A species confounded by British naturalists with the white-throat.
(_Vide_ MONTAGU.)
The babillard does not appear to be a plentiful species in this country,
and is confined to the western parts of the kingdom, from
Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, in both which counties we have found
them, and is probably in part of Somersetshire, but not in Devonshire or
Cornwall. Selby even doubts its existence; but Sweet has kept them in a
cage for years.
In some seasons it is very plentiful about London; at other times much
scarcer. I am confident I have seen it in Ayrshire, and at Musselburgh
Haugh, near Edinburgh.—_Rennie._
BACK, _s._ The hinder part of the body; the outer part of the hand
when it is shut; the rear; the place behind; the part of any
thing out of sight; the thick part of any tool, opposed to the
edge.
BACK, _v._ To mount a horse; to break a horse; to place upon the
back; to maintain; to support; to bet on.
BACKGAMMON, _s._ A play or game with dice and tables.
The _game of tables_ is better known at present by the name of
Backgammon. This pastime is said to have been discovered about the tenth
century, and the name derived from two Welsh words signifying “little
battle.” But the derivation may be found nearer home. The words are
perfectly Saxon, as Bac, or Bæc, and Zamen, that is, Back Game; so
denominated because the performance consists in the players bringing
their men back from their antagonist’s tables into their own; or because
the pieces are sometimes taken up and obliged to go back, that is,
re-enter at the table they came from.
The most material circumstances in which the game differed, at this
remote period, from the present method of playing it, was, first, in
having three dice instead of two, or reckoning a certain number for the
third; and secondly, in placing all the men within the antagonist’s
table, which, says an ancient writer, must be put upon his ace point.
There is also another game upon the tables, called Paume Carie, which is
played with two dice, and requires four players, that is, two on either
side; or six, and then three are opposed to three. The same authority
then speaks of a third game, called Ludus Lombardorum, the Game of
Lombardy, and thus played: he who sits on the side marked 13—24 has his
men at 6, and his antagonist has his men at 19; which is changing the
ace point in the English game for the size point: and this alteration
probably shortened the game. He mentions the five following variations
by name only; the Imperial game, the Provincial game, the games called
Baralie, Mylys, and Faylis.
At the commencement of the last century, backgammon was a very favourite
amusement, and pursued at leisure times by most persons of opulence, and
especially by the clergy; which occasioned Dean Swift, when writing to a
friend of his in the country, sarcastically to ask the following
question: “In what esteem are you with the vicar of the parish: can you
play with him at backgammon?” But of late years this pastime is become
unfashionable, and of course not so much practised.
* * * * *
This game is played with dice upon a table by two persons, upon which
there are twenty-four black and white spaces, called points. Each
adversary has fifteen men, black and white, to distinguish them, and
they are disposed of in the following manner. Supposing the game to be
played into the right hand table, two are placed upon the ace point in
the adversary’s table, five upon the six point in the opposite table,
three upon the cinque point in the hithermost table, and five on the
sixth point in the right hand table. The grand object in this game is
for each player to bring the men round into his right hand table, by
throwing with a pair of dice those throws that contribute towards it,
and at the same time prevent the adversary doing the like. The first
best throw upon the dice is esteemed aces, because it stops the six
point in the outer table, and secures the cinque in the thrower’s table,
whereby the adversary’s two men upon the thrower’s ace point cannot get
out with either quatre, cinque, or six. This throw is an advantage often
given to the antagonist by the superior player. When he carries his men
home in order to lose no point, he is to carry the most distant man to
his adversary’s bar point, that being the first stage he is to place it
on; the next stage is six points farther, viz. in the place where the
adversary’s five men are first placed out of his tables. He must go on
this method till all his men are brought home, except two, when, by
losing a point, he may often save the gammon, by throwing two fours or
two fives. When a hit is only played for, he should endeavour to gain
either his own or adversary’s cinque point, and if that fails by his
being hit by the adversary, and he finds him forwarder than himself, in
that case he must throw more men into the adversary’s tables, which is
done in this manner: he must put a man upon his cinque or bar point, and
if the adversary fails to hit it, he may then gain a forward game
instead of a back game; but if the adversary hit him, he should play for
a back game, and then the greater number of men which are taken up makes
his game the better, because by these means he will preserve his game at
home, and then he should endeavour to gain both his adversary’s ace and
trois points, and take care to keep three men upon the adversary’s ace
point, that, in case he hits him from thence, that point may remain
still secure to himself. A back game should not be played for at the
beginning of a set, because it would be a great disadvantage, the player
running the risk of a gammon to win a single hit.
