BUT 
BUT 
©'range; the greater quills of the wings are black, 
edged with white ; the inner next the back are black, 
edged with orange; the firft row of the upper co- 
vert-feathers of the wings exatlly correfponds in 
colour with the quills they cover, though in the 
orange-hue they are tipped deeper and brighter 
than the quills, and form a bar of orange acrols 
the wings ; the leffer coverts are black ; the ridges 
of the wings are white; the inferior covert-feathers 
of the wings are of a yellowifh white; and between 
the back and the upper coverts of the wings a few 
light or whitifli feathers are intermixed. The tail 
confifts of twelve feathers, of which the middlemoft 
are the longeft, and gradually fhorten towards the 
fides, till they become one half fhorter thaxn thofe 
in the centre; the inferior fide of the tail declines 
from an orange to a cinereous colour; and the legs 
and feet are black. The hen differs from the cock 
in having no black marks round the eyes ; the co- 
verts under the tail are of a light brown colour; 
the top of the head is of a dirty brown; the back 
is fprinkled with fome duf!<y fpots, tending length- 
ways ; and the point of the bill is black. 
This bird, though not very common, has been 
difcovered in different parts of England^ and fcems 
ehiefly to frequent a marfhy foil'. 
BuTCHER-BiRD, Fork-Tailed Indian". This 
fpecies has a thick, ftrong bill, fomewhat arched, 
and the upper mandible overhangs the lower. The 
bafis of the upper mandible has feveral Itiff hairs 
round it, proiecling forwards; both the upper and 
the lower mandibles are of a dufky brown colour, 
lighter towards their bafes, and gradually becom- 
ing darker towards their points. The whole head, 
neck, back, and covert-feathers of the wings, are of 
a bright Ihining black, reflefting blue, purple, and 
green, as they are turned and expofed to different 
iights. The greater quills, with fome of the firft 
row of covert-feathers next above them, are of a 
rufty black, without any luftre; but the quills next 
the body are of the colour of the head and back. 
The tail-feathers are fhorteft in the middle, and of 
a dull rufty black colour; the whole belly, thighs, 
and covert-feathers under the tail, are white ; the 
fides and thighs are flightly clouded with dufky 
fpots ; and the legs, feet, and claws, are of a black- 
ifh colour. 
This bird, which, froirr it's peculiar formation, 
feems as proper to be referred to the magpie clafs 
as that of the Butcher-Birds, is a native of India, 
and is thei^e called fingah. 
BuTCHER-BiRD, BlACK AND WhITE. This 
beautiful bird is a native of Surinam, in South 
America. Near the head the beak is pretty thick, 
but grows lefs towards the point, and is of a duf- 
ky colour. The upper mandible has a flight in- 
curvation dov/nwards, near the end, or tip, and 
overhangs the lower; and on each fide of the point 
©f the upper mandible there is a fmall notch or 
angle. The feathers at the bafe of the beak point 
forwards, and partly Oiade the noftrils ; the plu- 
mage all over the head, body, wings, and tail, is 
black and white, with tranfverfe bars or marks; the 
Govert-feathers on the infides of the wino-s are al- 
O 
moft white, having a very fmall proportion of black 
confufedly intermixed; the interior webs of the 
quills have white fpots ; and their infides, as well as 
the under fidfe of the tail, are almoft of the fame 
colour with the upper. The tail is compofcd of 
ten feathers ; the exterior toe of each foot adheres 
to the middle one near it's bottom ; the legs, feet, 
ssad.clawSi are di.}l];y; and each fingle feather, all 
ovtr the boJy, is marked with feveral tranfverfsf 
bars of black and white. 
BUTEO. Another name for the buzzard. 
BUTORIUS. A namiC fometimes given to 
. the ardea ftellaris, or bittern. 
BUTRO. The name of a wild bull. 
BUTS-KOPF. This filh, to which fome na^ 
turalifts give the name of the flounder's head, is 
befu known in England under the appellation of 
the grampus. The fnout, fins, and tail, referable 
thofe of the dolphin ; but the body is more than 
four times as thick, efpecially about the belly. It 
is eighteen feet long, and upwards of ten feet in 
circumference. The fnout is flattifli, and reverts> 
upwards ; the lower lip is fo thick, that it falls 
from the upper as the filh lies along; and the 
mouth is armed with forty teeth, of which the fore- 
moft are blunt and flender, but the hinder are fliarp' 
and thick. 
BUTTERFLY. In Latin, Papilio. A nume-. 
rous genus of infefts, furnifhed with mealy wings 
and fpiral mouths, which undergo feveral transfor- 
mations before they arrive at their perfedl ftate. 
The caterpillars proceed from the eggS;. thefe 
; change into the chryfalides, or aureli^; and' then' 
[ the Butterflies appear, which,, from their beautiful 
and furprizing variety of colours, may be regarded 
as fome of the greateft curiofities in natural hiftory,^ 
and therefore require a conne6led defcriptioix 
through their various gradations. 
Caterpillars, which conftitute almofl: one-thircf 
part of infers in general, may eafily be diftin- 
guifhcd from maggots, or worms, by the number 
of their feet; as well as by their producing Butter- 
flies, or moths, the firfc of which are called diur- 
nal, and the latter no6turnal infefts. When the 
fun calls forth vegetation, and vivifies the various 
eggs of inie61:s, the caterpillars are the firft which, 
appear; and are accordingly feen on every vege- 
table and tree, eating their leaves, and preparing 
for a ftate of greater perfeftion. They have feec 
both before and behind; which not only enable 
them to move forward, but aifb to climb upwards 
on vegetables, and to expand themfelves from the 
boughs and'ftalks, in- order to reach their food at a; 
diftance. All reptiles of this clafs have from eight 
to fixteen feet ; and this peculiarity alone may ferve 
to diftinguifli them from the worm tribe, whicJi 
never have fo many. 
The tranfmutations wliich caterpillars undergc*- 
are more numerous than thofe of any infefts hi- 
therto mentioned ; and, in confequence, they have 
been placed in the third order of changes by Swara- 
merdam, who has thrown fo much light on the 
fubjeft of natural hift'ory. When excluded from 
the eggs, they become crawling caterpillars ; then 
infenfibk aurelias, as they are called, without life 
or motion; and iaftly, Butterflies varioufly painted, 
according to their clifferent kinds. 
It is well known by uniteci experience, that all 
caterpilkrs are hatched from the eggs of Butter- 
flies; and thofe who obferve them moft minutely,, 
will find the fly very careful in depofiting it's 
eggs in places where they are likely to be hatched 
with the greateft fafety and luccefs. During the 
feverity of winter, therefore, the greateft num.ber 
of caterpillars continue in an egg ftate, in that 
lifelefs fituation defying all the rigours and humi- 
dity of the climate; and, though often expolcd to 
all it's changes, they ftill prelerve the latent prin- 
ciples of life, which are more fully exerted at the 
approach of fpriag. The fams poTver tha:t pi'ilie^ 
