86 



of Natural ^ 



were common, but were soon picked up for 

 bait. As the limpets disappeared, we endea- 

 voured to plant a colony of mussels, from 

 beds at the mouth of the river Eden, of a 

 larger kind than those which seem to be 

 natural to the rock. These larger mussels 

 were likely to have been useful to the work- 

 men, and might have been especially so to 

 the light-keepers, the future inhabitants of 

 the rock, to whom that delicate fish would 

 have afforded a fresh meal, as well as a bet- 

 ter bait than the limpet ; but the mussels 

 were soon observed to open and die in great 

 numbers. For some time this was ascribed 

 to the effects of the violent surge of the sea, 

 but the Buccinum lapiltus (Purpura) having 

 greatly increased, it was ascertained that it 

 had proved a successful enemy to the mussel. 

 The Buccinum, being furnished with a pro- 

 boscis capable of boring, was observed to 

 perforate a small hole in the shell, and thus 

 to suck out the finer parts of the body of 

 the mussel ; the valves of course opened, 

 and the remainder of the fish was washed 

 away by the sea. The perforated hole is 

 generally upon the thinnest part of the shell 

 and is perfectly circular, of a champliered 

 form, being wider towards the outward side, 

 and so perfectly smooth and regular as to 

 have all the appearance of the most beautiful 

 work of an expert artist. It became a matter 

 extremely desirable to preserve the mussel, 

 and it seemed practicable to extirpate the 

 buccinum. But after we had picked up and 

 destroyed many barrels of them, their extir- 

 pation was at length given up as a hopeless 

 task. The mussels were thus abandoned as 

 their prey, and in the course of the third 

 year's operations, so successful had the ra- 

 vages of the buccinum been, that not a single 

 mussel of a large size was to be found upon 

 the rock ; and even the small kind which 

 bred there, are now chiefly confined to the 

 extreme points of the rock, where it would 

 seem their enemy cannot so easily follow 

 them." 



BUCCO. A genus of birds, called Barbels, 

 a name derived from the bristly feathers 

 which surround the base of the bill, and pro- 

 ject beneath the chin like a beard. [See 

 BARBET.] 



BUCEROS. [See HORXBILL.] 



BUCK. The male of the Fallow Deer, the 

 female of which is called a Doe. [See DEEK.] 



BUFFALO. (Bos bubalug.) A species of 

 Ox, found in various parts of India ; but 

 in America the name of "Buffalo" is uni- 

 versally given to the Bison [which see]. 

 The Buffaloes are of large size, but low 

 in proportion to their bulk ; they have no 

 hunch on the back, and only a small dewlap 

 on the breast ; the hide is generally black , 

 the tail long and slender. They generally 

 live in small flocks, but sometimes are found 

 in herds of considerable numbers ; frequent- 

 ing moist and marshy situations, and pre- 

 ferring the coarse vegetation of the forest and 

 swampy regions to that of open plains. 

 They swim well, and cross the broadest 

 rivers without hesitation ; their gait is heavy, 

 and they run almost always with the nose 



horizontal, being principally guided by the 

 sense of smelling. They are fierce and stub- 



BtTFFAT,O. (BOS BUBALtJS.) 



born, and with difficulty subjugated The 



Aniee Buffalo (Bos ami) has horns of a 

 prodigious size and length ; the horns are 

 turned laterally, flattened in front, and 

 wrinkled on the concave surface. A pair of 

 them are in the British Museum, each of 

 which measures along the curve from base 

 to tip, six feet three inches, and eighteen 

 inches in circumference at the base. 



This formidable animal is found wild in 

 many parts of India, and also tarne wherever 

 the inhabitants have occasion for its services. 

 Being extremely strong, they are employed 

 in agriculture, and in drawing and carrying 

 burdens, being guided by rings thrust through 

 their noses. All Buffaloes are extremely 

 fearful of fire ; and they have a great aver- 

 sion to red colours. In general, they are very 

 inoffensive, if left undisturbed ; but when 

 wounded, or even fired at, their fury becomes 

 ungovernable ; they then tear up the ground 

 with their fore-feet, make a horrid bellow- 

 ing, and pursue the objects of their resent- 

 ment witli determined fury. [See Bisox.] 



BUFO. [See TOAD.] 



BUG. (Cimex.) Of the numerous tribe of 

 Hemipterous insects belonging to the genus 

 Cimex, we may specify the troublesome and 

 nauseous insect, the Cimex Icctularius, or 

 common domestic Bug. To give a very par- 

 ticular description of this noxious tormentor 

 would be superfluous : it may be sufficient 

 to observe, that it is of an oval shape, about 

 the sixth of an inch long, of a compressed or 



flat form, and of a reddish-brown colour. 

 It is asserted, though it may be difficult to 

 say how truly, that the Bug was scarcely 

 known in England before the year 1670, 

 having been imported from America among 

 the timber used in rebuilding the city of 

 London after the great fire of 1C66 ; but it 

 appears not to have been an uncommon pest 



