Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/168

BLACK FLY. Simuilidæ. All the insects of this family are short, small, and thick-bodied, having no simple eyes and no transverse suture in the thorax; they rarely exceed one-fourth inch in length. The larva; of these flies are aquatic, unlike mosquitoes, living in swift-running streams. Their eggs are deposited in closely packed layers on rocks near or below the surface of the water, into which the larva- drop when freed from the egg and become attached to plants, stones, etc., by a silken thread, or sometimes to each other, forming long floating strings: they soon pupate within silken cocoons, open at the ends so as to admit water. There may be several broods, the last producing young that hibernate in the larval stage. Hence the first emergence of imagoes ( (lies) is early in the spring. As summer advances the insects become excessively numerous in such favorable regions for them as the well-watered forests of northern New York, Maine, and Canada, where in hot weather they abound in such swarms as to put a stop to work in the woods, and even to cause the death of poultry and other animals which cannot escape them. In Labrador, life is practically impossible away from the seashore while the flies are in force. They suck the blood like mosquitoes, b>it, unlike them, are worse in sunshine, becoming dormant on cloudy days. Three or more species are known, that of the Saint Lawrence Valley (Simulium invenustum) being different from that of Lake Superior. To protect themselves, people build smudges and smear their faces and hands with ointments, of which the best is oil of tar, habitually used by the employés of the Hudson Bay Company. Consult, for a monograph of the group, Bulletin No. 10, Ent. Division, U. S. Dept. Agric. (Washington, 1898). See Buffalo-Gnat.

BLACKFOOT (for origin of name, see below). An Algonkian tribe of the Plains, formerly roaming over the country about the head of the Missouri, from the Yellowstone northward to the North Saskatchewan and westward to the Rocky Mountains. They are now confined to reservations in Montana and the adjoining territory of British America. The name Blackfoot is said to have been given to them from the fact that when they first appeared in the Upper Missouri country their leggins were black, as a result of their traveling over the recently burned prairie. They call themselves 'plains men' or 'people of one language.' They are divided into three great subtribes: The Siksika or Blackfoot proper, Kaina or Blood, and Pikuni or Piegan, each in turn being subdivided into bands. They have also a well-developed military organization, with promotion and degrees of rank. Associated with them are the weaker tribes, Arapaho, Gros Ventres, and Sarsee (q.v.). Less than a century ago they were one of the strongest and most warlike tribes of the Plains, being estimated as high even as 40,000 souls. They still number over 5000, of whom about 2100 are on the Blackfoot Reserve in Montana, the others being in British America. Grinnell (Blackfoot Lodge Tales, 1892) has made an interesting study of their mythology.

BLACK FOREST (Ger. Schwarzwold; so called from the dark foliage of its fir and pine trees). A wooded mountain region in the southwestern part of Germany, occupying the southern part of Baden and the western part of Württemberg (Map: Germany, C 4). It runs in a direction from south to north; its natural boundaries on the east are formed by the Nagold and the Neckar, while on the south and west it is bounded by the Rhine. Its length is about 100 miles, its width varies from about 38 miles in the south to about 14 miles in the north, while its entire area is estimated at about 1900 square miles. The western slope of the region falls off abruptly toward the valley of the Rhine, in contrast to the eastern slope, whose incline is very gradual. The southern, or upper part, which is the widest part of this region, contains also its greatest elevations, as the Feldberg, 4800 feet, which is the highest peak of the entire region, and sends off numerous offshoots. ranging in altitude from 39OO to 4200 feet: the Herzogenhorn, 4010 feet, the Belcher, 4000 feet, and a number of inferior elevations. Near Altbreisach, in the District of Freiburg, is situated the isolated volcanic mass of the Kaiserstuhl. The northern or lower part of the region is inferior in elevation to the southern, and is less mountainous in general appearance. Its highest peak is the Hornisgrinde, 3700 feet, and there are a number of other elevations of a little over 3000 feet. The region of the Black Forest gives rise to a number of rivers, including the Danube and Neckar, and contains a number of lakes on its eastern slope. Geologically the region is composed of Archaean granites and gneiss, which form its core: porphyry, found mostly on the sides; and sandstone, which occurs mostly in the more elevated parts and also at the base. The mineral resources of the region are of little importance, and its deposits of silver, cobalt, and copper are practically exhausted. Mineral springs, however, are abundant and include such well - known health resorts as Baden-Baden and Wildbad. The climate is on the whole healthful, although somewhat raw in the more elevated parts. In the plains agriculture and cattle-raising are pursued with more or less success, and there are some vineyards on the western slope. The region is very well wooded, and the chief occupation of the inhabitants is the production of wooden clocks, musical instruments, and other manufactures of wood, as well as watches. The Black Forest is much frequented and has a number of roads and passes, among which the Höllenthal Pass, near Neustadt, is the best known. It is crossed by a number of railway lines. Two of the passes of the Black Forest, the Kniebis and the Hölle, acquired considerable celebrity during the wars of the French Revolution. The first, situated on the borders between Baden and Württemberg. at the source of the Murg, was taken by the French in 1796 and in 1797; the Hölle is known in connection with Moreau's retreat in 1700. The Black Forest has been made the scene of many weird and curious stories, and it is associated with a vast number of legends, folk-tales, and popular superstitions.

BLACK FRIARS. See Dominicans.

BLACKFRIARS THEATRE. The first regular playhouse in the district of Blackfriars. London. It was erected in 1596 by James Burbage, who got its site and part of its structure as a gift from Sir Thomas Cawarden's executor. Shakespeare played here in 1598 in Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour. Burbage's company, which occupied the place, was known first as the Lord Chamberlain's Company, and then as the King's Servants. The theatre was torn down in 1635.