BEASTS OF THE FOREST. The hart, the hind, the hare, the boar, and the wolf.

BEASTS AND FOWLS OF THE WARREN. The hare, the coney, the pheasant, and the partridge. Some add quails, woodcocks, water fowl, &c.

BEAT (with Hunters). A term used of a stag which runs first one way and then another, who is then said to beat up and down: also the noise made by conies in rutting time, which is called beating, or tapping; but the most usual sense of beating is trying for a hare, derived from the custom of beating the bushes with a pole or hunting whip. BED (in Angling). When the hairs of a link are so equally twisted that it is round in every part, the terms bed and bedding are applied to it. The substance of an artificial fly. Eels are said to bed, when they get into the sand or mud in large quantities.

scription of 105 gs. beating the Duke of Bridgewater's Honest Billy, and Mr. Shafto's Ferdinand, who broke his leg in running the first mile. At Newmarket second spring meeting, 1768, Bellario won a sweepstakes of 250 gs. 8st. 71b. each, B. C. beating Lord Bolingbroke's Darling. In the second October meeting, he won the 155 gs. 8st. 10lb. each, B. C. beating Lord Gros venor's Icarus, Mr. Shafto's Caliban, and Lord Rockingham's Drumsticks. -At Newmarket first spring meeting, 1769, Bellario, carrying 8st. 71b. beat Lord Rockingham's Monkey, five years old, 7st. B. C. 300 gs. In the second spring meeting, at 8st. he beat Lord Rockingham's Pilgrim, 8st. 7lb. B. C. 300 gs. and won the 150 gs. for five and six year olds, B. C. beating Lord Grosvenor's Ancient Pistol and Mr. Vernon's Chalfont; he also won a subscription of 200 gs. weight for age, B. Č. beating Mr. Vernon's Marquis, Mr. BED OF SNAKES. A name hunters Shafto's Petruchio, and Lord Grosgive to a knot of young ones; and a venor's Slap. In the first October roe is said to bed when she lodges in meeting, he won a subscription of a particular place. 160 gs. weight for age, R. C. beatBELLARIO, the property of Siring Mr. Shafto's Poacher, by Young Charles Bunbury, Bart. was got by Brilliant, son of Crab; his dam by Stamford's Whittington, who was got by an own brother to Lord Portmore's Whitenose, sire of Fenwick's Duchess. Bellario's grandam was own sister to Black-and-all-Black. At Newmarket, in April, 1767, Bellario (then rising four years old), at 8st. 4lb. beat Lord Bolingbroke's Conundrum (rising five) 9st. 4lb. from the D. I. to the turn of the lands, 200 gs.; received 100 gs. from Lord Rockingham's Pigeon, and 100 gs. from Lord March's Signal. In the first October meeting, he won a subscription of 80 gs. weight for age, R. C. beating Lord Grosvenor's Cardinal Puff, Mr. Vernon's Snipe, &c. received 150 gs. from Lord Barrymore's Driver: and walked over for a subscription of 85 gs. at Euston, Suffolk. At Newmarket, second October meeting, Bellario won a sub

Cade. In the second October meeting he won 50l. weight for age, D. I. beating Lord Grosvenor's Cardinal Puff, Mr. Vernon's Marquis, Mr. Shafto's Hecate, &c. In the first spring meeting, 1770, Bellario won 50l. for six year olds and aged horses, &c. R. Č. heating Mr. Blake's Snipe. In the second spring meeting, he won the jockey club plate, 9st. each, B. C. beating Mr. Fettyplace's Nabob, the Duke of Grafton's Bashful, Mr. Blake's Snipe, and Lord Grosvenor's Gimcrack. He also received two forfeits of 150 gs. each, from Sir Lawrence Dundas's Alagrecque. In the first October meeting, Bellario won a subscription of 160 gs. weight for age, R. C. beating Mr. Shafto's Petruchio, Lord Grosvenor's Gimcrack, Lord Bolingbroke's Chalfont, &c. In the Craven Meeting, 1771, Bellario, carrying 8st. 71b. beat Mr.

