736 



THE STANDARD DICTIONARY OF FACTS 



adapted to seize.and lacerate a living prey; this and flavor. The hump is highly celebrated for 

 structure is associated with a strong, curved, its richness and delicacy. Their skins, especially 



i 11 J 1- ' i J l_ 1 fA. il_ J i* . I J J ' A!_ T l* r i * 



sharp-edged and sharp-pointed beak, often 

 armed with a lateral tooth; a very muscular 

 body, and capability of rapid and long-continued 



that of the cow, dressed in the Indian fashion, 

 with the hair on, make admirable defenses 

 against the cold, and are known as hnffdlo 



flight. This order is termed h'aptort* or Acci/n- the wool has been manufactured into hats, and a 

 ires. The second type of foot presents three coarse cloth. The American bison has Urn 

 toes before and one behind, and placed on the found to breed readily with the common o\. 

 same level: slender, flexible, of moderate length, the issue being fertile among themselves. 



Bittern. The name of several grallatorial 

 birds, family Ardeidce or herons, genus Botaurus. 

 There are two British species, the common bit- 

 tern (Botaurus stt'llurix) and the little bittern 

 (Botaurus minutus), a native of the South, and 

 only a summer visitor to Britain. Both, how- 

 ever, are becoming rare from the reclamation of 

 the marshy grounds that form their favorite 

 haunt. The common bittern is about twenty- 

 eight inches in length, about forty-four in ex- 

 tent of wing; general color, dull yellowish- 

 brown, with spots and bars of black or dark 

 brown; feathers on the breast long and loose, 

 tail short; bill about four inches long. It i> re- 

 markable for its curious booming or bellowing 

 cry, from which come the provincial names of 

 miredrum and butter-bump, etc. The eggs (green- 

 ish-brown) are four or five in number. The 

 little bittern is not more than fifteen inches in 

 length. The American bittern (Botaurus lenti- 

 gindsus) has some resemblance to the common 

 European bittern, but is smaller. 



Bitter-root (Lewisia rediviva). A plant 

 of Canada and part of the United States, order 

 Mesembryacece, so called from its root being 

 bitter though edible, and indeed esteemed as an 

 article of food by whites as well as Indians. 

 From the root, which is long, fleshy, and taper 

 ing, grow clusters of succulent green leaves. 

 with a fleshy stalk bearing a solitary rose-colored 

 flower rising in the center, and remaining open 

 only in sunshine. Flower and leaves together, 

 the plant appears above ground for only about 

 six weeks. California bitter- root (Echinocystit 

 fabacea) and Natal bitter-root (Gerrardiiiitlnix 

 macrorhlza) both belong to the gourd family. 



Blackbird (Turdus merula), called also the 

 merle, a well-known species of thrush, common 

 in Britain and throughout Europe. It is larger 

 than the common thrush, its length being about 



and provided with long, pointed, and slightly 

 curved claws. The two external toes are united 

 by a very short membrane. A foot so con- 

 -d is especially adapted for the delicate 

 operations of nest-building, and for grasping 

 and perching among the slender branches of 

 trees; hence the order so characterized has been 

 termed Insessores, and from including the smaller 

 tribes of birds, Passeres. In the third type 

 of foot the hinder toe is raised above the level of 

 the three anterior ones; this lessens the power 

 of perching; but the other toes are strong, 

 straight, ami terminated by robust obtuse claws, 

 adapted for scratching up the soil, and for run- 

 ning along the ground; the legs are for this 

 purpose very strong and muscular, and the order 

 so characterized is termed Rasores, or Gallinoe. 

 The modification by which birds are enabled to 

 wade and seek their food in water along the 

 margins of rivers, lakes, and estuaries, is gained 

 simply by elongating the bones of the leg (tibia 

 and metatarsus), which are covered with a naked 

 scaly skin. The three anterior toes are very 

 long and slender, as in the Parra Jacana, by 

 which the bird can support itself upon the broad 

 floating leaves of aquatic plants; sometimes 

 the toes are united by intervening webs; the 

 legs are placed behind the center of equilibrium; 

 the body is protected by a dense covering of 

 feathers, and a thick down next to the skin; 

 and the whole organization is especially. adapted 

 for aquatic life. Hence the order is termed 

 Xatatores. 



Bison. The name applied to two species 

 of ox. One of these, the European bison or 

 aurochs (Bos bison or Bison europceus}, is now 

 nearly extinct, being found only in the forests 

 of Lithuania and the Caucasus. The other, or 

 American bison, improperly termed buffalo 

 (Bison americanus), is found only in the region 



lying north and south between the Great Slave eleven inches. The color of the male is a uni 



:e and the Yellowstone River, and in parts 



22 



of Kansas and Texas, and is rapidly becoming 

 extinct in the wild state, though formerly to be 

 met with in imme'nse herds. The two species 

 closely resemble each other, the American bison, 

 however, being for the most part smaller, and 

 with shorter and weaker hind-quarters. The 

 bison is remarkable for the great hump or pro- 

 jection over its fore-shoulders, at which point 

 the adult male is almost six feet in height; and 

 for the long, shaggy, rust-colored hair over the 

 head, neck, ajid forepart of the body. In sum- 

 mer, from the shoulders backwards, the surface 

 is covered with a very short fine hair, smooth 

 and soft as velvet. The tail is short and tufted 

 at the end. The American bison used to be gates in great flocks. 



form deep black, the bill being an orange-yellow ; 

 the female is of a brown color, with blackish- 

 brown bill. The nest is usually in a thick bush, 

 and is built of grass, roots, twigs, etc., strength- 

 ened with clay. The eggs, generally four or 

 five in number, are of a greenish-blue, spotted 

 with various shades of brown. The song is rich, 

 mellow, and flute-like, but of no great variety 

 or compass. Its food is insects, worms, snails. 

 fruits, etc. The blackbirds or crow-blackbirds 

 of America are quite different from the Europe- 

 an blackbird, and are more nearly allied to the 

 starlings and crows. The red-winged blackbird 

 (Agelaius phccnicZus), belonging to the starling 

 family, is a familiar American bird that congre- 



much hunted for sport as well as for its flesh and Blood- hound. A variety of dog with 

 skin. Its flesh is rather coarser grained than long, smooth and pendulous ears, remarkable 

 that of the domestic ox, but was considered by for the acuteness of its smell, and employed to 

 hunters and travelers as superior in tenderness \ recover game or prey which has escaped wounded 



