Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/97

LEFT BLUE FISH 75 BLUE SKY LAWS the mouth of the Bluefields river, and 165 miles E. of Manag:ua. The reserva- tion lies along the Atlantic coast extend- ing S. almost to Greytown. For many, years Great Britain maintained a pro- tectorate over the reservation, which at one time belonged to Honduras. In 1893, when the war broke out between Nica- ragua and Honduras, the United States Government sent a war vessel to Blue- fields to protect the large American commercial interests there. Early in the following year Nicaragua took possession of the town and proclaimed martial law. Chief Clarence protested to Great Bri- tain against the usurpation of his rights and British war vessels were sent t-- 'he reservation and re-established Clarence in authority. During 1893-1896 the res- ervation and its capital were the sub- jects of much controversy between the United States, Great Britain, Nicaragua, and the natives of the reservation. Pop. about 5,000. BLUE FISH, a noteworthy food and game fish {Pomatcnnus saltatrix) of the American Atlantic coast from the Gulf northward, also called the skip mack- erel, and, when young, snappers. BLUE GRASS, a grass cultivated for pasturage in northern and central Ken- tucky, deriving its name from the under- lying strata of blue limestone which gives it a luxuriant growth, and distin- guished from other species by flat pan- icles, smooth culms and sheaths, and short, blunt ligules. The blue grass re- gion occupies about 10,000 square miles in northern Kentucky. The soil is very rich, and agriculture, especially the rais- ing of tobacco and hemp, is carried on with great success. The pastures sup- port the horses and live stock for which Kentucky is famous. BLUE ISLAND, a city of Illinois in Cook CO. It is on the Illinois Central, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Chicago and Grand Trunk, and the Bal- timore and Ohio Chicago Terminal I'ail- roads. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is about 2 miles south of the limits of that city. It is an important indus- trial center and has stone quarries, wire works, smelting works, etc. Pop, (1910) 8,043; (1920) 11,424. BLUE JAY (cyanocitta cristata), a common North American bird of the crow family, and occupying in the New World the place held by the jays (gar- ruhis) of the Old. In the United States the blue jay is sometimes persecuted, sometimes protected. They are mis- chievous birds, but devour large num- bers of injurious caterpillars. The com- mon blue jay has a wide distribution, and there are several other North Amer- ican species. The long-tailed blue jays belong to a rarer genus (Xanthtira) found in Central and in South America. BLUE MANTLE, one of the English pursuivants at arms, connected with the Heralds' College. BLUE MOUNTAINS, a beautiful wooded range of mountains in Oregon, from 8,000 to 9,000 feet high, which, with the Powder River Mountains, sep- arate the Columbia valley from the Great Basin. BLUE MOUNTAINS, the central mountain range of Jamaica, the main ridges of which are from 6,000 to 8,000 feet high. Aslo a mountain chain of New South Wales, part of the great Dividing Range. The highest peaks rise over 4,000 feet above the sea. The range is now traversed by a railway, which at- tains a maximum height of 3,494 feet. BLUE PILL (pilula hydrargyri), a pill made by rubbing two ounces of mer- cury with three of confection of roses till the globules disappear, and then ad- ding one of licorice root to form a mass. It is given when the secretion of the liver is defective as a purgative. BLUE POINT, the S; extremity of Patchogue Bay, Long Island, N. Y., which lends its name to the well known oysters — blue points. BLUE RIDGE, the most easterly range of the Allegheny Mountains. It forms the continuation of the chain called South Mountain in Pennsylvania and Mary- land. It is known as the Blue Ridge till it crosses the James river; thence to North Carolina as Allegheny Mountains; and in North Carolina again as Blue Ridge. BJSTE SKY LAWS, regulations by which various States of the Union have attempted to protect their citizens against investment in fraudulent or worthless se- curities. Kansas was the pioneer in the movement, and many other States quick- ly followed her example. California, in 1917, required that every person or com- pany selling securities within the State, whether they were originally issued in the State or elsewhere, must secure a certificate authorizing said person or company to act as a broker. All adver- tising matter relating to the sale of se- curities must undergo a searching scru- tiny by the State Commission. In Min- nesota, in the same year, a new law created a State Securities Commission, consisting of the public examiner, thvi attorney-general and the State superin-