fi I c 
B I R 
the (lomach and inteftines. The word Bezoar is 
fuppofed to derive it's name either from the pafan, 
■or pafar, the animal which produces it; or from a 
word in the Arabic language fignifying an Anti- 
dote or Counter-poifon. 
The Bezoar-ftone is generally from the fize of 
an acorn to that of a pigeon's egg; and the larger 
the ftone, tlie more valuable it is efteemed, it's 
price increafing like that of a diamond. A ftone 
weigliing four ounces was formerly ibid in Europe 
for two hundred pounds; but, at prefcnt, thefe 
ftones being of little eftimation, the price has of 
courfe greatly fallen. 
The Bezoar is of various colours ; fometimes of 
a blood-colour; fometimes of a pale yellow; and, at 
other times, of all the fhades between the above 
two colours : it is generally fmooth and glolTy; 
and has a fragrant fmell, lilce that of ambergris, 
probably arifmg from the aromatic vegetables on 
which the animal feeds which produces it. It has 
been prefcribed in vertigoes, epiiepfies, palpita- 
tions, the colic, the jaundice, and, in Ihort, in al- 
moft every diforder incidcrnt to humanity : in all 
of which, perhaps, it is alike efficacious, acting 
only as an abforbent, and poUeffing virtues equal to 
thofe of common chalk, or crabs-claws. Judici- 
ous phyficians have rnerefore difcarded it ; and the 
life of this once-celebrated medicine is now chiefly 
confined to thofe countries where the knowledge of 
nature hath as yet made but little progrefs. 
When this medicine was in it's higheft reputa- 
tion, many arts were praftifed to adulterate it, and 
many countries endeavoured to difcover a Bezoar 
of their own ; thus we had occidental as well as 
oriental Bezoar, cow Bezoar, hog Bezoar, and mon- 
key Bezoar: in lliort, there is fcarcely an animal 
of the frugivorous kind which does not produce 
fome of thele concretions ; and probably thofe of 
one creature are equally as efficacious as thofe of 
another. 
BEZOLA. A truttaceous fiffi of the albula 
-kind, called by Gefner the albula cserulea. It re- 
fembles the herring in fhape; and is of a duflcy 
blueifh colour, not differing very effentiaily from 
tlie lavaretus. 
BIB. This fifh, to which Linnaeus gives the 
name of the gadus lufcus, grows to the length of a 
foot. The body is deep ; the fides are compreffed; 
and the fcales, fo far from adhering to the fkin, as 
is aiTerted by fome naturalifts, are extremely deci- 
duous : the eyes are covered with a loofe mem- 
"brane, which the Bib can inflate atpleafure, like a 
bladder; the mouth is fmall ; and beneath the chin 
there is a beard about an inch long. The firft 
dorfai fin confifts of twelve rays; the fecond, of 
twenty-three ; and the third, of twenty : the pec- 
toral fins have about fixteen rays ; the ventral, fix 
or feven, of which the firft ray is long and fe- 
taceotis ; the firft anal fin has twenty-fevcn, and the 
laft twenty-one rays. The back is of a light olive 
colour ; the fides are finely tinged with gold ; the 
belly is v/hite ; the tail is black ; and the anal fins 
are dufl<:y, edged vnth lively v/hite. 
BIBIO. The wine-fly, a very flnall infe£t found 
frequently among empty wine-cafl<s. It is pro- 
duced from a fmall oblong red v/orm, very com- 
mon in the fediments of wine. 
BICAUDA. A fifh of the xiphias or fword- 
fifh kind, about five feet long, and a foot and a half 
broad at the breaft, tapering gradually towards the 
tail. It is covered with a thick rough fkin; and 
has feveral fhort bony prickles on it's back and 
fides, which are of a brown colour : the belly i-i 
white ; and the fins are all of a brownifh grey, the 
back one being adorned with feveral beautiful 
black fpots. 
Tlie name of this fifli is derived from Bis, 
Double; and Caudia, a Tail : and is efteem.ed very 
palatable food. 
BIDET. A nag, or little horfe. 
BIGGEL. A quadruped nearly about the co- 
lour and magnitude of a rein-deer; and, according 
to Mandeliloe, is a n^ve of the Eaft Indies. It's 
head is like that of a horfe; it's mane is like an 
afs's; it has black cloven-feet; and is furnifhed with 
two horns. 
BIL. A name given by fome naturalifts to a 
particular fpecies of cod- fifh. 
BILLARD. An Englifli'name for the young 
of the coal-fi-fh, or rowling pollack, up to a certain 
fize; as the cod, to a certain magnitude, is called 
a codling, 
BIOTA. A name by v/hich Dr. Hill expreffes 
the polype. This creature is of a cylindric, but 
variable figure; and the tentacula are arranged in 
a fingle feries round the aperture of the mouth, at 
the extremity of the body. 
Linnsus gives this animal the name of hydra, 
probably from the reproduftion, or repulIulation» 
of it's parts when cut off ; and the name Biota leems 
likev/ife applicable on the fame account. There 
are feveral fpecies of the Biota. 
BIRD. The chara6lers of this clafs of animals 
are, that their bodies are covered with feathers ; 
that each of them is furniffied with two legs and 
two wings, and a hard bony bill ; and that the fe- 
males are oviparous. 
This beautiful race of animals feem^s formed to 
embellifh our forefts, to amufe us in our walks, and 
to exclude folitude from our mioft fnady retire- 
ments. From them man has nothing to fear; 
their pleafures, their defires, and even their animo- 
fities, ferve only to enliven the general pi6i:ure of 
nature, and to cheer the penfive and contemplative 
mind. 
Every part of nature is furnifhed with it's pro- 
per inhabitants: the woods, the waters, and tiie 
depths of the earthy have their refpedive tenants; 
v/hile the pafnve air, and thofe tra6ls of feeming 
fpace too elevated for man to afcend, are traverfed 
by multitudes of the moft beautiful feathered be- 
ings. Though all ranks and orders of animals 
feem adapted for their defrined fituations, none are 
more apparently fo than birds ; they fiiare the ve- 
getable ipoils of the earth in common with the qua- 
drupeds; to compenfate their want of ftrength, 
they are fupplied with fwiftnefs ; and, in order to 
avoid thofe enemies which Providence has not hz^ 
ted them to oppofe, they are endowed with the fa- 
culty of afceoding into the air. Birds, indeed, 
feem entirely formed for a life of efcape, eveiy 
part of their anatomy being calculated for fwiftnefsi 
and, as they are defigned to foar on high, all the'ii" 
parts are proporticnably light. 
Though, in the fcale of nature, it muft be admit- 
ted that Birds are inferior to quadrupeds, as being 
lefs imitative of human endowments; they certainly 
fui pafs fifhes and inf:£ls> not only v/ith refpeft to 
the ilruflure of their bodies, but in their fuperior 
fagacity. 
Of man, the moft perfeft animal, there are but 
a very few fpecies, aiui the difcrirninations between 
them are not flrongly maiked ; of quadruped^ the 
kinds are more numerous; Birds- are more various' 
ftiil; 
