B BABBLING. A term applied | or other parts bloody, he is judged to hounds that are too busy, and upon whose tongues no dependance whatever can be placed in any situation or under any circumstances. BABRAHAM. A bay horse, foaled 1740, bred by Lord Godolphin, afterwards the property of Mr. Benjamin Rogers, of Mickleham, Surrey, was got by his lordship's Arabian, out of the large Hartley mare by Captain Hartley's blind horse; grandam Flying Whig, by the Woodstock Arabian, sister to the Bold Galloway, out of a daughter of Whynot. Babraham was a magnificent horse, sixteen hands high, master of eighteen stone; when in training he beat Bustard, Little Driver, Old England, Sultan, Wafer, &c. Of his excellence as a stallion, the Stud Book affords ample proof. Few instances can be adduced of a horse running in such high form as Babraham did, and covering mares the same season. This fine racer and good stallion died in 1760, aged twenty. to have killed a deer, though not found hunting or chasing. 3. Dogdraw, when a man is found drawing after a deer, by the scent of a hound which he leads in his hand. 4. Stable-stand, when found standing in a forest with bow bent ready to shoot, or close by a tree with greyhounds ready to let slip. BACK-GAMMON, (bach-gammon, a little battle). A game played with dice, and thirty pieces or men, one half white, the other half dark coloured, upon a chequered table. It is said to have been invented in Wales, previous to the conquest. BACKING a colt. See HORSEMANSHIP. BACK-WORM, or FILANDER. A disease incident to hawks. These worms are about half a yard long; they lie wrapped up in a thin skin about the reins, and proceed from gross and viscous humours in the bowels, occasioned by ill digestion and want of natural heat. This distemper is easily discerned by the BACK. To back or mount a horse following symptoms, viz. by the (a dos) is to mount him bare-backed. hawk's stinking breath, casting her BACK (in the Manège). A horse's gorge, croaking in the night, tremback should be straight; hollow-bling, ruffling, and writhing her tail ; backed is called saddle-backed: and by the muting, which is small horses of this description are gene- and unclean. rally light and carry their heads well, but are deficient in strength and service. A weak-backed horse is apt to stumble. BACKBERIND, or BACKBEROND. One of the four circumstances under which, according to Manwood, a forester may arrest an offender against vert or venison in the forest,1. When found bearing venison on his back. By the assize of the forest of Lancaster, adds he, "taken with the manner" is when one is found in the king's forest in any of these degrees: 2. Bloody hand, the offender being taken with his hands The back-worm is rarely quite killed, but a careful falconer giving her cloves of garlic, steeped in wormwood, once a month, and once a fortnight, against his putting her into the mew, which will qualify the worm; without this care she will be suddenly spoiled. There is another sort of filander, which lies in the gut or pannel, being long, small, white, and red worms-for cure take aloes hepatic, filings of iron, nutmeg, and as much honey as will serve to make them into a pill, which give her in the morning as soon as she has cast; and after she has muted it clean away, then give her good hot meat. BADGER (Bedour, Fr.) is an original native of the temperate climates of Europe, and is found, without any variety in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Britain, Poland, and Sweden. It breeds only twice in a year, and brings forth four or five at a time. The usual length of the badger is somewhat above two feet, exclusive of the tail, which is about six inches long; its eyes are small, and are placed in a black stripe, which begins behind the ears, and runs tapering towards the nose: the throat and legs are black; the back, sides, and tail are of a dirty gray, mixed with black; the legs are very short, strong, and thick; each foot consists of five toes; those on the fore feet are armed with strong claws, well adapted for digging its subterraneous habitation. The badger retires to the most secret recesses, where it digs its hole, and forms its habitation under ground. Its food consists chiefly of roots, fruits, grass, insects, and frogs. It is accused of destroying lambs and rabbits; but there seems to be no other reason for considering it as a beast of prey, than the analogy between its teeth, and those of carnivorous animals. Few creatures defend themselves better, or bite with greater keenness than the badger: on that account it is frequently baited with dogs trained for that purpose, and defends itself from their attacks with astonishing agility and success. Its motions are so quick, that a dog is often desperately wounded in the moment of assault, and obliged to fly. The thickness of the badger's skin and the length and coarseness of its hair are an excellent defence against the bites of the dogs: its skin is so loose as to resist the impression of their teeth, and gives the animal an opportunity of turning itself round, and wounding its adversaries in their tenderest parts. In this manner this singular creature is able to resist repeated attacks both of men and dogs, from all quarters; till, being overpowered with numbers, and enfeebled by many desperate wounds, it is at last obliged to yield. BADGER HUNTING. In hunting the badger in a clear moonlight night, stop all the burrows except one or two, and therein place some sacks, fastened with drawing strings, which may shut him in as soon as he strains the bag. Some only place a hoop in the mouth of the sack, and so put it into the hole; and as soon as the badger is in the sack, and strains it, the sack slips from