A variety of instructions with regard to this curious game are given by
Mr. Hoyle, who calculates the odds of the game with great accuracy. The
following particulars, however, may be of use to the generality of
players. If a player has taken up two of the adversary’s men, and
happens to have two, three, or more points made in his own tables, he
should spread his own men, that he may either take a new point in his
tables, or be ready to hit the man which the adversary may happen to
enter. If he finds upon the adversary’s entering, that the game is upon
a par, or that the advantage is on his own side, he should take the
adversary’s man up whenever he can, it being twenty-five to eleven that
he is not hit, except when he is playing for a single hit only, then, if
playing, the throw otherwise gives him a better chance for it, he ought
to do it. As it is five to one against his being hit with double dice,
he should never be deterred from taking up any one man of the
adversary’s. If he has taken up one of the adversary’s men, and should
happen to have five points in his own tables, and forced to leave a blot
out of his tables, he should endeavour to leave it upon doublets
preferable to any other chance; because the odds are thirty-five to one
that he is not hit, whereas it is only seventeen to one but he is hit
upon another chance. When the adversary is very forward, a player should
never move a man from his own quatre, trois, or deuce points, thinking
to bear that man from the point where he put it, as nothing but high
doublets can give him any chance for the hit. Instead of playing an ace
or a deuce from any of these points, he should play them from his own
size or highest points, so that throwing two fives or two fours, his
size and cinque points being eased, would be a considerable advantage to
him, whereas, had they been loaded, he must have been obliged to play
otherwise. It is the interest of the adversary to take up the player as
soon as he enters. The blot should be left on the adversary’s lowest
point, that is to say, upon his deuce point, rather than upon his trois
point, or upon his trois point rather than upon his quatre point, or
upon his quatre point preferable to his cinque point, for a reason
before-mentioned; all the men the adversary plays upon his trois or his
deuce points are deemed lost, being greatly out of play, so that those
men not having it in their power to make his cinque point, and his game
being crowded in on one point, and open in another, the adversary must
be greatly annoyed by the player. If the player has two of his
adversary’s men in his tables, he has a better chance for a hit than if
he had more, provided his game is forwarder than that of his antagonist,
for if he had three or more of his adversary’s men in his tables, he
would stand a worse chance to be hit. When a player is running to save
the gammon, if he should have two men upon his ace point, and several
men abroad, although he should lose one point or two in his putting his
men into his tables, it is his interest to leave a man upon his
adversary’s ace point, because it will prevent his adversary from
bearing his men to the best advantage, and at the same time the player
will have a chance of the adversary’s making a blot which he may chance
to hit. However, if a player finds, upon a throw, that he has a
probability of saving his gammon, he should never wait for a blot, as
the odds are greatly against his hitting it, but should embrace that
opportunity.
The following are directions for calculating the odds of saving or
winning the gammon:—Suppose the adversary has so many men abroad as
require three throws to bring them into his tables, and at the same time
that the players’ tables are made up, and that he has taken up one of
the adversary’s men, in this case it is about an equal wager that the
adversary is gammoned. For, in all probability, the player has borne two
men before he opens his tables, and when he bears the third man, he will
be obliged to open his size or cinque point. It is then probable, that
the adversary is obliged to throw twice before he enters his men in the
player’s tables, twice before he puts that man into his own tables, and
three throws more to put the men which are abroad into his own tables,
in all seven throws. Now the player having twelve men to bear, he may be
forced to make an ace or a deuce twice before he can bear all his men,
and consequently will require seven throws in bearing them; so that,
upon the whole, it is about equal whether the adversary is gammoned or
not. Suppose a player has three men upon his adversary’s ace point, and
five points on his own tables, and that the adversary has all his men in
his tables, three upon each of his five highest points, has the player a
probability of gammoning his adversary or not?
POINTS.
For bearing three men from his sixth point
is 18
From his fifth point 15
From his fourth point 12
From his third point 9
From his second point 6
——
In all 60
Bringing his three men from the adversary’s
ace point, to his size point in his own
tables, being eighteen points each, and
making together 54
——
There must remain 6
It is plain from this calculation, that the player has much the best of
the probability of the gammon, exclusive of one or more blots which the
adversary is liable to make in bearing his men, supposing at the same
time the throws to be upon an equality. Suppose two blots are left,
either of which cannot be hit but by double dice, one must be hit by
throwing eight, and the other by throwing nine, so that the adversary
has only one die to hit either of them.
The chances of two dice, being in all 36
The chances to hit six, are six and two
twice 2
Five and three twice 2
Two deuces 1
Two fours 1
The chances to hit nine are six and three
twice 2
Five and four twice 2
Two trois 1
——
For hitting in all 11
Chances for not hitting, remain 25
So that the odds are twenty-five to eleven against hitting either of
these blots.
