tiie fame colqur -with the herring; the t;iil alio is 
forked; but the hcrad is of a finguJar figure, the 
eyes, and the extremity of the fnout, being extreme- 
ly iarge. 
This fiHi is pj-incipaliy caught on the Malabar 
caaft. It is extremely well tailed; and is cured 
vnth greater facility than moft other Eafl India fiih: 
it is therefore maich valued, and fent into all the 
neighbouring parts of the country in piclcje. Tl'ic 
natives alfo ufe it for another very beneficial pur- 
pofe, at thofe leafons when it is very plentiful; 
namely, that of jp.anuring land on which rice is in- 
tended to be fown. 
• BLIEGG. A German appellation for the rifii 
ufually called the bleak, the albula and alburna 
of natiiralifrs. 
BLIKE. A name foraetimes given to an ana- 
dromious fiHi fom.ev/hat refem.bling our river-chub; 
called by Gefncr capito anadromous ; but more 
generally known by the title of zerta. 
BLIND. A Cornifh name for the afellus luf- 
cus, commonly called the bib. It is a fiili of the 
eod kind, but never grov/s to any confiderable ftze. 
BLIND SERPENT. A reptile very common- 
at the Cape of Good Hope, furnifiied v/ith black 
fcales, fpotted with brown, red, and white. It 
is often found in the clefts of rocks, and fimilar 
lituations, where it is eafiiy difpatched. It does 
not appear to be very fierce ; and it's bite is faid to 
be lefs dangerous than that of moft other ferpents. 
BLIND-WORM. A very harmlefs repdle, 
thoughformidable in appearance. The ufual length 
of this fpecies is eleven inches; the irides are red; 
the head is fmall; the neck is ftill more fiender, 
and from it the body faddenly increafes, and con- 
tinues of an equal bulk to the tail, which is blunt 
at the end. The colour of the back is cinereous, 
marked with very final] lines compofedof minute 
black fpecks ; the fides are of a reddifn call, and 
the belly is duf!<y, but both are maculated like the 
back. The tongue is broad and forked; the teeth 
are minute and numerous; and the fcales are fmall. 
The motion of this reptile is flow; from v/hich 
circumiftance, as well as from the fm.allnefs of it's 
eyes, it's names are derived; fome calling it the 
flov/, and odiers the Blind-Worm. Lilce all the 
reft of the kind in our climates, tliey lie torpid 
during the winter, being fomictimes found in vaft 
numbers twifted together. This animal refembles 
the viper in bringing forth it's young alive. 
Dr. Borlafe, who mentions a variety of this fer- 
pent with a pointed tail, tells us, that he was in- 
formed that a man loft his life by the bite of one 
in Oxfordflrire. It is probable, however, that the 
inform.ant miftook the black, or duflvv viper, for 
this kind; for it does not appear that any other 
reptile in this count) y can communicate poifon by 
it's bite. In Sweden, indeed, there is a fmall red- 
difn ferpent, called tlae afping, the coluber clierfea 
of LinnjEus, the bite of which is faid to be mor- 
tal : and it is poffible that this fpecies, though yet 
unnoticed by our na-uraliPcs, is to be met with in 
fome parts of Britain ; and that it's bite may 'be 
attributed to theBlind-Worm. 
BL/JOD-HOUND. A fpecies of the canine 
genus which was highly efteemed by our anceftors, 
who employed it in recovering fuch game as had 
either efcaped from the hunters in a wounded ftate, 
or had been killed and ftolen out of the foreft. The 
faculty of fmeliing in this creaturewas very remark- 
able: it traced the loft animal by the blood it had 
fpilt; and, with the utmoft certainty, difcovered 
the robber, whofe footfteps it traced through fecref 
and impervious paths at the greateft diftance^ nor 
ever defifted from the purfuit till it had overtaken, 
him. 
During the civil Wars in Scotland, Blood-Hounds 
were employed on various occafions; and the poe- 
tical hiftori.Jis of thofe tv/o lieroes, Bruce and Wal- 
lace, fi-equently relate very curious anecdotes re- 
fpefdng the fervices rendered by thofe animals to 
their mafters, together with their efcapes from thofe 
of their enemies. They v/ere alfo much valued 
on the confines of Scotland and England, v/here 
the inhabitants of the marches were continually 
preying on the herds and flocks of their neighbours, 
Hiftory likewife informs us, that King James VI. 
of Scotland, before he afccnded the Enghil-i throne, 
miade ufe of thefe fagacious animals in difcovering 
a race of Cannibals and robbers which had long 
infefted the county of Fife; and, flieltered in a 
dark cave of confiderable extent on the fea-coaft, 
had eluded the vigilance of the neighbouring in- 
habitants for many years. 
The genuine Blood-FIound breed v/as large, 
ftrong, mufcular, broad-chefted, of a ft"ern afpetl, 
of a deep tawny colour, and generally marked v/ith 
a black fpot over each eye. This fpecies, how- 
ever, feenns nov/ to be entirely blended with the 
terrier and harrier; and the ftock is confequently 
loft". 
BLOWING-SNAKE. A name given by the 
natives of Virginia to a fpecies of ferpent very 
much refembling the European viper, but confide- 
rably larger, and veiy remarkable for infiating and 
extending the furface of it's head before it infiids 
it's bite. 
BLUE-BIRD. This beautiful animal, as de- 
fcribed by Beilonius, entirely refembles the black 
bird, except in it's colour. It inhabits the Alps, 
and always fele£ls the moft craggy rocks and moft 
ftupendous precipices for it's retreat. Being very 
rarely caught, it is highly, efteemed even in thofe 
countries where it breeds; but ftill more fo when 
carried into foreign lands. It not only fmgs moft 
delightfully, but is capable of being taught to 
fpeak articulately; and is fo extremely docile and 
obfervant, that, if vvaked during the night-time 
by any of tlie family to v.'hich it is accuftomicd, 
it will Ipeak and whiftie at the word of command. 
About the beginning of v/inter, it's colour be- 
comes black, and changes again to it's original 
hue on the firft approach of fpring. 
The Blue-Birds build their nefts in deep holes in 
very high and inaccefhble fblitudes ; thereby re- 
moving them not only from the reach of man, but 
alfo hiding them with ftirprizing art from the cha- 
mois and other wild beafts which might annoy 
their young. 
Fowlers are faid to catch thefe beautiful birds 
in the follov>/ing manner . Having difcovered where 
they build their nefts, they take with them_ flrong 
ftllts, or ftakes, fuch as the climbers of rocks make 
ufe of to affift them in their afcent ; by means of 
which titey mount fuch places as indifferent fpec- 
tators Avould think impoflible to be afcended; ai: 
the fame time covering tiieir heads; in order to ward 
off" any danger from the falling of pebbles or ftones 
above them. At length, having arrived at the nefts 
with extreme toil and labour, they draw them up 
from the holes in which they are ufually buried, 
and cherifh the young with an aftiduity equal to 
the pains they take in obtaining them. 
The Blue Bird, for the moft part, produces fi ve 
young; 