BETTING. See JOCKEY CLUB, LAWS OF THE.

BEVY OF ROEBUCKS (with Foresters). A herd or company of those beasts.

Pigott's Freedom, three years old, | prostituted by the designing among 6st. 10lb. from the D. I. to the turn the lower classes; but it will never of the lands, 300 gs. In the first be out of fashion, being very enterspring meeting he received 100 gs. taining, and affording that moderate from Lord Farnham's (late Went-exercise which renders it the more worth's) Bucephalus. In the second agreeable. The table on which the Spring Meeting, he won the jockey game is played is generally about club plate, 9st. B. C. beating Lord twelve feet long and six wide; it is Ossory's Fabius, Mr. Pratt's Pho-covered with fine green cloth, and nix, Mr. Wentworth's Melpomene, surrounded with cushions to prevent and Lord Farnham's Bucephalus. the balls rolling off, and to make And in the July meeting, Bellario, them rebound. There are six holes, carrying 9st. beat Mr. Pigott's Free-nets, or pockets, fixed at the four dom, four years old, 7st. 10lb. D. I. corners, and the middle, opposite to 300 gs. He then became a stallion. each other, to receive the balls, which BELLING, (with Hunters), when put into them are called haBELLOWING the noise made zards. The making of a hazard, that by a hart in rutting time. is, putting the adversary's ball in, at BENZOIN. A solid, fragile, vege- the usual game, reckons two in favour table substance, of a reddish brown of the player. The game is played colour, distinguished into common with sticks called maces, or with and amygdaloidal. It is a compo- cues; the first consists of a long nent in friar's balsam and paregoric straight stick, with a head at the elixir. end, and is the more powerful instrument of the two: the cue is a thick stick diminishing gradually to a point of about half an inch in diameter; this instrument is played over the left hand, and supported by the fore finger and thumb. It is the only instrument in vogue abroad, and is played with amazing address by the Italians and some of the Dutch; but in England the mace is the prevailing instrument, which the foreigners hold in contempt, as it requires not near so much address to play the game with it as with the cue; but BILLIARDS. This game is the mace is preferred for its peculiar played on a rectangular table, with advantage, which some professed little ivory balls, which are driven players have introduced under the into hazards or holes. It was in-name of trailing, that is, following vented by the French, but was played differently from what it now is; having a pass iron fixed on the table, through which the balls at particular periods of the game used to be played; but this method is quite laid aside. The French, Germans, Dutch, and Italians, brought this game into vogue throughout most parts of Europe, and it soon became a favourite diversion in England, particularly with persons of rank. It has, however, of late years been

BEVY OF QUAILS (with Fowlers). A term used for a brood or flock of quails.

BEWITS (in Falconry), pieces of leather, to which a hawk's bells are fastened, and buttoned to his legs.

BEZANTLER (among Sportsmen). That branch of a deer's horn next below the brow-antler.

the ball with the mace to such a convenient distance as to make it an easy hazard. The degrees of trailing are various, and have different denominations, viz. the shove, the sweep, the long stroke, the trail, and the dead trail or turn up, all which secure an advantage to a good player according to their various gradations; even the butt end of the cue becomes very powerful when it is made use of by a good trailer.

The following are the rules ob

served in the common game of bil- | loses one. 21. He who throws the

stick upon the table, and hits the ball, loses one. 22. If the ball stands upon the edge of the hole, and after being challenged, it falls in, it is nothing, but must be put where it was before. 23. If any person, not being one of the players, stops a ball, the ball must stand in the place where it was stopped. 24. He who plays without a foot upon the floor, and holes his adversary's ball, gets nothing for it, but loses the lead. 25. He who leaves the game before it is ended, loses it. 26. Any person may change his stick in play. 27. If any difference arise between players, he who marks the game, or the majority of the company, must decide it. 28. Those who do not play must stand from the table, and make room for the players. 29. If any person lays any wager, and does not play, he shall not give advice to the players upon the game.

