874 
URT 
U R T 
usu 
all manner qf dry food that is given it into 
water b.fore it eats it ; as well as of rolling it 
between its paws tor some time. When it 
kills birds, it proceeds exactlv in the manner 
ot a polecat; first biting off the head, and 
then sucking out the blood, ft drinks but 
little, and is a very cleanly animal. It is ex- 
tremely expert in opening oysters, on which, 
as well as on crabs and various other kinds of 
shell-fish, it frequently feeds in its wild state. 
It is, when tamed, extremely active and play- 
ful ; but is of a capricious disposition, and not 
easily reconciled when Offended. When an- 
gry, its voice is like a hoarse bark, and at 
other times soft and sharp. In its wild state 
it generally inhabits the hollows of trees ; but 
in a domestic state shews no particular incli- 
nation for warmth; nor is it observed to be 
desirous of lying on straw, or any other sub- 
stance, in preference to the bare ground. It 
sleeps from about midnight to noon, at which 
time it comes out for food and exercise. Ac- 
cording to Linnaeus, the raccoon has a won- 
derful antipathy to hogs’ bristles, and is much 
disturbed at the sight of a brush. It pro- 
duces from two to three young at a birth : 
this commonly takes place in the month of 
May. The fur of the raccoon is used by the 
h itters, and is considered as next in merit for 
this purpose to that of the beaver. 
6. Ursus meles, the badger, is an inhabit- 
ant of all the temperate parts of Europe and 
Asia. Its usual length is about two feet from 
the nose to the tail, which measures six 
inches. It is an animal of very clumsy make, 
being thick-necked and thick-bodied, with 
very short legs. It commonly resides in a 
hole or den under ground, out of which it 
emerges by night in quest of food ; feeding 
chiefly on roots and fruits ; but it will also de- 
vour frogs, worms, &c. The badger is of an 
uniform grey colour on the upper parts ; and 
the throat, breast, belly, and legs, are black : 
the face is white, and along each side of the 
head runs a iong and somewhat triangular or 
pyramidal band of black, including the eyes 
and ears: the eyes are small, and the ears 
short and rounded: the claws on the fore 
feet are very long and straight, and it is prin- 
cipally from this circumstance that Mr. Pen- 
nant ranks it under a separate genus, instead 
of including it under that of ursus, or bear. 
Authors have sometimes made a distinction 
between what they call the sow badger and 
the dog badger ; but this is supposed to be 
perfectly untenable, and if there is any per- 
ceptible variation, is probably no other than 
a mere sexual difference. The hair of the 
badger, both on the body, limbs, and tail, is 
very thick; and the teeth, legs, and claws, 
are very strong; so that he makes a very vi- 
gorous defence when attacked. When taken 
young, the badger may be easily tamed, and 
generally prefers raw flesh to every other 
food in a state of captivity. It is a very 
cleanly animal, and is observed to keep its 
subterraneous mansion extremely neat. The 
female produces about three or four young: 
this happens in summer; and, according to 
the count de Button, the parent seizes on 
young rabbits, which she drags out of their 
burrows, birds, eggs, snakes, and many other 
animals, in order to feed her young. Like 
the bear, this animal is also fond of honey, 
and will attack hives in order to obtain it. 
The badger sleeps a great deal, especially 
during winter, when lie imitates the practice 
of the bear, confining himself to his den in a 
state of semi-torpidity. 
7. Ursus labradorius, American badger. 
In its general appearance this extremely 
resembles the common badger, and might al- 
most pass for a variety only: it is, however, 
somewhat smaller, and' the black bands on t tie 
face are much narrower and do not. include 
the eyes, but commence behind them, and 
run along the top of the neck : the ears are 
surrounded with black: the upper parts ot the 
body are nearly of the same colour as in the 
common badger, but rather paier, and with a 
slight yellowish cast ; and tiie breast and belly 
are of a light ash-colour, instead of black: the 
legs are of a dusky brown : the daws are at 
least as long and strong as in the European 
badger, if not more so. This species is ra- 
ther scarce in America. It is found in the 
neighbourhood of Hudson’s-bay, and in lerra 
di Labrador, and as Mr. Pennant suspects, as 
low as Pennsylvania, where it is called the 
ground-hog. 
URTICA, a genus of plants of the class 
moncecia, and order tetranclria; and in the na- 
tural system classed under the 53d order, 
scabridte. The male flower has a calyx ot 
four leaves; no corolla; a nectarium minute, 
central, urn-fashioned.' The female a bivalve 
calyx ; and a single, oval, glossy seed. There 
are 59 species, three of which are British 
plants: 1. The pilulifera, Roman nettle, has 
a stalk branched, two or three feet high. 
Leaves opposite, oval, serrated, stinging. 
