the means of discovering the perpe- [headed by an old steady dog. A trators of crimes when every other fresh foot, that is, the impression of endeavour failed of success. The a boar's pad, made in his nightly breed of this kind of dog is not very generally cultivated at this time. Some few are kept for the pursuit of deer which have been previously wounded by a shot to draw blood, the scent of which enables the dog to pursue with the greatest certainty. During the American war numbers of them were sent to that country, and employed in discovering fugitives concealed in the woods and other secret places; they were in use also, for a similar purpose, during the late revolts in the West India islands, and said to have been in Ireland at the time of the last rebellion. They are sometimes employed in discovering deer-stealers, whom they infallibly trace by the blood that issues from the wounds of their victims. They are also said to be kept in convents, situated in the lonely mountainous countries of Switzerland, both as a guard to the sacred mansions, and to find out the bodies of men who have been unfortunately lost in crossing those wild and dreary tracts.

prowlings, is their object. Hitting upon this, they take observation of the wood (or cover) into which the foot-marks evidently point, especially noting if the boar has gone through. Supposing him to have harboured, they tie a string to the hound's collar, and put him upon the scent, until his great eagerness convinces the huntsman that he is sure in his pricking. A station is then set up, and the huntsman makes a retour to the original rendezvous, which he reaches, in almost all cases, before or by the time the compagnie, or à l'Anglais, the field, BLOOD-RUNNING-ITCH (in arrives, in order to give goodly note Farriery). A disease in horses, of preparation, and to put in order proceeding from an inflammation of the onset of the day. All this, perthe blood, by over-heating, hard haps, is too mechanical when comriding, or too severe labour, which,pared with a maddening fox-chase; insinuating itself between the skin and the flesh, makes the animal rub and bite himself, and if not cured, often turns into an infectious mange. BLOODY-HAND.

BERIND.

BOAR (in Farriery). When a horse shoots out his nose as high as his ears, and tosses his nose in the wind.

but, still, a boar-hunt in France, taken altogether, is a noble amusement.

We lost no time in getting to the See BACK-foot-mark, when two hounds, that could be depended on, were put to the scent, whilst a relay of five couple were sent to a certain quarter of the wood, to be put on when the game should break. The pack altogether consisted of about ten or twelve couple. The stanch hounds first loosed having convinced us that we were still right, the remaining part of the pack stationed with us were let go, and in five minutes came up to the spot upon which the boar lay couchant. At this moment the horsemen galloped off to post

BOAR-HUNTING IN FRANCE. Very early in the morning of the day when the hunt is to take place, says Col. Thornton, the huntsman, accompanied by some of the guards (you would term them rangers) of the forest, who are generally well acquainted with the haunts of the prey, proceed to such, invariably

afterwards the greater number of the party came up, and we were installed the victors of the day.

The boar was now placed behind the huntsman, and carried to Amboise, distant from Tours fifteen miles, where we had the gratification of finding a good dinner pre

I repeat, that when the boar breaks cover resolutely, and takes the fine plains gallantly, the sight is really beautiful; and you must be well mounted, too, to come up with the chase ere wounds have spoiled his speed.

The forest of Amboise is the property of the Duke of Orleans, and contains about eleven thousand acres.

BOBBING. A particular method of fishing for eels. See EEL.

BOLSTERS OF A SADDLE. Those parts which are raised upon the bows, before and behind, to hold the rider's thighs in a proper position.

