T R I 
T R I 
pith three seeds, which are marked with an 
xternal cicatrix or scar, where they are fast- 
jned within the fruit. See Botan y. 
TR1LIX, a genus of the class and order 
olyandria monogynia. The calyx is three- 
eaved ; corolla three-petalled ; 'berry tive- 
lelled, many seeded. There is one species, 
, shrub of Carthagena. 
TRILLION, in arithmetic, a billion of 
pillions. 
TRILLIUM, a genus of the hexandria 
(rigynia class and order of plants. The calyx 
s three-leaved ; corolla three-petalled ; berry 
Tree-celled. There are three species, hardy 
perennials. 
TRIM of a ship, her best posture, pro- 
lortion ot ballast, and hanging of her masts, 
kc. tor sailing. To find the trim of a ship, 
s to find the best way of making her sail 
wiftly, or how she will sail best. This is 
lone by easing of her masts and shrouds ; 
ome ships sailing much better when they are 
lack, than when they are taut or fast ; but 
his depends much upon experience and 
ydgment, and the several trials and observa- 
ions which the commander and other officers 
nay make aboard. 
TRINGA, sandpiper, a genus of birds be- 
onging to the order of gralhe. The bill is 
omewhat tapering, and of the length of the 
lead ; the nostrils are small ; the toes are 
our in number and divided, the hind toe be- 
hg frequently raised from the ground. Ac- 
ording to Dr. Latham, there are 45 species, 
•f which IS are British. We shall describe 
ome of the most remarkable. 
L Vanellus, lapwing, or tewit, is distin- 
guished by having the bill, crown of the head, 
west, and throat, of a black colour ; there is 
Iso a black line under each eye ; the back i§ 
►f a purplish green ; the wings and tail are 
•lack and white, and the legs red; the 
weight is eight ounces, and the length 13 
ficlffis. It lays four eggs, making a slight 
.est with a few bents. The eggs have an 
live cast, and are spotted with black. The 
oung, as soon as hatched, run like chickens, 
'he parents show remarkable solicitude for 
lem, flying witli great anxiety and clamour 
ear them, striking at either men or dogs that 
pproach, and often fluttering along the 
round like a wounded bird, to a considerable 
istance from their nest, to delude their pur- 
sers ; and to aid the deceit, they become 
lore clamorous when most remote from it. 
’he eggs are held in great esteem for their 
elicacy, and are sold by the London poul- 
;rers for 4or5 shillings the dozen. In winter, 
ipwings join in vast flocks; but at that 
;ason are very wild : their flesh is very 
ood, their food being insects and worms, 
hiring October and November, they are 
iken in the fens in nets, in the same manner 
tat ruffs are; but are not preserved for 
ttening, being killed as soon as caught. 
2 . Pugnax. The male of this species is 
died ruff, and the female reeve. The name 
tfl is given to the males because they are 
jmished with very long feathers, standing 
it in a remarkable manner, not unlike the 
iff worn by our ancestors. The ruff is of as 
any different colours as there are males ; 
it in general it is barred with black ; the 
eight is six or seven ounces; the length one 
at. The female, or reeve, has no ruff; tile 
pinion colour is brown ; the feathers are 
ged with a very pale colour ; the breast 
Vol. II. ^ ! 
and belly white. Its weight is about four 
ounces. ' See Plate Nat. Hist. 
These birds appear in the fens in the 
earliest spring, and disappear about Michael- 
mas. The reeve lays four eggs in a tuft of 
grass, the first week in May, and sit about a 
month. The eggs are white, marked with 
large rusty spots. Fowlers avoid in general 
the taking of the females; not only because 
they are smaller than the males, but that they 
may be left to breed. 
Soon after their arrival, the males begin to 
hill ; that is, to collect on some dry bank 
near a splash of water, in expectation of the 
females who resort to them. Each male 
keeps possession of a small piece of ground, 
which it runs round till the grass is worn 
quite away, and nothing but a naked circle is 
left. When a female lights, the ruffs imme- 
diately fall to fighting. It is a vulgar error, 
that ruffs must be fed in the dark, lest they 
should destroy each other by fighting on ad- 
mission of light. The truth is, every bird 
takes its stand in the room as it would in the 
open fen. If another invades its circle, an 
attack is made, and a battle ensues. They 
make use of the same action in lighting as a 
cock, place their bills to the ground and 
spread their ruffs. Mr. Pennant says he has 
set a whole roomful a fighting, by making 
them move their stations; and, after quitting 
the place, by peeping through a crevice, 
seen them resume their circles, and grow 
pacific. 
