O U N 
Alentian and Pox iflands, and feveral others dif- 
cov^ered by Captain Cook, Sea-Otters are ama- 
zingly numei-ous; and their furs may be purchafed 
of the natives for the moft trifling confiderations. 
The flefli of the young Otter is reckoned very de- 
licate food ; and equal, if not fuperior, to that of 
lamb. 
OTTER PIKE. An appellation given by 
fome ichthyologifts to a large fpecies of the draco 
marinus, or fca-dragon; called in Englifli the 
weever. Ic is fomewhat larger than the common 
weever; beautifully diverfified with various co- 
lours; and, inftead of the yellow fide-lines which 
appear in the com.mon kind, it is furniflied v/ith 
rows of large black fpots. See Weever. 
OTUS. The clafTical name of the common 
horn-owl, of the fmaller kind, differing in many 
refpefts from the great horn, or eagle-owl. It is 
ufually found in Italy, but has fometimes been 
caught in England; and generally inhabits moun- 
tainous fituations. 
OVIPAROUS. A term exprcflive of fuch 
animals as produce their young from eggs, as birds 
and infe£ls. 
Oviparous animals may be defined fuch as con- 
ceive eggs, which they afterv/ards bring forth, and 
from which, by the incubation of the parent, or 
fome other principle of warmth and fermentation, 
living creatures are at length produced; and thefe, 
after they have fpent the moifture or humour with 
v.'hich they v/ere furrounded, and are arrived at a 
lufHcient bulk, firmnefs, and ftrength, break their 
fhells, and come forth. 
The Oviparous kinds of animals are oppofed 
to the viviparous, or fuch as produce their young 
alive. However, the diftinftion between Ovi- 
parous and viviparous creatures, particularly in 
the infefl wwld, feems to be lefs determinate than 
is generally fuppofed: it is evident that fome flies, 
which are naturally Oviparous, if reftrained from 
the proper nidus for their eggs, will retain them 
fo long beyond the due time for thsir exclufion, 
that they will hatch into worms in the body of the 
parent, and afterwards be produced alive, after the 
manner of the young of viviparous animals. And 
Bartholine, in his Medical Obfervations, gives an 
account of a hen, which, inftead of eggs, brought 
forth no lefs than five live chickens; but this pre- 
ternatural effort coft her her life. 
OVIS. Sec Sheep. 
OUNCE. An animal of tlie feline kind, fre- 
quently confounded with the panther. It is con- 
fiderably fmaller than that creature, feldom ex- 
ceeding tiiree feet and a half in length ; but it's 
liair is longer than that of the panther; and it's 
tail is ftill more fo in proportion. 
The Ounce inclines fomewhat to a cream-co- 
lour, but is rather whiter on the belly than towards 
the back; and the hair on the belly is alfo much 
longer than on the back. It's fpots are difpofed 
fomewhat like thofe of the panther, except that it 
■ has rather ftripes than fpots on the haunches. The 
body is ftrongly made; and the legs and back are 
fnort. 
This animal is a native of Barbary, Perfia, and 
China. All authors agree, that it is cafily tamed ; 
and that it is trained to hunting in Perfia, and fe- 
.vcral other provinces of Aha. Some Ounces are 
.fo very fmall, that a horfeman. frequently carries 
.them on the crupper behind him: and, according 
to Tavernier, they are fo gentle, as to fuffer them- 
- iHves to be handled and careffed. 
Vol. IL 
o u z 
The panther, to which this animal is allied^ 
feems to be of a more fiierce and untradlable 
nature. Mankind may be faid rather to fubdue 
than tame him. He never entirely lofes his fero- 
cious difpofition ; and, when deflined for the chace, 
great attention is necelTary in training him, and 
Hill greater in condu£ling and exercifing him. 
He is led in a cart, fliut up in a cage, the door 
of which is opened whenever game prefents itfclf: 
he then fprings towards the animal, v/hich he ge- 
nerally feizes and ftrangles at three or four bounds; 
but, if he mififes his aim, he becomes furious, and 
fometimes attacks his owner, who commonly ap- 
peafes his rage by prefenting him v/ith pieces of 
ficih, or even a live animal, as a lamb or a kid. 
The fpecies of the Ounce appear to be more 
numerous and more dlfFufed than that of the pan- 
ther. It is ufed for hunting in the v/arm climates 
ofAfia; becaufe dogs are there very fcarce, few 
being found except fuch as are tranfported thither 
from other countries ; and even thefe lofe both 
their voice and their inftinft in a very fhort time. 
Befides, the panther, the Ounce, and the leopard, 
have fuch an antipathy to dogs, that they attack 
them in preference to all other animals. In Eu- 
rope, our hunting-dogs have no enemies but the 
wolf; but, in countries filled with tigers, lions, 
panthers, leopards, and Ounces, which are all 
ftronger as v/ell as m.ore fierce than the wolf, it is 
impoOlble to preferve dogs. However, the fcent 
of the Ounce is much lefs acute than that of the 
dog: he neither follows animals by their feet, nor 
is he able to overtake them in a continued chace; 
but hunts them folely by the eye, and makes only 
a few fprings at his prey. He is fo very nimble, 
as eafily to clear a ditch, or a wall many feet high; 
and often climbs trees, in order to watch pafTing 
animals, from which he fuddenly darts upon them. 
This miode of feizing prey is common to the pan- 
ther, the leopard, and the Ounce. 
Ounce is alfo an appellation given to the lynx, 
or lupus cervarius, a very fierce beaft" of prey. 
Ounce, Brazilian. See Ocelot, and Cat- 
Tiger. 
OURISSIA. A name by which Clufius, and 
fome other naturalifts, have called the humming- 
bird, orguainumbi. 
OUTIN. An appellation given by fome ich- 
thyologifts to the oxyrynchus of authors. 
OVUM POLYPI. A name by which. fome 
of the ancient naturalifts expreilcd the papyra- 
ceous, or thin-fhelled nautilus. The fimilitude 
between the body and arms of the fifh which in- 
habits this fliell, and thofe of the fea-polypus, 
gave occafion to the fuppofition, that this crea- 
ture was the fame animal, not yet excluded from 
the egg. The fhell of this fpecies being very 
thin, and appearing like that of an egg, gave ad- 
ditional countenance to this error in ages when 
fcience was lefs diffufed than atprefent. 
OVUM ROMPHIL An appellation given 
to a fpecies of oblong porcelain fhell. See 
Porcelain Shell. 
OUZEL, OR BROOK OUZEL, An Eng- 
lifli appellation for the rallus aquaticus, more 
ufually called the v/ater-rail. 
Ouzel, Ring ; the Turdus Torquatus of Lin- 
nsus. This bird inhabits mountainous fitua- 
tions, where companies of five or fix generally af- 
fociate together. It is fomewhat larger than the 
blackbird. In fome, the bill is wholly black; 
in others, the "pper half is yellow; and there are 
2 O a few 
