B I D 



1732, by Dr. Sherard. 10. B. -jerlulHata. Lin. Spec. 

 1 167. Reich. 3.706. Hort. cliff. 399. 4. " Leaves ob- 

 long, entire, lower ones entire, upper ones oppofitc, flowers 

 verlici'lcd." A native of Vera Cruz in South America. 

 1 r. 15. /caiuieiis. Lin. Spec. 1167. Reich. 3. 706. Hort. 

 cliff. 399. 5. Svvartz obf. 297. Brown jam, 317. 2. B. 

 frutefcens. Mill. dift. n. 4. " Leaves oppolite, ovate, acu- 

 minate, ferrate, ftem climbing, flirubby, flowers panicled, 

 ovate." A native of Jamaica, on the cooler mountains, and 

 of Vera Cruz. Miller received it from Carthagena iu New 

 Spain. 12. B. biiUata, various-leaved bidens. Lin. Spec. 

 I 167. Reich. 3. 706. Ard. Spec. 2. 37. t. I<^. Mich. flor. 

 I2C. Hall. got. 383. " Leaves ovate, ferrate, lower ones 

 oppofite, upper ones ternate, the middle lar^^er." A native 

 of America ; found wild in Italy ; cultivated by jSiilier in 

 1759; annual. 13. B. /wyi//a. Sv-zartz prodr. no. Sloan. 

 jam. I. 257. Eupatorium. " Leaves oppofite, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, entire, tomentofe-hirlute, ftem-climbing fiirubby, 

 peduncles oppofite, diverging, many-flowered." A native 

 of Jamaica; annual. \i^.V>. odoritta. Cavan.hifp. 9. n. 12. 

 t. 13. " Stem four-cornered, branching very much, leaves 

 connate, bipinnate, pinnules wedge-trifid, fmootli, feeds 

 rugged." A native of Mexico ; flowered at Madrid in 

 November 1791. 



Moll of the fpecies are herhrccous annuals ; fonie, how- 

 ever, are (hrubs ; leaves generally oppofite, fome pinnate ; 

 flowers axillary or terminating. 



Propagiillon and culture. The firft, fccond, and fifth, be- 

 ing common weeds in many parts of Europe, are fcklom 

 cultivated in our gardens, but readily propagate the.nfelves 

 by feeds, in wet fituations. The third, fourth, feventh, and 

 twelfth, raull be fown upon a moderate hot-bed in the 

 fpring, and afterwards treated like other hardy annual 

 plants, planting them into the full ground the latter end of 

 May. They will flower in June ; foon afterwards tlie plants 

 will decay. The fixth and eighth are tafily propagated by 

 feeds fown in the fpring, in an open fituation ; where, if 

 they be allowed to fcatter, the plants will come up the fol- 

 lov.ing fpring, and two or three of them may be planted 

 where they are to grow ; and after they are rooted, they 

 will require no farther care. Being annual plants, they de- 

 cay foon after the feeds are ripe. The ninth, tenth, eleventh, 

 thirteenth, and fourteenth fpecics are propagated alfo by 

 f.eds, fown on a hot-bed in the fpring ; and when the plants 

 are fit to remove, they nuiil be each planted into a feparate 

 fmall fpot, plunged into a fiefu Iiot-hed, and treated like 

 other tender plants from the fame hot countries. In autun-.n 

 they mutt be placed in the bark-ftove. Properly managed 

 they will moftly abide for fome years. 



BiDENS. See Coreopsis, Elephantopus, Spilan- 

 THus, Verbesina, and Zinnia. 



Bidens, in Conchology, a fpecies of Mvtilus, with a 

 {Iriated and flightly curved fliell, having the pofterior mar- 

 gin inflefted, and the hinge at the end bidentated. Gmelin. 

 A native of the Mediterranean, iEthiopic, Atlantic, and 

 Magellanic feas. The colour of this fhell under the epi- 

 dermis is blrck or blue, about an inch in length, and ilriated 

 longitudinally. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Nerita, with a fmooth fiiell, and 

 inner lip bidentated. Linn. Muf. Lud. Ulr. Country un- 

 known. This fliell is black or reddifh, with obfolete Ibias, 

 and the fize of a pea. Sometimes it is yellow, clouded with 

 whitifh, with three black bands. 