liards: 1. For the lead, the balls must be put at one end, and the player must strike against the farthermost cushion, in order to see what will be nearest the cushion that is next to them. 2. The nearest to the cushion is to lead, and choose the ball if he pleases. 3. The leader is to place his ball at the nail, and not to pass the middle pocket; and if he holes himself in leading, he loses the lead. 4. He who follows the leader must stand within the corner of the table, and not place his ball beyond the nail. 5. He who plays upon the running ball loses one. 6. He who touches the ball twice, and moves it, loses one. But these two rules are seldom if ever enforced, especially in England. 7. He who does not hit his adversary's ball loses one. 8. He who touches both balls at the same time, makes a foul stroke, in which case if he should hole his adversary, nothing is gained by the stroke; but if he should put himself in, he loses two. 9. He who holes both balls loses two. 10. He who strikes upon his adversary's ball, and holes himself, loses two. 11. He who plays at the ball without striking it, and holes himself, loses three. 12. He who strikes both balls over the table, loses two. 13. He who strikes his ball over the table, and does not hit his adversary's ball, loses three. 14. He who retains the end of his adversary's stick when playing, or endeavours to baulk the stroke, loses one. 15. He who plays another's ball or stroke without leave, loses one. 16. He who takes up his ball, or his ad-winning game well. II. The winversary's, without leave, loses one. 17. He who stops either ball when running, loses one, and being near the hole, loses two. 18. He who blows upon the ball when running loses one, and if near the hole, loses two. 19. He who shakes the table when the ball is running loses one. 20. He who strikes the table with the stick, or plays before his turn,

Besides the common winning game, which is twelve up, there are several other kinds, viz. the losing game, the winning and losing, choice of balls, bricole, carambole, Russian carambole, the bar hole, the one hole, the four game, and hazards. I. The losing game is the common game nearly reversed; that is to say, except hitting the balls, which is absolutely necessary, the player gains by losing. By putting himself in, he wins two; by putting his adversary in, he loses two; but if he pockets both balls, he gets four. This game depends greatly upon particular strengths, and is therefore very necessary to be known to play the

ning and losing game is a combination of both games; that is to say, all balls that are put in by striking first the adversary's ball, reckon towards game; and holing both balls reckons four. At this game, and the losing, knocking over, or forcing the balls over the cushion, goes for nothing, the striker only loses the lead. III. Choice of balls, is choos

ing each time which ball the player | particular place or spot; he being pleases, which is doubtless a great at liberty to put it where he pleases. advantage, and is generally played When he begins to play, instead of against losing and winning. IV. Bri- striking at the red ball, he leads his cole is being obliged to hit a cushion, own gently behind it, and his antaand make the ball rebound, or return gonist is to play at which he thinks to hit the adversary's ball, otherwise proper; if he plays at the red ball the player loses a point. This is a and holes it, he scores three as usual great disadvantage, and is reckoned towards the game, which is twentybetween even players to be equal to four instead of sixteen points; and receiving about eight or nine points. the red ball is put upon the spot V. Carambole is a game introduced again, at which he may strike again from France. It is played with three or take his choice which of the two balls, one being red, which is neutral, balls to push at, always following and is placed upon a spot on a line his stroke till both balls are off the with the string nail (i. e. that part table. He is entitled to two points of the table whence the player each time that he caramboles, the strikes his ball at first setting off, same as at the other game; but if and which is generally marked with he caramboles, and puts his own ball two brass nails). Each antagonist, into any hole, he loses as many as at the first stroke of a hazard, plays he might have got had he not holed from a mark, which is upon a line himself: for example, if he strikes with it, at the other end of the table. at the red ball, which he holes, at The chief object at this game is, for the same time caramboles and holes the player to hit with his own ball himself, he loses five points; and if the two other balls, which is called he holes both balls when he carama carambole, and by which the player | boles, and likewise his own, he loses wins two. If he puts in the red ball seven, which he could have got if he he gets two; so that seven may be had not holed his own ball. In other made at one stroke, by caramboling respects it is played like the comand putting in both balls. This mon carambole game. VII. The game resembles the losing, depend- bar hole, is so called from the hole ing chiefly upon particular strengths, being barred which the ball should and is generally played with the be played for, and the player strikcue. The game is sixteen up; yet ing for another hole; when this game is reckoned sooner over than the is played against the common game, common game. The next object of the advantage for the latter, between this game, after making what we equal players, is reckoned to be have distinguished by the caram- about six. VIII. The player at the bole, is the baulk; that is, making one hole, though it seems to those the white ball, and bringing the who are not judges of the game to player's own ball and the red one be a great disadvantage, has in fact below the stringing nail, whence the the best of it; for, as all balls that adversaries begin. By this means go into the one hole reckon, the the opponent is obliged to play bri- player endeavours to lay his ball cole from the opposite cushion, and constantly before that hole, and his it often happens that the game is de- antagonist frequently finds it very termined by this situation. VI. The difficult to keep one or other ball Russian carambole is a game intro- out, particularly on the leads, when duced from abroad, and is played in the one hole player lays his ball the following manner: the red ball (which he does as often as he can) is placed as usual on the spot made on the brink of the hole; leading for that purpose; but the player for that purpose from the opposite when he begins, or having been end, which in reality he has no right holed, never places his ball on any to do; for the lead should be given

