HEN 
larger than that Pigeon called the nun; the head, 
tail, and long feathers of the wings, are always of 
the fame colour, which is either red, black, or yel- 
low; and the reft of the body is entirely white. 
HELMET SHELL. A family of Shells, 
which may be defined as femiglobofe, the back 
being round or conv^ex, and the under or mourh- 
part flat. Their clavicles or turbans are nearly 
fiat, and always very Hiort, The mouth, which is 
long and narrow, ends in a fulcus at the top, 
which turns very large, ftrong, and crooked, on 
the back; the lip is ftrongly ferrated, and riles into 
a high thick border or ledge on the back ; and the 
pillar is generally ftrongly toothed, and befet with 
fmall afperities. 
HELOPS. A fifn well knov/n to the ancients, 
and mentioned by many of the claffical writers, as 
well as the naturalifts of antiquity. It feems to 
have been fynonymous with their onifcus, and ac- 
cipefius, which is generally fuppofed to mean our 
fturgeon. 
HEMATOPUS. An appellation given by 
Bellonius, and Ibme other authors, to the bird 
commonly known in England by the name of the 
fea-pie, the pica marina of Ray. 
HEMEROBIUS. A genus of infefts of the 
neuroptera order; the charafters of which are 
thefe: the mouth is furniihed with two tentacula; 
the wino;s are deflex without foldi ; and the antenns 
£re lon2;er than the thorax, fetaceous, and ex- 
tended. Naturalifts enum.erate futeen fpecies. See 
Chrysopis. 
HEMIPTERA. In the Linnxan fyftem, this 
forms tiie fecond order of infe£ls, comprehending 
twelve genera; namely, the blatta, mantis, gryllus, 
fulgora, cicada, notonefta, nepa, cimex, aphis, 
kermes, coccus, and thrips. The characters of 
this order are thefe : the mouth is either fituated 
in the breaft, or inclined tov/ards it ; and the upper 
wings are femicruftaceous, femimembranaceous, 
incumbent, and unconnefted by a ftraiglit longi- 
tudinal future, as in the order of coleoptera. The 
term Hemiptera is derived from Hemifus, Half; 
and Pteron, a Wing. 
HEMISPH(E,RL\. An appellation given by 
Hill to the genus of flies commonly called the 
lady-cow or lady- bird; and ranked by Ray and 
other naturalifts amons; beetles. 
HEN. The general name of the female among 
the winged tribes; but more commonly ufed to 
exprefs the female of the gallinaceous kind. 
HEN, WATER. A name frequently given 
to the Moor-Hen, called alio the common gaili- 
nule. See Gallinule, Common. 
EIENBANE LOUSE. An appellation given 
to a peculiar infeft frequently found on the plant 
from which it receives it's name. It is of the or- 
der of cimices ; it's colour is a bright red, fpotted 
with black; it feeds on the juices of the henbane; 
and it is remarkable that the fetid fap of this plant 
becomes of an agreeable aromatic flavour in the 
body of the infe6t. 
Thefe creatures depofit their eggs on the leaves 
of the henbane about the months of June and 
July; and in procefs of time they are hatched 
into perfeft cimices, not into worms. Thefe eggs, 
which are extremely numerous, vield a fine carna- 
tion colour, that i'eems capable of affording a per- 
manent tinge, by the afnftance of allum, and other 
aftringents uled in dyeing. 
HEN-HARRIER ; the Falco Cyaneus of Lin- 
nseus. This bird, which is properly of the hawk 
HER 
kind, has been fuppofed by many naturalifts to be 
the m.de fubbuteo; the female of which is fo very 
different, that it has been called by another name, 
viz. the ring-tail ; but this is certainly a vulgar er- 
ror, the fpecies appearing by inconteftible evidence 
to be diftinft. 
The Hen-Harrier is finaller than the ring-taih 
the head, neck, and back, are dove-coloured; the 
fcapulars are brownifh; the rump is fomewhaC 
whitifh; the breail: is a pure white, variegated vmh 
tranfverfe brown fpots; tlie wings and tail are a 
blueifli grey, variegated with black; and the legs 
are yellow, and imaller than is ufual in the hawk 
kind. 
This bird flies near the furface of the ground in 
fearch of prey; and is extremely deftruftive to 
young poultry and the feathered game. It breeds 
on the ground; and has never been obferved to 
fettle on trees. 
HENOTHRIX. The name of a fly of the 
feticauda or hair-tailed kind; diftinguiflied from 
the other fpecies by having only one hair, and 
hence by fome called unifc-ta. The whole body 
is black, except the middle of the back and belly, 
which are red; the wings are flvery; and the an- 
tenna are fmall and black. It is very common in 
the warm climates; and is ufually found on the 
ammi, or bifoop's weed. 
HEP AT US. A marine fifli common in the 
Mediterranean, remarkable for it's liver-colour, 
from whence it receives it's name. It's figure is 
broad and flat; it has very prominent eyes; and a 
remarkably broad tail, near the bafis of Vv'hich 
there is a large black Ipot. It's teeth are large, 
round, and fomewhat pointed; and it has only one 
dorfal fin, the anterior rays of v^hich are prickly, 
and the pofterior foft. 
In the Artedian fyftem, this fifli is a fpecies of 
the labrus; and diftinguiflied by the appellation of 
the labrus wich the lower jaw longer than the up- 
per, a forked tail, and black tranfverfe lines on the 
fides . 
HEPSETUS. An appellation given to a 
fmall fea-nfh, called alfo anguilla and atherina. It 
is long, fiender, and almoft^ pellucid; the back is 
variegated vmh black fpots; and the tail is bifid. 
It is caught on the fhores of the Mediterranean, 
and fome other feas. It's flefh is reckoned ex- 
tremely delicate; but being full of bones, is not 
much efteemed. 
HERBIVOROUS. An epithet given to fuch 
creatures as feed only on vegetables, in contradi- 
ftinftion to thofe which are carnivorous, or feed on 
flcfii. 
HERMAPHRODITE. An appellation ufed 
to exprefs perfons or animals which are furniihed 
with the genital members both of the male and 
female fexes. Some naturalifts and anatomifts 
have exprefsly denied that there are any of the 
human race which anlwer this defcription; but 
certain it is, that many of the infefl and reptile 
tribes are really Hermaphrodites. 
In the Memoirs of the French Academ.y we 
meet with an account of a very extraordinary kind 
of Hermaphrodites, which not only partake of 
both fexes, but alfo perform the ofhces of both at 
the fame time. Of this clafs are earth-worms^ 
land-fnails, frefti-water fnails, and leeches. 
The method of copulation praftifed air.ong 
thefe creatures may be illuftrated in the inftance of 
earth-worms, Thefe little animals creep, tvro by 
two, out of their holes; and difpofe their bodies 
5 A IB 
