JR 
2 // 
B IT B 
there being thin slices of wood glued over 
tire wires. 
A patent was obtained in 1804, by Mr. 
Thomason, for making hearth-brushes, the 
object of which was to conceal the hair in a 
neat metal case, into which the hair is drawn 
by means of rack-work. 
’BRYGMUS, among physicians, a grating 
noise made by the gnashing of teeth, a symp- 
tom common in epilepsy, and some convul- 
sive disorders. See Medicine. 
BRYONIA, bryony, a genus of the syn- 
genesia order, and' monoecia class of plants ; 
in the natural method ranking under the 34th 
order, cucurbitaceae. l he calyx of the male 
is live-toothed, with a quinquelid corolla, and 
hree filaments. In the female the calyx is 
lentated, the corolla quadriiid, the style 
rilid, with a roundish many-seeded berry. 
There are 19 species, of which the most re- 
markable are : 
1. Brvonia Africana, African tuberous- 
rooted bryony. 
2. Bryonia alba, rough or white bryony 
with red flowers, a native of dry banks under 
hedges in many parts of Britain. 'I he roots 
of this plant have by impostors been wrought 
into a human shape, and shown lor man- 
drakes. Their method was to find a young 
thriving plant of bryony ; then they opened 
the earth all round, being careful not to dis- 
turb the lower fibres ; and being provided 
with such a mould as is used tor making plan- 
ter figures, they fixed the mould close to the 
root, fastening it with wive to keep it in its 
proper situation ; then they filled the earth 
about the root, leaving it to grow to the shape 
of the mould, which in one summer it will 
do ; so that if don - in March, by September 
it will have the shape. 1 he leaves ot the 
plant are also imposed on people for man- 
<lrake leaves, although there is no resem- 
blance between them, nor any agreement 
in quality. The roots, ot this species are 
vised in medicine. These are very large, 
sometimes as thick as a man’s thigh ; their 
smell, when fresh, is strong and disagreeable ; 
the taste nauseously bitter, acrid, and biting ; 
the juice is so sharp, as in a little time to ex- 
coriate the skin; in drying, they lose a great 
part of ‘heir acrimony, and almost their whole 
scent. Bryony root is a strong irritating 
cathartic, and applied externally is said to be 
a powerful discutient. 
3. Bryonia Bonariensis, bryony with hairy 
pal mated leaves, divided into five parts, and 
obtuse segments. It is a native of warm 
conn: ries ; but merits cultivation on account 
of the pretty appearance it makes when lull 
of fruit. 
4. Bryonia Cretica, spotted bryony of 
Crete. 
5. Bryonia racemosa, bryony with a red 
olive-shaped fruit. It is a native of warm 
climates, and perennial; but the branches 
decay every winter. 
6. Bryonia variegata, the American bry- 
ony with variegated fruit. 
BRYUM, in botany, a genus of the 56th 
natural order, viz. musci, belonging to the 
cryptogamia class of plants. 1 he anthera 
is operculated or covered with a lid, the ca- 
lyptra polished, and there is a filament aris- 
ing irom the term mil tubercle. There are 
4 f species, most of them natives of England. 
BUBO, or Bu e oe. See S u rger y. 
B U C 
BU BON, Macedonian parsley : a genus 
of the digynia order, and pentandria class of 
/plants ; and in the natural method ranking 
under the 46th order, umbellate. The fruit 
is avatecl, striated, and villous. There are 
five species, which are propagated by seeds, 
and require the common culture ot other 
exotic vegetables, viz. 
1. Bubon Galbanum or African ferula, 
rises with an upright stalk to the height ot 
eight or ten feet, which at bottom is woody, 
having a purplish bark covered with a whitish 
powder that comes off when handled. The 
top of the stalk is, terminated by an umbel 
of yellow flowers; which are succeeded by 
oblong channelled seeds, which have a thin 
membrane or wing on their border. \\ hen 
any part of the plant is broken, there issues 
out a little thin milk of a cream colour, which 
has a strong scent of galbanum. 
2. Bubon gummiferum, with a mock 
chervil leaf, rises with a ligneous stalk about 
the same height, with leaves at each joint ; 
the small leaves orloljes narrow and indented 
like those of bastard hemlock. The stalk is 
terminated by an umbel of small yellow flow'- 
ers, which are succeeded by seeds like those 
of the former sort. The galbanum of the 
shops is supposed to be procured from these 
two species. 
3. Bubon Macedonicum, sends out many 
leaves from the root : the lowest grow almost 
horizontally, spreading near the surface of 
the ground. In the centre of the plant arises 
the flower-stem, which is little more than 
a foot high, dividing into many branches, 
each terminated by an umbel of white flow- 
ers, which are succeeded by oblong hairy 
seeds. This plant, in warm countries, is bi- 
ennial ; but in Britain seldom flowers till the 
third or fourth year ; but whenever the plant 
flowers, it always dies. 
