NATURAL HISTORY 



737 



from the hunter, by tracing the lost animal by 



the blood it has spilt: whence the name of the 



dog. There are several varieties of this animal. 



the English, the Cuban, and the African 



bloodhound. In former times blood-hounds 



\\TC not only trained to the pursuit of game, 



but also to the chase of man. In America 



they used to be employed in hunting fugitive 



.es. 



Blue- bird. A small dentirostral, insessor- 

 ial bird, tin- Eryth&ca, or Sialia H" ilsoni, very 

 nou in the United States. The upper part 

 of the body is blue, and the throat and breast of 

 a ilirty red. It makes its nest in the hole of a 

 or in the box that is so commonly provided 

 for its use by the friendly farmer. The blue-bird 

 ie harbinger of spring to the Americans; its 

 heerful, continuing with little interrup- 

 tion from March to October, but is most fre- 

 itly heard in the serene days of the spring. 

 It is also called blue robin or blue redbreast, and 

 ih the same sort of sentiments as 

 the robin of Europe. 



Blue-fish (Temnddon or Pomatdmus salta- 

 A fish common on the eastern coasts of 

 America, allied to the mackerel, but larger, 

 growing to the length of three feet or more, and 

 mi it-h esteemed for the table. It is very de- 

 structive to other fishes. It is also called horse- 

 mackerel, green-fish, skip-jack, etc. 



Boa. A genus of serpents, family Boidce, 

 having the jaws so constructed that these ani- 

 mals can dilate the mouth sufficiently to swallow 

 bodies thicker than themselves. They are also 

 distinguished by having a hook on each side of 

 the vent; the tail prehensile; the body com- 

 pressed and largest in the middle, and with 

 >n Kill scales, at least on the posterior part of the 

 head. The genus includes some of the largest 

 species of serpents, reptiles endowed with im- 

 i in -use muscular power. They seize sheep, deer, 

 and crush them in their folds, after which 

 swallow the animal whole. The boas are 

 peculiar to the hot parts of South America. 

 Boa constrictor is not one of the largest 

 ibers of the genus, rarely exceeding twenty 

 feet in length; but the name boa or boa con- 

 strictor is often given popularly to any of the 

 large serpents of similar habits, and so as to ! 

 ide the Pythons of the Old World and the 

 Anaconda and other large serpents of America. 

 Boneset or Thorough wort (Eupator- 

 perfoliatum). A useful annual plant, in- 

 digenous to America, and easily recognized by 

 its tall stem, four or five feet in height, passing 

 through tin middle of a large double hairy leaf, 

 and surmounted by a broad, flat head of li^ht 

 purple fl. > I' is much used as a dom. 



in the form for an infusion, having 

 tonic and diaphoretic properties. 



Bony IMkeor Gar-i'Kh. A remarkable 

 .habiting North American lakes 

 and rivers, and one of the t- \\ living fon 

 now represent the order of i 

 developed in previous geological epochs. The 

 body is covered with smooth - 

 ao hard that it is impossible to pierce them with 

 a spear. Tin- common -ar -fish attains tin- lencth 

 of five feet, and is easily distinguished by 

 great length of its jaws. 



Borax. Biborate of sodium. Native bo- 

 rax has long been obtained under the name of 

 tincal, from India, the main source being not 

 ' India but a series of lakes in Tibet. As im- 

 ported it is in small pieces of a dirty yellowish 

 I color, and is covered with a fatty or soapy 

 I matter. Tincal, which contains various im- 

 mirities, was formerly the only source of borax ; 

 but besides Tuscany other sources of boracic 

 acid, more particularly in North and South 

 America, and the salt mines at Stassfurt, etc., 

 in Germany, have been rendered available. 

 North America yields large quantities, t hen- 

 being rich deposits of borax and boracic min- 

 erals on the Pacific slope. Pure borax forms 

 large, transparent, six-sided prisms, which dis- 

 solve readily in water, effloresce in dry air, and 

 when heated melt in their water of crystalliza- 

 tion, swell up, and finally fuse to a transparent 

 glass. Borax has a variety of uses. 



Bo wer- bird. A name given to certain 

 Australian birds of the starling family from a 

 remarkable habit they have of building bowers 

 to serve as places of resort. The bowers are 

 constructed on the ground, and usually under 

 overhanging branches in the most retired parts 

 of the forest. They are decorated with varie- 

 gated feathers, shells, small pebbles, bones, etc. 

 At each end there is an entrance left open. 

 These bowers do not serve as nests at all, but 

 seem to be places of amusement and resort, 

 especially during the breeding season. The 

 Satin liowcr-binl is so called from its beautiful 

 glossy plumage, which is of a black color. An- 

 other common species is the Spotted Bower-bird, 

 which is about eleven inches long, or rather 

 smaller than the first mentioned, and less gay 

 in color, but is the most lavish of all in decorat- 

 ingits bowers. 



Box -tree. A shrubby evergreen tree, 

 twelve or fifteen feet high, order Euphorbia 

 a native of England, Southern EurojK-, and 

 parts of Asia, with small oval and opposite 

 leaves, and greenish, inconspicuous (lowers, male 

 and female on the same tree. It was formerly 

 so common in England as to have given its 

 name to several places Boxhill. in Surrey, for 

 instance, and Hoxley. in Kent. The wood is of 

 a yellowish color, close-drained, very hard and 

 heavy, and admits of a lxautiful j>olish. On 

 these accounts it is much used by turners, wood- 

 carvers, engravers on wood mo wood surpas 

 it in this respect), and mathematical-instrument 

 makers. Flutes and other wind-instruments are 

 lormed of it. Tin- bo\ of commerce comes 

 mostly from the regions adjoining the lllack 

 Sea and Caspian, and is said to be diminishing 

 in quantity. In gardens and shrnbU'ries lx>x- 

 trees may often be seen clipped int. 

 lormal -ha|K>s. There is also a dwaii 

 reared as an edging for garden walks and the 



like. 



Bramble. MIC commonly applied 



to the bush with trailing prickly item*, which 

 bears the well-known berries usiiallv called in 

 Scotland brambles, and in England blarkb. i 

 It is similar to the raspberry, and belongs to 

 the same genus, natural order Rosactcf. \' 

 rarely cultivated, but as a wild plant it grows 

 in great abundance. The flowers do not appear 