the hoop, and secures him in it, where he lies trembling till he is taken from his prison. The sacks, or bags, being thus set, cast off the hounds, beating about all the woods, hedges, and tufts round about for the compass of a mile or two; and what badgers are abroad, being alarmed by the hounds, will soon betake themselves to their burrows. Observe, that the person who is placed to watch the sacks, must stand close, and upon a clear wind; otherwise the badger will discover him, and immediately fly some other way into his burrow. But if the dogs can encounter him before he can take his sanctuary, he will then stand at bay like a boar, and make good sport, vigorously biting and clawing the dogs. In general, when they fight, they lay on their backs, using both teeth and nails; and, by blowing up their skins, defend themselves against the bites of the dogs, and the blows given by the men. When the badger finds that the terriers yearn him in his burrow, he will stop the hole betwixt him and the terriers; and, if they still continue baying, he will | remove his couch into another chamber or part of the burrow, and so from one to another, barricading the way before them, as he retreats, till he can go no farther. If you intend to dig the badger out of his burrow, you must be provided with such tools as are used for digging out a fox: you should also have a pail of water ready to refresh the terriers when they come out of the earth to take breath and cool themselves. It is no unusual thing to put some small bells about the necks of the terriers, which making a noise, will cause the badger to bolt out. In digging, the situation of the ground must be observed and considered; or, instead of advancing the work, you probably may hinder it. In this order you may besiege them in their holds, or castles, and break their platforms, parapets, and casements; and work to them with mines and countermines, till you have overcome them. We must do this animal the justice to observe, that, though nature has furnished it with formidable weapons of offence, and has besides given it strength sufficient to use them with great effect, it is, notwithstanding, very harmless and offensive, and, unless attacked, employs them only for its support. used by painters to soften and har monize their shades. In walking, the badger treads on its whole heel, like the bear, which brings its belly very near the ground. A badger is known by several other names; as a grey, a brock, a boreson, or a bauson: the young are called pigs, the male is called the boar, and the female the sow. BAG (in Angling). A line is said to bag when one hair, after it is twisted, runs up more than any of the rest. BAG (in Farriery). A small one filled with an ounce of assafœtida, and the same quantity of powder of savin, tied to a horse's bitt several times in the day, improves his appetite. BAG. That part of animals in which particular juices are contained, as the poison in vipers. BAIT. To stop at any place to refresh one's self or horse on a journey. BAIT (s'abatre, to descend). In falconry, the action of a hawk when she flaps her wings, and then pounces down upon her prey. BAITING. See BULL-BAITING. BAITS (baitzen). For taking fish: the natural ones, and those generally are living, as worms of all in-kinds, especially the red maggots, bobs, frogs, grasshoppers, bees, beetles, dores, butterflies, (which are admirable for the chub) wasps, hornets, snails, small fish, &c. Next are the artificial baits: first, such as imitate the living baits, especially flies for every month and season of the year; nay, almost for every fish, so great is the variety that frequent the meadows and rivers. The badger is an indolent animal, and sleeps much: it confines itself to its hole during the whole day, and feeds only in the night. It is so cleanly as never to defile its habitation with its ordure. Immediately below the tail, between that and the anus, there is a narrow transverse orifice, whence a white substance, of a very fœtid smell, constantly exudes. The skin, when dressed with the hair on, is used for pistol furniture. Its flesh is eaten the hind quarters are sometimes made into hams, which, when cured, are said not to be inferior in goodness to the best bacon. The hairs are made into brushes, which are : As to what concerns live baits, they are to be kept each sort by themselves, and to be fed with such things as they are wont to eat when at liberty. The red worm takes much delight in black fat earth; if you mix some fennel chopped small with it, they will improve very much. Give them sometimes a little ox or cow dung newly made; you may keep them in a box, or small bag. But red worms, as also all other sorts of worms, scour quickly, grow very tough and bright by putting them into a thin clout, rubbed with fresh butter, or grease, before you put them into moss, which is the best to keep them in; the moss must first be washed clean, and the water squeezed out: and for the food you are to give them, drop a spoonful of cream into the moss every three or four days, and remove the moss every week, keeping it in a cold place. White great maggots are to be fed with sheep's suet, and beasts' liver cut small. Frogs and grasshoppers do well in wet moss and long grass, which must be moistened every night: cut off their legs and wings when you use them. The bob, caddis-worm, cancer, and such like, are to be preserved with the same things where you take them. Live flies must be used as you catch them. The wasp, hornet, and humble bee, may be dried in an oven, after the bread is drawn, but have a care in scorching them; then dip their heads in sheep's blood, which must be dried on; and so keep them in a clean box, and they will continue