from the end of the table at which | means of nets, decoys, birdlime, &c. the hazard is made: but this advantage is often taken of novices. IX. The four game, consists of two partners on each side, at the common winning game; who play by succession after each hazard, or two points lost. The game is fifteen up; so that the point or hazard is an odd number, which makes a miss at this game of more consequence than it is at another; being as much at four, six, or eight, as it is at five, seven, or nine, at the single game. X. Hazards, are so called because they depend entirely upon the making of hazards, there being no account kept of any game. Any number of persons may play, by having balls that are numbered; but the number seldom exceeds six, to avoid confusion. The person whose ball is put in pays so much to the player, according to what is agreed to be played for each hazard; and the person who misses pays half the price of a hazard to him whose ball he played at. The only general rule is not to lay any ball a hazard for the next player, which may be in a great measure avoided, by always playing upon the next player, and either bringing him close to the cushion, or putting him at a distance from the rest of the balls. The table, when hazards are played, is always paid for by the hour.

BILLITTING (among Hunters). The ordure or dung of a fox.

BINDING (in Falconry). term used in tiring; or when hawk seizes his prey.

A

a

BIRD BOLTS. Three-headed arrows that were discharged at birds from a cross-bow.

IITTI

BIRD-CATCHING. The art of taking birds or wild-fowl, whether for food, for the pleasure of their song, or for their destruction, as being pernicious to the farmer, by

In the suburbs of London there are many persons who, during the months of October and March, get their livelihood by an ingenious, and, we may add, scientific method of bird-catching, totally unknown in other parts of Great Britain. The reason of this trade being confined to so small a compass arises from there being no considerable sale for singing birds except in the metropolis; and as the apparatus for the purpose is heavy, and must be carried on a man's back, it prevents the birdcatchers going to above three or four miles distance. This method of birdcatching must have been long practised, as it is brought to a most systematic perfection, and is attended with very considerable expense. The nets are a most ingenious piece of mechanism, are generally twelve yards and a half long and two and a half wide; and no one, till he becomes eye-witness of the puller's success, would imagine that a bird, which is so very quick in all its motions, could be caught by the nets flapping over each other. The wild birds fly, as the bird-catchers call it, chiefly during the month of October and part of September and November; as the flight in March is much less considerable than that of Michaelmas. The several species of birds of flight do not make their appearance precisely at the same time, during the months of September, October, and November: the pippet, a small species of lark, but inferior to the others in singing, for example, begins to fly about Michaelmas, and then the woodlark, linnet, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, and other birds of flight succeed; all of which are not easily caught, or in any numbers, at any other time; and more particularly the pippet and the woodlark. These birds, during the Michaelmas and March flights, are chiefly on the wing from daybreak to noon, though there is afterwards a small flight from two till night; but this is so inconsider