BL A 



142 



BL A 



pawned are in Scotland called black or 

 foulfish ; and the practice of taking salmon 

 in the rivers when they come up to 

 spawn, is called black fishing. 



BLACK FLUX, a mixture of carbonate of 

 potash and charcoal, made by deflagrating 

 tartar with half its weight of nitre. 



BLACK IRON, malleable iron, in contra- 

 distinction to that which is tinned, called 

 white iron. 



BLACK LEV D, the same with plumbago 

 and graphite, a compound of carbon and 

 a small proportion of iron and earthy 

 matters. It takes its name from its 

 leaden appearance, but contains no trace 

 of lead. It is chiefly used in the manu- 

 facture of black-lead pencils, the first 

 specimens being procured from the cele- 

 brated mine of liorrowdale in Cumberland, 

 worked since the time of Queen Elizabeth. 

 BLACK LETTER, the old English alpha- 

 bet. OB&atc.) 



BLACK'MAIL. In Scotland, a sort of 

 yearly payment, formerly made for pro- 

 tection to those bands of armed men who, 

 down to the middle of last century, laid 

 many parts of the country under contri- 

 bution. If ail means tax or rent. 



BLACK-MONKS, a name of the Benedic- 

 tines. 



BLACK-ROD, the usher belonging to the 

 Order of the Garter ; so called from the 

 black rod which he carries. He is usher 

 of Parliament. 



BLACK-SPAUL, a disease of cattle, called 

 also blackleg and blackquarter. 



" The blackspaul is a species of pleu- 

 risy, incident to young cattle, especially 

 calves, which gives a black hue to the 

 flesh. It is indicated by lameness in the 

 forefoot (spaitl or leg), and the common 

 remedy is immediate bleeding." 

 BLACK-THORN , the sloe (Prunut spinosa), 

 in distinction from white-thorn or haw- 

 thorn. 



BLACK-TIN, tin ore -when dressed, 

 stamped, and washed, ready for melting. 

 BLACK-VOMIT, the yellow fever. 

 BLACK- WADD, one of the ores of manga- 

 U<?se, used as a drying ingredient "in 

 paints. 



BLACK-WATCH, the designation given to 

 the companies of loyal Highlanders raised 

 after the rebellion in Scotland, in 1715, 

 for preserving peace in the highland dis- 

 tricts. The black-watch formed the nu- 

 cleus of the 42nd regiment, and received 

 the denomination of black (Gal. dhu) from 

 their dark tartan habiliments. 



BLAD'DER, Sax. blaber, of tlae&. 

 A thin membranous substance, which 

 serves as the receptacle of some fluid or 

 secretion, as the urinary bladder and 

 gall-bladder in animals. "When unre- 

 stricted the name applies to the former. 

 BLAD'DKA-XLT, a name common to both 



species of the genus staphylea (q. v.'>. 

 There is also a species of royena, called 

 the African bladder-nut, and a species of 

 ilex, holm, or holly, called the laurel- 

 leaved bladder-nut. 



BLADDER'WORT, a name common to all 

 the plants of the genus Utricularia. The 

 British species are all aquatics, with 

 roots, stems, and leaves, furnished with 

 numerous membranaceous reticulated ve - 

 sides, which are filled with water till it 

 is necessary that the plant should rise to 

 the surface and expand its blossoms. The 

 vesicles are then found to contain only 

 air, by aid of which the plant floats ; this 

 air, again, gives place to water, and the 

 plant descends to ripen its seeds at the 

 bottom. 



BLAD'DER -WRACK, a sea-weed (the Fu- 

 cusvesiculosus) called also the sea-oak and 

 sea-wrack. 



BLAIN, Per. blaen. 1 . A watery vesicle 



of the skin. 2. A distemper incident 



to animals, being a bladder which grows 

 at the root of the tongue to such a degree 

 as to stop the breath. It answers to croup 

 in the human subject. 



BLAJJCHIM'ETER, from Uanch &nA^r^t, 

 measure. A measure of the bleaching 

 power of chloride of lime (bleaching- 

 powder) and potash. 



BLANCB'ING, whitening, from Fr. 

 blanchir, to whiten. Applied, 1. To an 

 operation performed upon pieces of 

 metal, as silver, to give them whiteness 



and lustre. 2. To the wliitening of 



living plants, by making them grow in 

 the dark. 



BLANCH'-FERM, BLANK-FARM. In an- 

 cient law, a white-farm. A farm, of which 

 the rent was paid in silver, and not in 

 cattle. 



BLANCH'- HOLDING. In few, a tenure by 

 which the tenant is bound to pay only an 

 elusory yearly duty to his superior, as an 

 acknowledgment of his right. 



BLANDFO'RDIA, a genus of New Holland 

 plants, of the class hexaudria, and order 

 monogynia. Named from Blandford. 



BLANK-BAR. In law. a common bar, or 

 a plea in bar, which in action of trespass 

 is put in to oblige the plaintiff to assign 

 the place where the trespass was com- 

 mitted. 



BLANK'-DOOR, a doorway which has 

 been blocked up to prevent entrance - 

 Also a false door, placed in an apartment 

 opposite to the real door, for the sake of 

 uniformity. 



BLANK'ET,Fr. blatichet. Among printers, 

 woollen-cloth or white baize, to lay be- 

 tween the tympans. 



BLANK-WINDOW, a sash-frame, sashes 

 and glass fixed into a recess corresponding 

 with the real windows, to preserve the 

 uniformity of an elevation. 



BLAS'PHEMI, from fihairpriuiv, to de- 