themselves at the different passes, or meuses, through which it was probable that the animal would make his rush to shake off the pursuers. I chanced to select a post of honour. I had not been stationed five minutes ere I heard the "vollied music of the hounds," and, in the next moment, beheld the "tusk-pared for us. armed monster cleave his desperate way." I fired, but missed. The animal before this was going not at fastest speed, but on hearing the report of my musket, he rushed on amazingly fast. I now set to work with whip and spur to gain the next pass, but in vain; the pursued had won it before me,-and another, and another, and so onwards for more than three quarters of an hour, at more than three parts speed. At length I got ahead of him, but he heard me, and turned his course. At this moment a roebuck passed before the dogs, and they took upon it, and it was with great exertions alone that we got them back upon the original scent, which, by this time, was very considerably ahead. He had, however, slackened his pace, for, by degrees, we managed to work up to him. The field was divided, and I heard shots at intervals; two close to me. I rode up to the hunter who had fired; he informed me the boar had passed BONE-SPAVIN. See SPAVIN. apparently much wounded, and the BONNY BLACK, foaled in 1715, animal fell, but managed to rise, bred by his grace the Duke of Rutclear a ditch, and again ensconce land, was a mare of great eminence, himself in the forest. The dogs at having a very considerable share of this moment gave tongue violently, speed, and also possessed of goodand we felt convinced the boar must ness to support her running. She be at bay. I waited whilst my fel- was got by a stallion of his grace's low-sportsmen reloaded, and then own, called Black Hearty, which securing our horses to a tree, and, was got by the Byerley Turk, sire guided by the angry cry of the of Basto, Jig, &c. At Newmarket, hounds, we soon came upon the in April, 1719, Bonny Black (then object of our pursuit. He was rest- rising four years old) beat a horse ing on his haunches, surrounded by of Mr. Frampton's (rising seven) at the pack, and he every now and 10st. each; and in August followthen made a rush at them. When ing, she won the king's plate at within a few paces, we fired both Hambleton. In 1720, Bonny Black our barrels, and he fell, completely won a second time the king's plate dead, amongst the dogs. Shortly at Hambleton; and in April, 1721,

BOLTING, or BOULTING, signifies rousing or dislodging a cony from its resting place. They say to bolt a cony, start a hare, rouse a buck, &c. A race-horse bolts when he runs off the course; a fox, too, having run to earth, and forced out, is said to have bolted.

she won the king's plate for mares | tember, 1820 (under the name of at Newmarket. When six years old, Pet), he won easy a sweepstakes, she beat Lord Harvey's Merryman, 8st. 4lbs. each, three miles, beating aged, and allowed him 3lb. She Captain Fyfe's gr. A. h. Childe also beat the noted Hackwood, at Harold, aged, and Colonel Conway's 8st. each; after which the duke gr. A. h. Mootee, aged (distanced). challenged to run Bonny Black At the same place, on the 3d of against any horse in the kingdom, October, carrying 8st. 7lb. he won for 10,000 gs. four times round the the rajah's handicap plate; heats, king's plate course at Newmarket, three miles; beating Childe Harold, without rubbing, which challenge 8st. 21b. easy time, second heat, was not accepted. Bonny Black four minutes four seconds. At Hywas afterwards a brood mare in his derabad, on the 15th of November, grace's stud. he won the minister's plate, free for all horses carrying 10st.; heats, two miles and a half; beating Mr. Andrew's b. A. h. Councillor, aged: time, first heat, five minutes twentyone seconds. Besides which, he won twice at Nagpore, in March, 1820; once at Bangalore, in September; and in November he walked over for a 10st. plate, two miles and a half, a few days after having won the minister's plate.

BOOTS and SHOES may be rendered impervious to water, by applying the following compost: take three ounces of spermaceti, and melt it in a pipkin, or other earthen vessel, over a slow fire; add thereto six drachms of India rubber, cut into slices, and these will presently dissolve. Then add, successively, of tallow, eight ounces; hog's lard, two ounces; amber varnish, four ounces; mix, and it will be fit for use imme- BORING. A brutal operation diately. The boots, or other mate-formerly in use for the cure of strains rial to be treated, are to receive two and wrenched shoulders in horses. or three coats with a common black- It was performed thus: having cut ing brush, and a fine polish is the a hole in the skin over the part result. affected, the cellular membrane was blown up with a tobacco-pipe, as a butcher does veal: after which they thrust a cold flat iron, like the point of a sword blade, eight or ten inches up between the shoulder-blade and the ribs. This horrible torture was had recourse to by ignorant farriers, in order to excite inflammation and discharge as near as possible to the supposed seat of the disease. Bartlett very justly remarks, that it is an absurd, useless, and cruel practice.

