Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/262

 BAR

BAR

very different nature and formation from the filky filaments Which caterpillars, and other infects, fpin out of their entrails. They have all peculiar organs for the fpinning it, and all draw it out to any length they pleafe ; but this matter, on the con- trary, has a determinate length, which it cannot exceed, and is only formed of the matter perfpired through certain parts of the body of the creature,which hardens as it remains in the air. As it is fo eafy to diveft thefe creatures of their downy cover- ing, it is eafy to conceive, that nature muft have made its reparation to the animal very eafy ; and this is indeed the cafe: for if the animal be wholly made naked, by drawing the finger three or four times over it, it lofes its fine green colour in half an hour afterwards, appearing as if d Lifted over with flour; and, in fine, within the fpace of twelve hours, is furmfhed with tufts as long, and every way as large, as thofe it loft. Thefe tufts, as they grow upon the animal, appear much more even and regular in fbape than they are afterwards : they have bafes, each compofed of four arches, fuited to the convex figure of the body; and their whole figure refembles a qua- drilateral pyramid inverted. In this ftate they do not touch at their bales ; but have a green fpot, that is a part of the naked furface of the body of the animal between. As they grow to their full fize, they lofe the regularity of their figure, and meet at their bafes. The probable caufe of their lofing their angular figure is, that they rub againft one another, or againft other fubftances, and their angles being the parts moft likely to touch, are eafily broke oft": and as to thofe which are crooked, it feems to be wholly owing to their being of fo great a length in proportion to their thicknefs, that they are notable to fuftain their weight creel.

When the tufts have been rubbed off from one of thefe ani- mals, and its body is left naked, if it be then examined by a microfcope, there will be found a number of fmall hollows or deprtflions in the fkin, exactly anfwering in place and number to the cottony tufts that are to fucceed the loft ones. It is to be conceived, that, within each of thefe hollows, there are a great number of fine apertures, through which the matter is to pafs, which is to form the new tufts ; but thefe are not diftinguifhable by the moft powerful glaffes : if the tufts, how- ever, be examined while forming, they will be found to con- fift of a vaft number cf regular filaments, placed clofe by one another, and each running diftindtly the whole length of the tuft : this appearance is, however, wholly loft afterwards, the fine threads flicking to, and intermingling with, one another, and many of them breaking in feveral places ; fo that the whole tuft refembles a coarfe and fingle filament. Thefe barbets are found in great plenty on the leaves of the plum-tree in the months of June and July. The puceron of this tree feems more to their tafte than any other kind ; and they are often found in numbers on every leaf of die tree where thefe little animals are.

The matter of their tufts feems anologous to the downy covering of fome of the pucerons, and to no other fubftance in the animal world. The puceron of the beech-tree has this downy matter running into much longer filaments even than this animal; and, in the feveral other fpecies, it is found growing to the different lengths from this to a mere downy powder.

The barbel lives about a fortnight in that form, and then be. comes a chryfalb; from which, after a month, there comes out a fmall becttle, of the fize of our cowlady, but of a flatter figure, and, in general, of a duflcy brown colour. Reaumur Hift. Infect.. Vol. 6. p. 157, feq.

BARBICANAGE, Barbimnagium, in our old writers, monev given for the maintenance of a barbican, or watch-tower ; or a tribute towards repairing or building a bulwark. Blount.

BARBILLONS, in the natural hiftory of infects, are certain bodies, ufually two in number, placed under the creature's head, and moveable at pleafure, fomewhat refcmbling hands or fingers placed on a fhort or broken arm. The word is a diminutive of the French barbe, beard. Thefe are always covered with hairs : the creature is able to throw them out, and take them in, at pleafure, and when they are out, can move them backward and forward with an incredible fwiftnefs ; by which means, a current of water is made about its head, and in that probably great numbers of fmall animals are brought, which ferve for food to the crea- ture ; and this is probably the way nature has taken to pro- vide for many both of the larger and fmaller of the infeft clafs. Reaumur, Hift. Inf. Vol. 4. p. 312.

EARBITOS, or Barbiton, an ancient inftrument of mufic, mounted with three, others fay, feven firings, much ufed by Sappho and Alcseus ; whence it is alfo denominated Lejbown. The b:.rbitos is faid to have differed from the lyre and cithara; but wherein the precife difference lay, does not appear! Strabo makes it the fame with the fambuca. It is reprefented as yielding a grave, deep found, and, on that account, pecu- liarly fitted for Doric compofitions. Anacreon is faid to be the inventor of the barbiton. V. Smd. Lex. T. 1 p 416 Seal Poet. I. 1. c. 48. Men. 1. 4. Rbodig. Lea. Ant. 1. c. c. 23.

BA ? B i^ E ' ?:\ BAREEt > in ichthyology, the Englifh name for the nlh called by the generality of authors barbies, and barbu- lus; by fome, mujius fiwuiaUhs. It is, according to the new fyftem of Artedi, a Species of cyprinuu See Bareus.