good for a quarter of a year. BAIT, WHITE (in Ichthyology). See WHITE BAIT. BALD CHARLOTTE, (originally called Lady Legs) bred by Captain Appleyard of Yorkshire. Charlotte was a mare of shape, beauty, and size, and had a very great share both of speed and goodness. She was got by Captain Appleyard's Old Royal, son of the Holderness Turk, and a Blunderbuss Royal Mare. Charlotte's dam was got by Bethell's Castaway; her grandam was a gray mare of Captain Appleyard's father's, got by Brimmer, who was bred by the Darcy family, and out of a royal mare, and got by the Yellow Turk that got Old Spanker. In 1726, Bald Charlotte, (then Mr. Taylor's, and called Lady Legs) won the king's plate at Hambleton, beating twenty-three others. She was purchased by the earl of Portmore, and won the contribution stakes at Newmarket, in October, beating seven others. In April, 1727, Charlotte won the king's plate for mares, 10 st. at Newmarket; and at the same meeting, Charlotte carrying 18 st. beat Mr. Ashby's swinger, 17 st. 7 lb. four miles, for 200 gs. after which, she won the king's plate at Winchester. In April, 1729, Charlotte carrying 9 st. beat Sir Robert Fagg's Fanny, 8 st. 7 lb. four miles, 300 gs. In 1741, Charlotte was a brood-mare in the duke of Somerset's stud, and was the great grandam of Lord Ossory's Coxcomb, Fabias, and Dorimant. BALLS, HORSE (in Farriery). Horses have a nice taste; it is therefore proper to give them the most disagreeable drugs in the form of balls, and to make drenches of the more palatable. Balls should be of an oval shape, and not exceed the size of a pullet's egg; they should be dipped in sweet oil to make them slip down more readily. Some horses have a straight gullet, which makes them averse to balls: drenches are better adapted for such, or their medicines may be mixed up with bran or in their mashes. Balls are of the following kinds : Purging, restringent, diuretic, alterative, detergent pectoral, cordial pectoral, fever, stomach restorative, mercurial alterative, jaundice, nervous castor, cordial carminative, cordial diuretic. BALLING IRON. An instrument used to facilitate the administering of balls to horses by keeping the jaws asunder. BALOTADES (balotade, Fr.) The leaps of a horse, on a straight line, made in such a manner, that when his fore feet are in the air he shows nothing but the shoes of his hinder feet, without yerking out.—When a the cap, or that part of the bitt that is next to the branch. horse works at Caprioles he yerks or strikes out his hinder legs, not so in Balotades. BANQUET LINE. An imagiBALSAM. A liquid resin of anary line drawn by bitt-makers along whitish or yellow colour, a fragrant the banquet in forging a bitt, and smell, and also penetrating aromatic prolonged upwards and downwards, taste, obtained from different plants. to adjust the intended force or weakThe following are most commonly ness of the branch, to make it stiff adopted in the veterinary practice. or easy. Balsam of capivi, of Tolu (storax), Peruvian (benzoin), traumatic or Friar's balsam. Lately the term balsam is restricted to those resins which contain benzoin acid. BALZANE (bulzan, Fr.) See WHITEFOOT. BANDOG, or BAND-DOG. The canis molossus, or mastiff, a dog for the house, bull, badger, &c. See DOG. BANDS, of a saddle, two pieces of flat iron, nailed upon the bows of a saddle to hold them in the situation that forms the saddle. There are also a wither and a hinder band. BANDY. An athletic sport common in Wales, and the most popular of all its ancient rural diversions. It consists in a contest between two rival parties, and those players win the game who first succeed in driving the ball, with bent sticks, between the goal marks of their adversaries. There is a favourite game among the Irish peasants called hurling, which resembles bandy. The Irish hurl (horl) (hurdle) is made of seasoned ash, flat in the blade, and round in the handle. BANGLE EARS (waste ears). An imperfection in a horse, that may be remedied in the following manner. Take his ears and place them so as you would have them stand, then bind the ears to two little boards so tight that they cannot stir, after which the empty wrinkled skin, at the root of the ears, must be plucked up and cut away with a sharp pair of scissors; stick the two edges of the skin together, and heal up the sore with green ointment. BAR (in Farriery). To strike a vein in order to arrest the course, and diminish the quantity of malignant humours that prevail there. To bar a vein, the skin is opened above it, and after disengaging and tying it above and below, the farrier strikes between the two ligatures. BARB (Barbe, Fr.) Horses imported from Barbary are so called: they are generally light, and clean made, with small legs; also the beard of a fish-hook. BARBARY FALCON. A passenger bird, called also the Tartaret Falcon. BARBED. Bearded like of fish. BARBEL (barbeau, barbelé, Fr.) A dull heavy fish of considerable size and strength, and derives its name from its four barbs, two of which are at the corners of its mouth, and two at its snout. They shed their spawn about the middle of April, and come in season about a month or six weeks after that time. They root with the nose like a pig. Their usual haunts are among weeds. In summer they frequent the most powerful and rapid currents, and settle among logs of wood, piles, &c.; but in the winter they return to their deep bottoms. The baits are the spawn of trout, salmon, or almost any other fish, provided it be fresh; but as the barbel is very BANQUET. The small part of cunning, the pastes in imitation of the branch of the bridle that is under it must be well made, and of fresh the eye. It is usually covered by flavour. It is also recommended to |