When a fowler discovers one of those hills, 
he places his net over night, which is of the 
same kind as those that are called clap or duv 
nets ; only it is generally single, and is about 
14 yards long and four broad. The fowler 
resorts to his stand at day-break, at the dis- 
tance of one, two, three, or four hundred 
yards from the nets, according to the time of 
the season ; for the later it is, the shyer the 
birds grow. He then makes his first pull, 
taking such birds as he finds within reach ; 
after that he places his stuffed birds or stales, 
to entice those that are continually traversing 
the fen, When the stales are set, seldom 
more than two or three are taken at a time. 
A fowler will take forty or fifty dozen in a 
season. These birds are found in Lincoln- 
shire, the isle of Ely, and in the East Riding 
of York. They visit a place called Martin- 
Mere, in Lancashire, the latter end of March 
or beginning of April ; but do not continue 
there above three weeks ; where they are 
taken in nets, and fattened for the table with 
bread and milk, hempseed, and sometimes 
boiled wheat ; but if expedition is required, 
sugar is added, which will make them in a 
fortnight’s time a lump of fat: they then 
sell for two shillings or half a crown a-piece. 
They are dressed like the woodcock, with 
their intestines: and when killed at the 
critical time, say the epicures, are the m®st 
delicious of all morsels. 
3. Canutus, or knot, has the forehead, 
ehin, and lower part of the neck, brown, in- 
clining to ash-colour ; the back and scapulars 
deep brown, edged with ash-colour ; the co- 
verts of the. wings white, the edges of the 
lower order deeply so, forming a white bar ; 
the breast, sides, and belly, white, the two 
first streaked with brown; the coverts of the 
tail marked with white and dusky spots al- 
ternately ; tke tail ash-coloured, the outmost 
5 M 
T R I tS29 
feather on each side white ; the legs of a 
blueish grey ; and the toes, as a special mark, 
divided to the very bottom ; the weight four 
ounces and a half. These birds, when fat- 
tened, are preferred by some to the' ruffs 
themselves. They are taken in great num- 
bers on the coasts of- Lincolnshire, in nets 
such as are employed in taking ruffs ; with 
two or three dozen of stales of wood painted 
like the birds, placed within : 14 dozens have 
been taken at once. Their season is from 
the beginning of August to that of November. 
They disappear with the first frosts. Camdeu 
says, they derive their name from king Ca- 
nute, Knute, or Knout, as he is sometimes 
called ; probably because they were a fa- 
vourite dish with that monarch. We know 
that he kept the feast of the purification of 
the Virgin Mary with great pomp and mag- 
nificence at Ely ; and this being one of the 
fen birds, it is not unlikely that he met with it 
there. 
4. r Ihe hypoleucos, or common sand- 
piper, except in pairing time, is a solitary 
bird. It is never found near the sea, but fre- 
quents rivers, lakes, and other fresh waters. 
Its head is brown, streaked with downward 
black lines ; the neck, an obscure ash-colour; 
the back and coverts of the wings, brown, 
mixed with a glossy green, elegantly marked 
with transverse dusky lines; the breast and 
belly are of a pure white ; the quill-feathers 
and the middle feathers of the tail are brown ; 
the legs of a dull pale green. 
5. The alpina, or dunling sandpiper, is at 
once distinguished from the others by the 
singularity of its colours. The back, head, 
and upper part ot the neck, are ferruginous, 
marked with large black spots; the lower 
part of the neck white, marked with short 
dusky streaks ; the coverts of the wings ash- 
colour ; the belly white, marked with large 
black spots, or with a black crescent pointing 
towards the thighs ; the tail is ash-coloured ; 
legs black ; toes divided to their origin. In 
size it is superior to that of a lark. These 
birds are found on our sea-coasts ; but may 
be reckoned among the more rare kinds. 
They lay four eggs of a dirty white colour, 
blotched with brown round the thicker end, 
and marked with a few small spots of the same 
colour on the smaller end. They are com- 
mon on the Yorkshire coasts, and' esteemed a 
great delicacy. 
B. The cinclus, purre, or stint, is in length 
seven and a half inches; the head and hind 
part of the neck are ash-coloured, marked 
with dusky lines ; a white stroke divbles the 
bill and eyes ; the back is of a brownish ash- 
cojuur ; the breast and belly white ; the co- 
verts of the wings and tail a dark brown, 
edged with light ash-colour or white; the 
upper part of the quill-feathers dusky, the 
lower white ; the legs of a dusky green ; the 
toes divided to their origin. The bill an inch 
and a half long, slender and black ; irides 
dusky. These birds come in large flocks on 
our sea-coasts in winter. 
TRINITARIANS, those who are ortho- 
dox and believe in the trinity : those who 
do not believe therein, being r called anti- 
trinitarians. 
I RIN 1 1 V -HOUSE, a kind of college at 
Deptford, belonging to a company or corpo- 
ration of seamen, who, by the king’s charter, 
have power to take cognizance of those pe*- 
