B AL 
is probably a corruption of the word Bagdat, the 
city from which this bird is fometimes imported 
into Europe, though originally brought hither 
from Baffora. 
BAGRE. A fmall bearded fiiK of the anguil- 
liform kind, of which there ai'e feveral fpecies. It 
is deftitute of fcales^ but it's whole body is covered 
with a foft mucous fkin of a filvery whitenefs ; of 
which colour likewife are the beard, the head, and 
the fins. The eyes are large, the mouth is fmall, 
and it has no teeth. It is caught in the American 
feas, and is efteemed eatable. 
This fifti is a fpecies of the filums, in the Lin- 
naean fyftem. 
BAGRE DE RIO. A name fometimes given 
to the fifh generally known by that of nhamdia. 
BAIT, WHITE. A fmall fifli caught in great 
plenty, during harveft, in the River Thames near 
Blackwall, and efteemed very delicious. The 
White Bait, which is certainly the fry of fome par- 
ticular fifh, has been attributed to the fhad, the 
fprat, the fmelt, and the bleak. Pennant, how- 
ever, obferves, that this fifh belongs to the genus 
of cyprinus, becaufe it has only three branchio- 
ftegious rays, and one dorfal fin. It's body is com- 
prelTed, like that of the bleak, it's ufual length being 
two inches 5 theunder-jaw isthelargeft; the irides 
are filvery, and the pupils black} the dorfal fin 
confifts of about fourteen rays; the fide-line is 
ftraightj and the tail, which has black tips, is 
forked. 
BALANCE FISH. The EngliHi name for 
the zyg^na of naturalifts; a fifh of the whale kind, 
to which it is almofl equal. The Balance Fifh 
differs in fize from all otliers with refpeft to the 
monftrous fliape of it's head, which refembles the 
large hammer of a blackfmith, at the extremities 
of which the eyes are placed ; however, the fore- 
part fwells out into a femicircle, except that it ter- 
minates in an edge. The mouth, which is of an 
enormous fize, is armed with three or four rows of 
exceedingly ftrong, broad, andfharp teeth, notched 
at the edges like a faw. The tongue is very broad; 
and the body is round and long, deftitute of fcales, 
and covered with a fkin refembling leather. The 
fpines on the back are continued to the fuperior 
pan of the tail, where fins ai-ife on each fide. The 
tail is bifid ; and, in many refpefts, this fifh refem- 
bles the fhark, though it may be eafllydiftinguifhed 
from moft others of it's kind by the extraordinary 
formation of it's head. It is a native of the Medi- 
terranean Sea. 
BALANI. A genus of fnell-fifh belonging 
to the clafs of multivalves, approaching nearly to 
the fhape of an acorn, and ufually found adhering 
to the fhells of the larger fort of concha, but 
frequently diftinguifhed in England by the name 
of centre ftiells. The Balani and the conchae ana- 
tiferas are frequently confounded together, though 
in reality very different. The Balani are fome- 
times found affixed to a variety of fubmarine pro- 
dudions; fuch as the harder fea-plants, and all forts 
of cruftaceous and teftaceous animals, rocks, and 
timber. They may be ranged very properly under 
the two diftin£tions of wide and narrow-mouthed; 
and include feveral fpecies. The fmall fifh which 
nature has inclofed in this fnell is of a veiy fingu- 
lar and admirable ftrufture. Leewenlioek con- 
feffes that he never met with any other anima.1 in 
which fo many objeds of wonder were difclofed to 
the rmked eye. It has twelve legs, or arms, crook- 
ed, and garnifhed with a great number of hairs, 
BAL 
wkicK it elevates on all occafions ; and, befides thcle^ 
it is furnifhed with eight others, inferior in fize, znd 
lower in pofition. The body in every refpeft re- 
fembles that of the concha anatifera. It is mu- 
cous, cartilaginous, and" bad-tafted. The Hiell 
fhapes itfelf, at the bafe, to the figure of the furface 
of whatever it" adheres to, and from which it is with 
difficulty removed. In the Linnaan fyftem thi^ 
is a fpecies of the lepas. 
BALATITL A name given by the natives of 
the Philippine Iflands to a particular bird, by 
the flight of which they pretend to divine future 
events, like the ancient arufpices. 
BALBUSARDUS. A claffical name for the 
bird called in Englilb the bald buzzard. It is of 
the long-winged hawk kind; and has been defcribed 
by Aldrovandus, and Ibme other naturalifts, under 
the name of the haliajtus and morphnus, two fpe- 
cies of the eagle. It frequents the banks of ponds 
and rivers, and fometimes thole of the fea, where it 
preys on fifh. It builds it's neft on the ground 
among reeds, where it lays three or four large v/hite 
eggs, little inferior in fize to thole of the galina- 
ceous tribe. 
BALD PATE. An oriental filb, fo called from 
it's having no fcales on the head and neck, though 
die reft of the body is covered with them. It is 
of a greyifh colour; the mouth is extremely wide, 
and Ipotted with red ; and the eyes are large, yel- 
low, and promiinent. It is caught in rivers, as well 
as in the fea; and the flefh is efteemed falubrious 
and agreeable. 
BALEARIC CRANE. A name given by 
Pliny to a bird 9f the Crane kind, with a topping 
refembling that of the green wood-pecker. This 
bird was unknown to the moderns till they became 
acquainted v/ith the birds of the tropical climates; 
when one of the Crane kind with a topping, was 
brought into Europe, and defcribed by Aldrovan- 
dus as Pliny's Balearic Crane. It is pretty nearly 
of the fhape and fize of the common Crane, with 
long legs, and a long. neck, lilce others of the kind; 
but the bill is fhorter, and the colour of the fea- 
thers is of a dark greenilh grey. The head and 
throat, however, form the moft ftriking peculiarities' 
in the conformation of this bird. On the head 
ftands a thick, ered, round creft, compofed of brii^ 
ties, diverging every way, and refembling rays, dif- 
fufed in various direftions, the longeft of which are 
about three inches and a half ; and they are all ter- 
minated by a kind of black tafTels, which give them 
a very rich and beautiful appearance. The fides 
of the head and cheeks are bare, whitifti, and edged 
with red; and beneath the throat hangs a kind of 
bag, like that of a cock, but undivided. The eye 
is large and prominent; the pupil, v/hich is black 
and large, being furrounded with a gold-coloured 
iris. 
The Balearic Crane is a native of the coaft of 
Africa and the Cape De Verd Iflands ; and by ex- 
panding it's wings, it can run with great celerity,, 
though it's ufual motion is but flow. When do- 
mefticated, it walks deliberately and majeftically 
among other poultry, and fuffers itfelf to be ap- 
proached without any feeming apprehenfion. It 
never roofts in a houfe; but, when difpofed to reft, 
it fearches out fome high wallj on which it perches, 
after the manner of a peacock; and, indeed, it fo 
much lefembles that bird in it's feveral difpo- 
fitionSj that fome naturalifts have defcribed it under 
the nam.e of the fea-peacock, and even Ray feems- 
inclined to refer it to that family. But though the 
Balearic 
