found in France, and in the rocky and moun- 
tainous parts of Ruffia and Siberia. 
Bat, Barbastelle. This animal is about two 
inches long, and the extent of it's wings is teii 
incJies and a half. The forehead is depreffed ; the 
ears are long and broad ; the nofe is fliort, and flat- 
lied at the end; and the cheeks are full. The up- 
per part of the body is of a dufky brown colour, 
and the lower is afh-coloured and brown. It is a 
native of France. 
Bat,Long-EareD. The body and tail of this 
animal are only one inch and three quarters long; the 
ears, which are upv/ards of an inch long, are thin, 
and almoft pellucid ; and, like all other Bats, ex- 
cept the horfe-flioe and the ternare, it is furniflied 
with an internal or lefier ear, ferving as a valve to 
clofe the greater when the animal is afleep. It is 
a general inhabitant of Europe, and of Great Bri- 
tain in particular. 
Bat, Sea. This curious fiili is about eight inches 
long, and nearly of the fame breaddi : two large 
fpines proceed from the under-jaw; there are two 
large fins srefembling wings on the back and belly ; 
and the tail-fin is like that of a dorado. The Sea- 
Bat is wholly of a dark brown or dufky colour. 
The fl<:in on the back, and all round it's fides, is 
rough like fhagreen, intermixed v/ith fome larger 
pointed rifings ; but that of the belly is fmoother 
and fofter. 
There is another fpecies of Sea-Bat which has 
a head like that of a toad; the fins very much're-' 
femble the wings of the land-animal of this name ; 
and the tail is long, and fomewhat like that of a 
ftiarp-fnouted ray. 
They are both natives of the Brazils and the 
Weft-Indian feas. 
BATACHOSALIS. A name given by ma^ny 
of the ancient Greek authors^ to the lophitis, or rana 
pifcatrix, of the modern naturalifts. 
BATIS. See Batos and RaiA. 
BATOS. The name given by Ariftotle and 
the ancient naturalifts to the fkaite, or flaire. They 
have generally called the male, Batos ; and the fe- 
male, batis. It is a fpecies of the raia; and is dif- 
tinguiflied by Artedi under the name of the varie- 
gated ray, with the middle of the back fmooth, and 
with one row of foines on the tail. Albertus gives^ 
J. O 
it the tide of the rayte and tubus. 
BATRACHUS. A fpecies of the filurus, a 
genus of fifties. 
BAVOSA. An Italian name for a fpecies of 
the ray-fifti, called by m.odern authors levi-rayia, 
and raia oxyrynchus ; and, by the earlier vniters, 
raia bos, bos marinus, and leioraia. It is defcribed 
by Artedi under the name of the variegated ray with 
ten prickly tubercles on the middle of the back. 
BEAGLE. A fort of hound, or hunting-dog. 
Beagles are of feveral kinds; as thefouthern Bea- 
gle, Ibmewhat lefs and fliorter, but thicker than the 
cleep-mouthed hound; the fleet northern or cat 
BeaglCj linall, and a more fleet runner than the 
fouthern : and from thefe two, by croffingthe ftrains, 
is bred a third fort, efteemed preferable to either. 
To thefe may be added a ftill fmaller fpecies, 
fcarcely bigger than the lap-dog, which afford ex- 
cellent diverfion in rabbit-hunting ; but are other- 
wife unferviceable, on account of their fize. 
BEAN-FEY. A very beautiful infeft of a pale 
purple colour, frequently found on bean-flowers, 
and produced from the worm or maggot called 
mida by naturalifts. 
BEAR, A well known quadruped of the cat 
SEA 
kind; which, in theLirthasan fyftem, makes a dif- 
tin6l genus of fer^, or wild-beafts. The diftin- 
guiftiing charafters of the Bear are, that it has fix 
fore-teeth, both above and below, the upper ones 
being alternately hollow within ; the cutting teeth 
are fingle, and conical; die grinders are five or fix iri 
number; the tongue is fmooth; and the hofe is pro- 
minent. There are feveral different fpecies of 
Bears; fuch as the black Bear of North America, 
the fmalleft of the genus ; the broWn Bear of the 
Alps; the great Greenland, or white Bear; and 
the Kamtfchatka Bear: but all of them, though dif- 
ferent in fize and form, are unqueftionably of the 
fame original, and ov/e their principal variations toi 
food and climate. 
Bear, American Black. This animal has a 
long head, fmall eyes, and fhort ears rounded at 
(he top. It's nofe is long and pointed, and of a 
yellowifn brown colour; it's limbs are ftrong, thick, 
^and clumfy ; and it has a fhort tail, with large feet. 
The hair on the body and limbs is black, fmooth^ 
and glofly : and it is faid to be mild and ftiy in it's 
difpofition, fubfifting only on vegetables, particu- 
larly maize and potatoes, of which it is remarkably 
fond. Du Pratz fays that the Bear will even rejedt 
animal food, though prefixed by hunger: but Dr. 
Goldfaiith affirms the contrary; declaring that he 
has often -obferved the young ones, when brought 
over to England, prefer flefli to every kind of ve- 
getable alimenT. 
. Thefe animals ftrike with their fore-feet like a 
cat; and very feldom make ufe of their tufks, but 
feize their afiailants with their paws, and prefs 
them againft their breafts fo as almoft inftantly to 
fqueeze them to death. The females, after con- 
ception, retire into fome fecret place, left the males 
fhould deftroy their cubs when they are littered: 
and fo impenetrable are their retreats, that, though 
feveral hundreds of Bears are killed annually in 
America during the winter, hardly a fingle female 
h ever found among them. They bring forth two, 
and fometimes three at a time; and though their 
cubs are certainly very deformed, they are not fo 
fhapelefs as has been fometimes pretended. The 
flefh of Bears, in autumn, when they are become 
exceedingly large by feeding on acorns and other 
arborefcent food, is extremely delicate; and the fat, 
which preferves a certain degree of fluidity, is re- 
markably white and fweet. After fattening itfelf 
to a very great degree, the Bear retires to it's den, 
where it continues forty or fifty days in a ftate of 
total inaftivity and abftinence from food: but, at 
the end of that period, being forced from it's re- 
treat by hunger, it comes forth in queft of frefti 
nourifliment evidently much emaciated. It is a 
. mere vulgar error to fuppofe that, during this time, 
the Bear fubfifts by fucking it's paws; fince it ra- 
ther lives on the exuberance of it's former flefh, 
and only feels the calls of appetite when the fat it 
had acquired in fummer becomes almoft exhaufted. 
The Bear retreats either to the cliffs of rocks, the 
deepeft recefl^es of the moft impervious woods, or 
to the hollows of decayed trees, which it afcends 
and defcends with furprizing agility. Multitudes 
are killed annually for their flefh and flcins, both 
of which are valuable; and the latter, in particular, 
forms a confiderable article of commerce. 
Bear, Brown. This creature, except in fize 
and colour, almioft entirely relembles the former. 
It is not only favage, but folitary. It deftroys cat- 
tle, and feeds on carrion; however, it's general 
food is roots, fruits, and vegetables. It plucks up 
T great 