BARBLES, in the manege, knots of fuperfluous fiefh growing in the channels of a horfe's mouth; that is, in the intervals, which feparate the bars, and obftruct his eating. Guiil. Gent. Diet. P. 1. in voc.

Thefe are alfo called barbes; and obtain in black cattle as well as horfes.

For the cure, they can; the beaft, take out his tongue, and clip off the barbes with a pair of fciflars, or cut them with a fharp knife ; others chufe to burn them off with a hot iron. Diet. Ruft. in voc. BARBONI, in zoology, a name given by many to the muHus barbatus, a fifh greatly efteemed at table, and caught in the Mediterranean, and fome other leas. TViUughfy, Hift. Pifc. p. 285. See the article Mullus Barbatus. BARBUS, in zoology, the fifh called in Knglifti the barbe', and by fome writers in natural hiftory, mujius JiuviatMs. It grows to a foot, or fomewhat more, in length : its back is of a dufky, brownifh, olive colour ; but with a palenefs not com- mon in other fun: its belly is of a filvery white: its back and fides are fpotted with black fpots : the figure of its body is long and rounded ; and its back rifes into a prominent and fharp ridge : its fcales are of a moderate fize ; and its fide lines dotted : its mouth is large, but toothlefs ; and its upper jaw hangs out a great way beyond the lower : it has four beards, two at the angles of the mouth, and two near the edge of the jaws; and in the middle of thefe there runs a flender red vein ; it has only one fin on the back ; and its tail is forked Its flefh is lax and foft ; and there is an opinion that its fpawn is poi- fonous. It is caught in many of our rivers, and in thofe of other parts of the world. Rays Ichthyog. p. 259. Gejhcr, de Pifc. p. 123.

The barbel \s a fifh commonly known, and fo called, on ac- count of the barb or beard under its nofe, or chaps. It is of the leather-mouthed kind.

This is but a moderately well-tafted fifh. The male is efteemed better than the female ; but neither of them is very much valued. 1 he worft feafon for them is April. They ufually fwim together in great ftioals, and love to be amon^ weeds, where there is a hard, gravelly bottom. In fummer they frequent the ftrongeft and fwifteft currents of the water; as deep bridges, weirs, and the like places, and are apt to get in among the piles, weeds, and other fhelter; but in winter, they retire into the deepeft and ftilleft waters. The time for taking this fifh is very early in the morning or late in the evening : the place fhould be baited with chop- ped worms fome time before; and no bait is fo good for the hook as the fpawn of the falmon, or fome other fifh : in de- fect, of thefe, lob-worms will do ; but they muft be very clean and nice, and the hook carefully covered, otherwife he will not touch them. Old cheefe fteeped in honey is alfo a very fine bait

The rod and line for fifhing for this fifh ought to be very ftrong: the line fhould have a running plummet, that is, a bullet with a hole through it; and a piece of lead muft be placed a foot or more above the hook, to keep the plummet from falling upon it : the worm, or other bait, will, by this means, always be at the bottom ; and the plummet will lie, and not choak the fifh : the bending of the rod will fhew when he bites ; and indeed it will be felt in the hand by the twitch he gives ; but, if not carefully managed, he will often break the tackle, for he is a very ftrong fifh. 7"he beft feafon for fifh- inti for this fifh is from May to Auguft. Sportfm. Diet, in voc. BARBYLA, in botany, a name by which Theocritus, and other of the early writers, have called the common damask prune. 'Jonf. Dend. p. 7 7 . BARCALON, an appellation given the chief minifter of the emperor of Siam, to whom belongs the care of trade both within the kingdom and out of it, the fuperintendency of the royal magazines, the receipt of the revenues, and the manage- ment of foreign affairs. Diet, de Trev. T. i. p. 870. BARCES, orBfiRCHES, were formerly a kind of fhip guns, not unlike fakers, only fhorter, thicker in metal, and wider bored. Fafch. Ing. Lex. p. 67. b. BARCONE, a fhort broad veflel, of a middle fize, ufed in the Mediterranean fea for the carriage of corn, wood, fait, and other provifions, from one place to another. F.rfch. p. 68. a. BARD, Bards, in middle age writers, is ufed for the armour and accoutrements of a war horfe, or ftate horfe. Cafeneuv. Orig. p. 20. b.

Hence alfo the barbarous Latin bcrdatus, a horfe thus accou- tred.

Menage derives the word from cooperta ; whence, by corrup- tion, cocparta, parta, and barda. Menag. Orig. Franc, p. 78. b. Bard is alfo ufed, in the culinary art, for a broad flice of bacon ufed to cover fowls before they are roafted, baked, or other- wife drefled. Diet. Ruft. T. 1. in voc. BARDARIOT/E, in antiquity, was a kind of antient guard at- tending the Greek emperors, armed with rods, wherewith they kept off the people from crouding too near the prince*, when on horfeback. Jquin. Lex. Milit. T. 1. p. 115. a. Du Cange, Gloff. Gr. T. 1. p. 176.

Their captain or commander was denominated prmwergms. The word was probably formed from the bar da or houfmgs on their horfes.- See Bard.

BARDANA,