BIR 



BIS 



vast numbers of these birds ; they leave 

 the inland country at their breeding time, 

 and come to build in the rocks, and 

 fashion their nests out of a matter 

 which they find on the shore, washed 

 thither by the waves. The nature of this 

 substance is scarcely yet ascertained. Ac- 

 cording to Kempfer, it is molluscae, or 

 sea-worms ; according to M . le Poivre, 

 fish-spawn ; according to Dalrymple, sea- 

 weeds : and according to Linnzeus, it is 

 the animal substance frequently found on 

 the beach, which fishermen call blubbers, 

 or jellies. The nests are of a hemisphe- 

 ric figure, and of the size of a goose's 

 egg, and in substance much resemble the 

 ichthyocolla, or isinglass. The Chinese 

 gather these nests, and sell them to all 

 parts of the world : they dissolve in 

 broths, &c. and make akind of jelly, of a 

 very delicious flavour. These nests are 

 found in great abundance in the island of 

 Sumatra, particularly about Croe, near 

 the south end of the island. Four miles 

 up the river of that name is a large 

 cave, where the birds build in vast num- 

 bers. The nests are distinguished into 

 -white and black ; of which the first are by 

 far more scarce and valuable, being found 

 in the proportion of one only to twenty- 

 five. The white sort sells in China at the 

 rate of 10JO to 1500 Spanish dollars the 

 pecul ; the black is usually disposed of at 

 Batavia for about twenty dollars the same 

 weight, where it is chiefly converted into 

 glue, of which it makes a very superior 

 kind. The difference between the two 

 has by some been supposed to be owing 

 to the mixture of the feathers of the birds 

 with the viscous substance of which the 

 nests are formed : and this they deduce 

 from the experiment of steeping the 

 black nests for a short time in hot water, 

 when they are said to become in a great 

 degree white. When the natives pre- 

 pare to take the nests, they enter the 

 caves with torches, and forming ladders, 

 according to the usual mode, of a single 

 bamboo notched, they ascend and pull 

 down the nests, which adhere in numbers 

 together, from the side and top of the 

 rocks. They say, that the more frequent- 

 ly and regularly the cave is stripped, the 

 greater proportion of white nests they 

 are sure to find, and that on this experi- 

 rience they often make a practice of beat- 

 ing down and destroying the old nests in 

 larger quantities than they trouble them- 

 selves to carry away, in order that they 

 may find white nests the next season in 

 their room. The birds, during the build- 

 in time, are seen in large flocks on the 

 beach, collecting in their bills the foam 



which is thrown up by the surf, of which 

 there is little doubt but they construct 

 their nests, after it has undergone per- 

 haps a preparation, from a commixture 

 with their saliva, or other secretion, with 

 which nature has provided them for that 

 purpose. 



BIRDS, singing, are, the mocking-bird, 

 nightingale, blackbird, starling, thrush, 

 linnet, lark, throstle,canary-bird,bullfinch, 

 goldfinch, 8cc. See some very curious 

 experiments and observations on the sing- 

 ing of birds. Phil. Trans, vol. Ixiii part 

 ii. No. 31. Their first sound is called 

 chirp, which is a single sound repeated 

 at short intervals ; the next call, which is 

 a repetition of one and the same note ; 

 and the third sound is called recording, 

 which a young bird continues to do for 

 ten or eleven months, till he is able to 

 execute every part of his song ; and when 

 he is perfect in his lesson, he is said to 

 sing his song round. Their notes are no 

 more innate than language in man ; they 

 all sing in the same key. The honoura- 

 ble author Daines Barrington has attempt- 

 ed to reduce their comparative merits to 

 a scale ; and to explain how they first 

 came to have particular notes. 



BIRDS, in heraldry, according to their 

 several kinds, represent either the con- 

 templative or active life. They are the 

 emblems of liberty, expedition, readiness, 

 swiftness, and fear. They are more hon- 

 ourable bearings than fishes, because 

 they participate more of air and fire, the- 

 two noblest and highest elements, than of 

 earth and water. Birds must be borne in 

 coat-armour, as is best fitting the proprie- 

 ty of their natural actions of going, sit- 

 ting, standing, flying, &c. Birds that are 

 either whole footed, or have their feet 

 divided, and yet have no talons, jare said 

 to be membered ; but the cock, and all 

 birds of prey, with sharp and hooked 

 beaks and talons, for encounter or de- 

 fence, are termed armed. In the blazon- 

 ing of birds, if their wings be not display- 

 ed, they are said to be borne close ; as, 

 he beareth an eagle, &c. close. 



BIRTH. See MIDWIFERY. 



BIRTH, or BIRTHIXO, in the sea lan- 

 guage, a convenient place to moor a ship 

 in ; also a due distance observed by 

 ships lying at anchor, or under sail ; and 

 a proper place aboard for a mess to put 

 their chests, &c. is called the birth of that 

 mess. 



BISCUIT, sea, is a sort of bread much 

 dried, to make it keep for the service of 

 the sea. It was formerly baked twice, or 

 oftener, and prepared six months before 



