BRA 



BRA 



The convex side of one lamina is fitted 

 into the concave side of the next superior 

 OIK- ; and all of them are connected to- 

 gether hy means of a membrane, which 

 reacnes from their base half way their 

 height, where it grows thicker, and in 

 some measure resembles a rope. The rest 

 of the lamina is free, and terminates in a 

 very fine and flexible point. 



As to the use of these <ills, they seem 

 to be designed to receive the blood pro- 

 truded from the heart into the aorta, and 

 convey it into the extremities of the la- 

 melix ; from whence, being returned by 

 veins, it is distributed over the body of 

 the fish. 



BRANCH1ONUS, in natural history, a 

 genus of vermes, of the order Infusoria: 

 the character is, body contractile, cover- 

 ed with a shell, and furnished at the head 

 with ciliate rotary organs. There are 12 

 species : the B. jrceolaris is bell-shaped, 

 with the shell many toothed at the tip, 

 and rounded at the base ; tail long, and 

 bifid at the end. It is found frequently in 

 stagnant water, appearing to the naked 

 eye as a small white speck ; rotary dou- 

 ble organ, which it can protrude and con- 

 ceal at pleasure. B. striatus, univalve, 

 with an ovate striate shell, six-toothed at 

 the tip, and entire at the base ; without 

 tail. It is found in salt water ; pellucid, 

 crystalline, truncate on the fore part, and 

 rounded behind; shell varying in form, 

 with I' 2 longitudinal ribs. 



BRANCHIOSTEGOUS, in natural his- 

 tory, according to the Linnxan system, it 

 is the fifth order of fishes, having gills des- 

 situte of bony rays. There are ten ge- 



Balistes 

 Centriscus 



Mormyrus 

 Ostracion 



Cyclopterus Pegasus 



Diodon 

 Lophius 



Syngnathus 

 Tetrodon. 



Most of these are by Dr. Shaw placed 

 among the Carrelaginei. 



BRAIxDY. a spirituous liquor, pro- 

 duced by the distillation of wines of all 

 kinds, and, properly speaking, by no other 

 fermented liquor; though the purely spi- 

 rituous part of all fermented vinous li- 

 quors procured by distillation is essen- 

 tially the same, and therefore an infinite 

 variety of imitations of the intermediate 

 products of distillation may be produced, 

 by adding flavouring and colouring mat- 

 ters to any kind of pure spirit. Brandy 

 is prepared in many of the wine coun- 

 tries of Europe, and, with particular 

 excellence, in Languedoc, in Anjou, 



whence the well-known Cogniac bran- 

 dy, and in other parts of the south of 

 France. 



Though every wine will give a certain 

 portion of brandy by distillation, it is not 

 every kind that can be used with advan- 

 tage. In general, the strong heavy wines 

 are to be preferred. Those that do not 

 yield a sixth of their quantity of spirit 

 are not work the expense of working. 

 The apparatus is composed of three 

 parts; the alembic, or boiler, the capital 

 fitted on the top of the boiler to rece-ve 

 the spirituous vapour, and the serpen- 

 tine, or worm, a convoluted pipe, nV'.ng 

 to the beak of the alembic, and immers- 

 ed in water, in which the vapour is con- 

 densed, and flows out at the bottom, in 

 the form of distilled spirit. In distilling, 

 care should be taken not to urge the fire 

 too much at first, otherwise the wine 

 boils up into the capital, and comes over 

 into the worm, mixing with and fouling 

 the spirit. In general, the slower the 

 process, and the smaller the stream of 

 spirit from the worm-pipe, the finer and 

 better is the brandy. The distillers make 

 a distinction between the former and 

 latter runnings of the spirit. What first 

 comes over has the strongest, richest, and 

 highest flavour, and this is gradually les- 

 sened, and the spirit becomes more and 

 more watery to the end. Therefore, 

 when the brandy becomes weak, the 

 portion already distilled is set apart, and 

 the remainder is collected in a sepai'ate 

 vessel, and is called seconds or feints, in 

 the term of British distillers, and is not 

 immediately fit for use, but is re-distilled 

 with fresh wine in the next process, be- 

 ing still too valuable to be lost. Brandy 

 is naturally clear and colourless as water: 

 for the different shades of colour which 

 it has in commerce arise partly from the 

 casks in which it is kept, but chieflv from 

 the addition of burnt sugar, saunders 

 wood, and other colouring matters, that 

 are intentionally added by the manufac- 

 turer, and which appear to do neither 

 good nor harm to the quality of the spirit. 



There are several ways of judging of 

 the strength of the spirit." The following 

 is also much used by the dealers : a p!:ial 

 is filled three-quarters with the brandy, 

 stopped with the thumb, and suddenly 

 knocked with some force against the 

 knee. This raises a froth on the surface, 

 and by the size and durability of the bub- 

 bles, a good idea may be formed of the 

 strength of the liquor by those who are in 

 the constant habit of examining samples. 

 This is, however, as liable to error as the 

 trial with gunpowder, burning, &c. ; for 



