519 



BOIS DE COLOPHANE. 



BOLETOBIUS. 



a white spot on each fronto-nasal plate. It is a native of Peuang. 

 Dr. Gray describes two varieties, one from Borneo, another from 

 Celebes. 



I'udain Cootoo (Gvnggloplia conica). 



C. maculata, (Tortrix maculata, Schlegel ; Ani/uii tewdata, A. deru- 

 pcUa, Laurenti), the Miguel, has a conical tail and narrow muzzle. 

 It ia red or brown, netted with black ; beneath whitish. It inhabits 

 Ceylon. 



Clotbonia (C'lothouia Jutinii). 



24. Charina, Nostrils between two shields ; eyes surrounded by 

 small scales. 



C. Bollix (Tortrix Boltce, Blainville), the Charina, is the only species. 

 It is of a pale yellow colour, with back and tail darker. It is found 

 in California. 



25. Tortrix. Nostrils between two shields ; eyes in a single shield ; 

 intermaxillary teeth distinct. 



T. Scytale (Anguis Scytale, Linnama, A. aler, Shaw, Turtrix coral- 

 linus, Oppell), the Coral Snake. It is a native of tropical America. 



BOIS DE COLOPHANE. [BORSERA.] 



BOLBO'CERUS, a genus of Coleopterous Insects of the family 

 Gtotmpidfe (Scarabaiu of Linnxus). The species of this genus are 

 remarkable for their short compact form, above appearing almost 

 spherical. The male ia armed with an erect horn springing from the 

 head, the female has merely a tubercle in the same part ; the thorax 

 has frequently four small horns, or tooth-like processes, arranged in 

 a transverse line on the anterior part ; the antennae are eleven-jointed, 

 the three terminal joints form a compact round knob, the middle joint 

 being almost inclosed by the other two ; one mandible is armed inter- 

 nally with two teeth, the other is simple ; the anterior portion of the 

 iii>-iit,iiin is entire ; the elytra are striated. 



These insects live upon dung, and excavate cylindrical holes in the 



ground under the mass, in which they deposit their eggs enveloped 

 in a ball of the excrement. 



There are about sixteen species known : their most common colour 

 is brown or yellowish, and sometimes black. In this country but two 

 species have occurred, B. mobilicoi-nis and B. testaceus. B. mobtticornis 

 is of a pitchy black colour, and about one-third of an inch long ; the 

 head in the male sex has a recurved horn ; antennae with the club 

 red ; thorax punctured, and furnished with four tooth-like projections 

 on the fore part ; elytra striated ; legs and body inclining to a red 

 colour. 



B. testaceiti is entirely of an ochre colour ; head with two tubercles ; 

 thorax sparingly punctured ; elytra with punctured striie. About the 

 same size as the last, of which by some it is supposed to be a variety. 

 Both of these species are very rare. 



BOLDOA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Monimiacece. B. fragrans is the Boldu of Chili. It produces an 

 aromatic succulent fruit which is eaten by the natives. The wood is 

 very fragrant, and makes a charcoal which is preferred by the smiths 

 of Chili to that from any other wood. The leaves are also very fragrant. 

 The bark is employed in tanning. (Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom.) 



BOLE, a hydrous silicate of Alumina, which occurs as an earthy 

 mineral in amorphous masses in various countries, as in Armenia, 

 Saxony, in Tuscany, at Sienna, in Ireland, and in Scotland in the Isle 

 of Skye. 



The colour of Bole is various, either yellow, brown, red brownish, 

 or pitch-black. It is dull, has a greasy feel, and adheres to the 

 tongue. Its fracture is conchoidal, yields to the nail, and the streak 

 is shining. When put into water it readily absorbs it, emits bubbles 

 of air, and falls to pieces. The Armenian Bole, according to Wiegleb, 

 oonsists of 



Silica 63-13 



Alumina 22-67 



Iron 11-00 



Loss 3-20 



100-00 



The Lemnian Bole, called also Lemnian Earth, was anciently an article 

 of Materia Medica, and kept by apothecaries in small pieces under the 

 name of Terrae Sigillatse : these were impressed on one side with the 

 figure of a goat, &c. According to Pliny it was also used as red 

 pigment. 



Klaproth found the composition of this Bole to be 



Silica 66 



Alumina . 14'5 



Oxide of Iron 6 



Soda 3-5 



Water 8'5 



A trace of Lime and Magnesia . . . . 



98-5 



The only Bole at present used is as a cearse red pigment, for which 

 purpose it is calcined and levigated, and vended in Germany under 

 the name of Berlin and English Red. 



These earths were formerly employed as astringent, absorbent, and 

 tonic medicines. They might be slightly serviceable as absorbents, 

 in the same way as putty powder is used in the present day, when 

 sprinkled over excoriations of the skin. Any tonic power which they 

 possessed was due to the oxide of iron, which is now administered in 

 a purer state. These once celebrated articles have fallen into merited 

 ilisu.se : they are still however employed in the East, and occasionally 

 as veterinary medicines in Europe, where earths of a similar kind are 

 found abundantly among volcanic, basaltic, and the older calcareous 

 rocks, and are called after the different countries in which they are 

 found. Those which have less colour ar,e called Bolus alba, are pro- 

 cured in Bohemia, Salzburg, &c., and consist of lithomarge, which is 

 formed of silica and alumina with water, and a little oxide of iron. 

 These substances are extensively employed to adulterate articles of 

 food, as anchovies, cocoa, and other things having naturally a red 

 colour. The Bole Armenian must not be confounded with the Lapis 

 Armenius, wlu'ch is a native carbonate of copper. The Terra Lemnia 

 is sometimes employed to signify the pulp of the fruit of the Adanaonia 

 digitata, the Baobab, or Monkey-Bread, which is used as an astringent 

 for the cure of dysentery by the inhabitants of Senegal. 



BOLETO'BIUS, a genus of Coleopterous Insects of the section 

 Brachelytra (M'Leay), and family Tachyimridie (Utajihylimis of older 

 authors.) Generic Characters : Head long and pointed anteriorly ; 

 antenna) with the basal joint rather long and slender; the three next 

 joints slender, and nearly of equal length, the remaining joints 

 gradually increasing in width to the last, inclusive ; palpi rather long 

 and slender ; thorax narrower before than behind, the hinder angles 

 rounded ; elytra smooth, or indistinctly striated ; body long, widest 

 at the base, and tapering to a point at the apex ; legs -moderate, tibia) 

 spinoae, the four posterior with long spines at their apices. 



The species of this genus reside in Soldi and other species of 

 Fmtyi, in which they occur in the greatest abundance, particularly 

 when in a state of decay. They are all exceedingly active, and their 

 smooth slender bodies and pointed heads render it an easy task for 

 them to thread their way with rapidity through the putrescent Funyi. 