Bidens, m Entomology, a fpecies of Scarah.'Eus, found 

 in America. The head and thorax are braffy-green and 

 downy : wing-cafes teftaceous, gloffed with green. Fabri- 

 cius. 



B I D 



Bidens, a fpecies of Cassida, of a black colour. Wing- 

 cafes porreAed iu front, with an ereft fpine on the future 

 of each. This is of a large fize, and is an inhabitant of 

 Brafil. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Curculio, that inhabits New Zea- 

 land. It is black : poilerior thighs dentated, with a fingle 

 fj>ine on each of the wing-cafes. Fabricius. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Cerambyx [Lamia), found in 

 New Holland, and defcribed by Fabricius. It is grifc- 

 ous ; thorax acutely fpintd ; wing-cafes bidentated at the 



BiDTiNS, a fpecies of Mantis, that inhabits America. 

 Tiie tiiorax is Icabrous ; wing-cafes green, fafciated witlt 

 black ; w'ings brown, deep black'in the difl<. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Cimex (Sjiino/us), the thorax of 

 whioh is obtufely fpinous ; inner and pofterior margin, and 

 bidentated vent, fangnineous ; wing-cales pale. A native 

 of Europe. Linn, and Gmelin. There is alfo another 

 fpecies in this leflion, di.fcribed by Linnaeus and Gmelin, 

 under the nam.e of biden;. It is of an ovate fhape, and 

 grifeous, with the thorax acutely fpined, and the antennas 

 rufous. This inhabits Europe. 



BiDENS, a fpecies of Sphex, of a black colour, having 

 the head and antenna ferruginous; four yellow fpots on the 

 abdomen, and two fpincs on the thorax. Gmelin. Inhabits 

 Mauritania. Mouth and firil joint of the antennae black ; 

 anterior wings pale ferruginous ; pofterior ones large, tranf- 

 parent, and blueilh. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Vespa, of a black colour, with two 

 fpines on the thorax, and third fegm.ent of the abdomen, 

 with a yellow margin. Fabricius. It inhabits the north of 

 Europe. 



Bidens, a fpecies of Formica, that inhabits Sunnam. 

 Thorax with a bidentated tubercle ; head ovate ; antenna 

 fcrru(7inous ; lower joint black. Fabricius. Sp. Inf. 



BIDENTAL, in /Intirjuity, a place ftruck with a thunder- 

 bolt, and on that account confecrated to the gods, and to 

 Jupiter in particular, and forbidden to be trod on, and to 

 remove its bounds was deemed facrilege. Bidental only- 

 differed from putcal, as in the latter, the thunderbolt was 

 fupoofed to be hidden or buried with ceremony under the 

 ground. The fall of lightning, or a thunderbolt, on any- 

 place, w-as judged by the Romans an indication that Jupi- 

 ter demanded it for himfelf. Hence, they furrouiided it 

 with a wall, rail, Hakes, or even a rope ; and expiated it, by 

 the facnfice of a bidens, or fiieep of two years old. Feftus 

 reprefents the bidental as a temple, where fheep of two years 

 old were offered in facrlfice. But by temple, he here means 

 no more than a place inclofed, and confccrat'-d to the gods. 

 The appellation was extended to thunder itfcif, and to per- 

 fons deliroyed by it. 



BIDENTALES, prieSs among the ancient Romans, in- 

 ftituted for the performance of the ceremonies of a bidental. 

 The bidentales conftituted a college, or decury, who had the 

 fervice and procuration, or interpretation of thunder and 

 lightning. The firft, and principal part of their office was, 

 the facrificing a flieep of two years old, wiiich, in their lan- 

 guacre, was called bidens, as having only two teeth, one on 

 each fide ; or rather from bidennis, ancieiilly written for bien- 

 nis, two years old. 



BIDENTATA, in Cond<o!ogy, a fpecies of Helix, 

 found in the botanic garden at Strafbu;-gh, and figured by 

 Chemnitz. The fliell is pyramidal, fomewhat carinated, 

 banded, and very finely llnatcd, with a reflefted, bident- 

 ated lip. 



BiOENTATA, in Entomol'gy, a fpecies of Apis, (Andrma.) 



that 