4. Bubon rigidius, hard or rigid ferula, is 
a native of Sicily. It is a low perennial 
plant, having short, stiff, and very narrow 
leaves: the flower-stalk rises a toot high, 
which is terminated by an umbel of small 
white flowers. 5. B. cavigattum. 
BUBONOCELE, or Hernia ingui- 
nalis. See Surgery. 
BUBROMA, a genus of the class and 
order polyadelphia dodecandria. T he es- 
sential character is, calyx three-leaved : pe- 
tals, five-arched, semibifid: anthers, on each 
filament, three: stigma, simple: capsule, 
muriate, ending in a five-rayed, star. 
There is one species, a large tree of the 
West Indies, resembling the elm. 
BUCCINATOR. See Anatomy. 
BUCCINUM, the Trumpet-shell,, a 
genus of univalve shells, shaped, in some de- 
gree', like a horn, or other wind-instrument: 
the belly of the shell is distended, the aper- 
ture of the mouth is large, wide, and elon- 
gated, the tail is more or less long, and the 
clavicle more or less exerted. 
Tius is a very numerous genus, the princi- 
pal species of which are the pomum, 
(Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 65.) spindle-shell, the 
mitre-shell, the midas-ear-shell, tlie great 
triton-shell, the tower of Babel-she l, &c. 
The shells of the buccinum kind are com- 
monly furnished, with an operculum ; the 
animal, a limax or snail, subject to some 
slight difference in its form in various species, 
iiiev are oviparous, and the males are said 
" ID 
to be smaller and higher in colour than the 
females. 
BUCCO, the Barbet, in ornithology, the 
name of a genus in the pic® order, distinguish- 
ed by having the bill sharp-edged, compressed 
on the sides, notched on each side near the 
apex, bent inwards, with a long slit beneath 
the eyes. Nostrils covered with incumbent 
feathers : feet formed for climbing. There 
are seventeen species, and some varieties. 
They occur in Africa, but chiefly inhabit 
Asia, and the hotter parts of America. They 
are in general dull and stupid birds ; their 
bill is stout, and remarkably covered with 
projecting bristles. Those of the antient he- 
misphere are very much distinguished by the 
thickness and shortness of the bill ; and, far 
from affecting the stupid gravity ot the Ame- 
rican species, they attack the smaller tribes- 
with the boldness and intrepidity of the hawk. 
The principal species are as follows, viz. 
1. The tamatia, or spotted barbet, a native 
of Brazil. Its length is six inches and a half, 
of which the tail occupies two inches ; the 
bill is hooked, and divided into two points ; 
the bristles or beard w hich covers it extends 
more than half its length. They feed chiefly 
on insects ; and their flesh, though not good, 
is eaten by the natives. 
2. The Cayanensis, or red-headed barbet. 
This is about seven inches in length ; the bill 
is strong, of a dark ash colour, bending a 
little downward at the tip ; at the basis of the 
upper mandible are a few black bristles point- 
ing forward over the nostrils. They are in- 
habitants of Cayenne, and are also met with 
at Guiana and St. Domingo ; and, no doubt, 
in other hot parts of America. They feed on 
caterpillars, locusts, and large beetles. 
3. The capensis, or collared barbet. T lie 
plumage of this bird is agreeably variegated. 
It is found in Guiana, but is a rare species. 
4. The bucco elegans (see Plate Nat. 
Hist. fig. 66.), or elegant barbet, the most 
beautiful of the genus.. 
5. The viridis, or green barbet is 6f inches- 
long; the back, the coverts of the wings, 
and of the tail, are of a very fine green ; the 
head is brown grey ; the neck is the same co- 
lour, but each feather is edged with jyellow. 
6. The grandis, or Chinese barbet, is near- 
ly eleven inches long. The principal colour 
in its plumage is a fine green mixed with, 
blue, which changes with the light.. Pi. Nat.. 
Hist. fig. 67. 
BUCEROS, in ornithology, the name of a 
genus in the order of pic®, called in English 
the hornbill. Birds of this kind have the 
bill convex, curved, sharp at the edge, of a. 
large size, and serrated outwardly ; a horny 
protuberance on the upper mandible, near 
the front of the head, nostrils behind the base- 
of the bill, tongue acute aucl short ; feet form - 
ed for walking. Of this genus there are thir- 
teen species ; the principal of which arc, 
1. The buceros rhinoceros, distinguished, 
above every other of this extraordinary fami- 
ly by the enormity of its bill. The upper man- 
dible is red towards the base, and of a whit- 
ish yellow from thence to the tip ; the lower 
one' entirely of a. whitish yellow except at 
the base, where it is black, and hid in the fea- 
thers ; on the top or the u per mandible is 
an appendage, as large as the bill itseli, and 
turning upwards, contrary to the direction of. 
the bill, both mandibles of which bemLdo\\n 
wards; this curved horn is variegated with 