BOTTS, or Bors. A species of short worm, said to be produced and nourished only in the intestines of the horse. The larvæ of the œstrus.

BORACK. This high-bred and beautiful animal was brought from Madras, in 1823, by Mr. Sawers. His colour is brown, and he is about fourteen hands one and a quarter of an inch in height. He was purchased at Bussora, by an officer of the Madras army, in the latter part of the year 1818, and was then between two and three years of age. His pedigree was unfortunately neglected to be got at the time of purchase, and when it was written for, after he had signalized himself in India, it was found difficult to identify it from those of the other horses that had been bought from the same person. The connoisseurs BOUILLON (in the Manège). in India adjudged him to be of the An excrescence, or lump of flesh, on Montefick breed, and he was con- or by the frog or frush, insomuch sidered the fleetest Arabian that had that the frush shoots out and makes appeared in that quarter of India. the horse halt. This is called the At Bangalore, on the 25th of Sep-flesh blowing upon the frush,

BOULETTE (in the Manège). | with the sinews of the deer, which, When the fetlock bends forward out when prepared, they wrap carefully of its natural position, either through round the thickest part of the bow. violent riding or by being too short jointed.

BOUTE (in the Manège). An epithet for a horse, when his legs are in a straight line from his knees to the coronet; short jointed horses are apt to boute, not so those that have long joints.

BOW. An elastic instrument, bent in form of an arch by means of a string fastened to its two ends,

The length of the bow is not clearly ascertained; those used by our soldiery appear to have been as tall, at least, as the bearers, agreeably to an ordinance made in the fifth year of Edward IV. commanding every man to have a bow his own height; and they might, upon the average, be something short of six feet long.

The strength of a bow may be calculated on this principle, that its spring (i. e. the power whereby it restores itself to its natural position) is always proportionate to the distance of space it is removed from it.

It will be observed that every bow has generally a number immediately over the handle, which is the number of pounds it takes, to draw the bow down to the length of an arrow.

The way this is ascertained, is thus: the bow being strung, is placed horizontally on a ledge; a scale is hooked on the string, in which weights are put, and that quantity which bears the string down till it

used to shoot, or throw out, pointed weapons called arrows. It is the most ancient, and the most universal of weapons. It has been found to obtain among people who had little or no communication with the rest of mankind. Barbarous nations often excel in the fabric of particular things, for which they have the greatest necessity in the common offices of life. Hence the Laplanders, who support themselves almost entirely by hunting, have an art of making is the length of an arrow from the bows, which we, in these improved parts of the world, have never arrived at. Their bow is made of two pieces of tough and strong wood, shaved down to the same size, and flatted on each side; the two flat sides of the pieces are brought closely and evenly together, and then joined by means of a glue made of the skins of perch, which they have in great plenty, and of which they make a glue superior in strength to any which we have. The two pieces, when once united in this The LONG-BOW was formerly in manner, will never separate, and the great vogue in England; most of our bow is of much more force to expel victories in France were acquired by the arrow, than it could possibly it; and many laws were made to have been under the same dimen-regulate and encourage its use. The sions if made of only one piece. In parliament under Henry VIII. coma similar mode, the North Ameri- plain of the disuse of the long bow, cans construct their bows of three" heretofore the safeguard and deseveral pieces, and strengthen them fence of this kingdom, and the dread

bow, is its weight. Thus a man, according to the bow he can pull, may judge of his own strength : fifty-four pounds is the standard weight of a bow; and he who can draw one of sixty with ease, as his regular shooting bow, may reckon himself a strong man; though a great many archers can draw one of seventy and eighty pounds, and some ninety, but they are very few.

Ladies' bows are from twenty-four pounds to thirty-four.