Fruit globose. 2. The urens, less stinging- 
nettle, has a stem afoot high. Leaves round- 
ish, deeply serrated, opposite. The stings 
are very curious microscopic objects: they 
consist of an exceedingly line-pointed, taper- 
ing, hollow substance, with a perforation at 
the point, and a bag at the base. When the 
spring is pressed upon, it readily perforates 
the skin, and at the same time forces up some 
of the acrimonious liquor contained in the 
bag into the wound. 3. The d.oica, com- 
mon nettle, has a square firm stem, three or 
four feet high. Leaves heart-shaped, long- 
pointed, serrated, beset with slings. Flowers 
in long catkins. The aculei, or stings of the 
nettle, have a small bladder at their base full 
of a burning corrosive liquor : when touch- 
ed, they excite a blister, attended with a vio- 
lent itching pain, though the sting does not 
appear to be tubular, or perforated at the 
top, nor any visible liquor to be infused into 
the puncture made by it in the flesh. It 
seems certain, however, that some of this li- 
quor is insinuated into the wound, though in- 
visibly, since the stings of the dried plant ex- 
cite no pain. 
Nettle-tops in the spring are often boiled 
and eaten by the common people instead of 
cabbage-greens. In Arran, and other islands, 
a rennet is made of a strong decoction of net- 
tles : a quart of salt is put to three pints of the 
decoction, and bottled up for use. A com- 
mon spoonful of this liquor will coagulate a 
large bowl of milk very readily and agreea- 
bly. The stalks of nettles are so like in qua- 
lity to hemp, that in some parts of Europe 
and Siberia they have been manufactured into 
cloth, and paper has been made of them. 
The whole plant, particularly the root, is es- 
teemed to be diuretic, and lias been recom- 
mended in the jaundice and nephritic com- 
plaints, The roots boiled will dye yarn of a 
j yellow colour. The larvas, or caterpillars, of 
I many species of butterflies, feed on the green J 
plant; and sheep and oxen will readily eat 1 
it dried. | 
USAGE, in law, differs from custom and.| 
prescription: no man may claim a rent, com- | 
mon, or other inheritance, by usage, though | 
lie may by prescription. B. Co. 65. 
USANCE, in commerce. See Inter- 1 
EST. 
USE, is a trust and confidence reposed in j 
another who is tenant of the land, that he 
shall dispose of the land according to the in- 
tention of cestuy que use, or him to whose use; 
it was granted, and suffer him to take the pro- 
fits. 2 Black. 328. 
By slat. 27 II. VIII. c. 10, commonly- 
called the statute of uses, or the statute for 
transferring uses into possession, the cestuy 
que use is considered as the real owner of the 
estate ; whereby it is enacted that, when any 
person is seized of lands to the use of ano- 
ther, the person intitled to the use in fee sim- 
ple, fee-tail, for life or years, or otherwise, 
shall staud and be seized* or possessed of the- 
iaiui, in the like estate, as he has of the use,, 
trust, or confidence ; and thereby the act 
makes cestuy que use complete owner both 
at law and in equity. 2 Black. 302. 
UShS, superstitious. See Mortmain. I 
Uses and customs of the sea, are certain* 
maxims or rules which form the basis of the 
maritime jurisprudence, by which the policy 
of navigation, and the commerce of the sea,, 
are regulated. 
These uses and customs consist of three 
kinds of regulations : the first called the layvs.- 
or judgments of Qieron ; (he second, regula- 
tions made by the merchants of Wisbuy, a 
city in the island of Gothland, in the Baltic, 
antientiy much famed for commerce ; and 
the third, a set of regulations made at Lubec, 
by the deputies of the Hanse towns. 
USQU EB AUGH, a strong ^compound li- 
quor, chiefly taken by way of dram. 
There are several different methods o£ 
making this liquor ; but the following is es-4 
teemed one of the best: To two gallons of 
brandy, or other spirit, put a pound ot Spa- 
nish liquorice, half a pound of raisins of the 
sun, four ounces of currants, and three of 
sliced dates ; th tops of balm, mint, savoury, 
thyme, and the tops of the bowers of rose-] 
mary, of each two ounces; cinnamon and. 
mace, well bruised, nutmegs, aniseeds, and 
coriander-seeds, bruised likewise, of each four 
ounces ; citron, or lemon and orange peel, 
scraped, of each an ounce : let ail these infuse 
forty-eight hours in a warm place, often shak-. 
ing them together : then let them stand in a 
cool place tor a week : aiter which the clear 
liquor is to be decanted off, and to it are to be 
put an equal quantity of neat white port, and 
a gallon of canary ; aiter which it is to be 
sweetened witli a sufficient quantity of double- 
refined sugar. 
USTERIA, a genus of plants of the class 
and order monandria monogynia. The ca- 
lyx is four-toothed; corolla funnel-form, four- 
toothed ; capsule one-celled, two-seeded. 
There is one species, a shrub of North Gui- 
nea. 
USURY, in a strict sense, is a contract 
upon the loan of money, to give the lender a 
certain profit for the use of it, upon all events; 
