Brazil, and chiefly frequents such parts as are near the water. In 

 such places it perches on the trees which hang over the streams, and, 

 like the kingfisher, drops down on the fiwh which swim beneath. It 

 has been thought to live on crabs likewise, whence the Linnscan name ; 

 but this is not clear, though it cannot be denied ; yet we are certain 

 that fish is the most common, if not the only food." 



Lesson (' Manuel ') says, " The Boat-Bill perches on trees by the 

 side of rivers, where it lives on fish, and not on crabs, as its name 

 indicates ;" and speaks of it as inhabiting the inundated savannahs of 

 South America, and as being especially common in Guyana. 



Boat-Bill ( Cancroma cochlfaria), male. 



Leach ('Zoological Miscellany') says that it inhabits Southern 

 America, and feeds on fishes, isermes, and Crustacea, in quest of which 

 it is continually traversing the borders of the sea. 



Cuvier (' Regne Animal ') says that it inhabits the warm and moist 

 parts of South America, and perches on trees by the side of rivers, 

 whence it precipitates itself on the fish which afford its ordinary 

 nourishment. 



BOB-0-LINK, or BOB-LINK, the usual name by which the Rice- 

 Bird, or Reed-Bird the Skunk-Bird, Seecawk-Petheesew of the Cree 





Bob-o-I.ink (Dolichonyx urtzi/vorna). 



Indians, the Rice-Bunting of Pennant and of Wilson, Rice-Troopml 

 of authors, Hortulanu Carolinenein of Catesby, Emberiza orizyrora, of 

 Linnaeus, Icterii ayri/Kimix of Bonaparte, Dolichonyx orizyvorw of 

 Swainson is known in the United States. 