This method may be taken to find out the odds of hitting three, four, or
five blots upon double dice, or blots made upon double or single dice at
the same time. After knowing how many chances there are to hit any of
those blots, they must be added together, and then subtracted from the
number thirty-six, which are the chances of the two dices, and the
question is solved.
The laws of backgammon are, first, If a man is taken from any point, it
must be played, if two men are taken from it they also must be played.
Second, A man is not supposed to be played till it is placed upon a
point and quitted. Third, If a player has only fourteen men in play,
there is no penalty inflicted; because by his playing with a less number
than he is entitled to, he plays to a disadvantage for want of the
deficient man to make up his tables. Fourth, If he bears any number of
men before he has entered a man taken up, and which of course he was
obliged to enter, such men so borne must be entered again in the
adversary’s tables, as well as the man taken up. Fifth, If he has
mistaken his throw and played it, and his adversary has thrown, it is
not in the choice of either of the players to alter it, unless they both
agree so to do.
The probable method of prolonging a hit at backgammon, affords a case of
instruction as well as curiosity; for there is a probability of making
the hit last by one of the players for many hours, although they shall
both play as fast as usual. Suppose B to have borne thirteen men, and
that A has his fifteen men in B’s tables, viz. three men upon his size
point, as many upon his cinque, quatre, and trois points, two upon his
deuce point, and one upon his ace point. A in this situation can prolong
it by bringing his fifteen men home, always securing six close points
till B has entered his two men, and brought them upon any certain point;
as soon as B has gained that point A will open an ace, deuce, or trois
point, or all of them, which done, B hits one of them, and A taking care
to have two or three men in B’s tables, is ready to hit that man, and
also he being certain of taking up the other man, has it in his power to
prolong the hit almost to any length, provided he takes care not to open
such points as two fours, two fives, or two sixes, but always to open
the ace, deuce, or trois points, for B to hit him. We add the following
two critical cases for a back game. First, suppose the fore game to be
played by A, and that all his men are placed as usual, B has fourteen of
his men placed upon his adversary’s ace point, and one man upon his
adversary’s deuce point, and B is to throw who has the best of the hit;
answer, A has the best of it, gold to silver, because, if B does not
throw an ace to take his adversary’s deuce point, which is twenty-five
to eleven against him, A will take up B’s men in his tables either
singly or make points, and then if B secures either A’s deuce or trois
point, A will put as many men down as possible, in order to hit and
thereby get a back game. It is evident that the back game is powerful,
consequently, whoever practises it must become a greater proficient at
the game than he could by any other means. Second, Suppose A to have
five men placed upon his size point, as many upon his quatre point, and
the same number upon his deuce point, all in his own tables. At the same
time let us suppose B to have three men placed upon A’s ace point, as
many upon A’s trois point, and the same number upon A’s cinque point, in
his own tables, and three men placed as usual out of his tables, who has
the best of the hit? Answer—The game is equal till B has gained his
cinque and quatre points in his own tables, which, if he can effect, and
by playing two men from A’s cinque point, in order to force his
adversary to blot by throwing a cane, which should B hit, he will have
the best of the hit.—_Strutt_—_Ency. Lon._—_Hoyle._
BACKSIDE, _s._ The hinder part of any thing; the hind part of an
animal.
BACK-SINEWS, strains in.
The symptoms are swelling, heat, and proportionate degree of lameness.
Bleeding and rest are absolutely necessary, assisted by an emollient
poultice from the hoof to the knee. A flannel bag, or large woollen
stocking, secured above the shoulder by a tape, is the best mode of
applying the poultice. All movement of the knee should be avoided.
BACON, _s._ The flesh of a hog salted and dried.
BADGER, _s._ A brock, an animal.
[Illustration: THE BADGER.]
The usual length of the badger is two feet six inches, exclusive of the
tail, which is barely six inches long, and covered with long hair, the
same as those of the body; the weight from fifteen to thirty-four
pounds—the last is rare, but in the winter of 1779, Mr. Pennant had a
male badger of that weight; the eyes are very small, the ears short and
rounded; the neck thick, and the whole shape of the body clumsy, and
which being covered with long coarse hairs, like bristles, adds to its
awkward appearance; each hair next the root is of a dirty, yellowish
white, the middle is black, and the extremity grey; hence arose the old
saying, “As grey as a badger.” It has thirty-four teeth, six cutting and
two canine teeth in each jaw—the lower and upper have each five
grinders; the nose, chin, and lower sides of the cheeks are white; each
ear and eye is inclosed in a pyramidal bed of black, the base of which
incloses the former,—this point extends beyond the eye to the nose; the
throat and under parts of the body are black. This is a singularity in
the badger, for all other animals have hair of a lighter colour upon
their bellies, than upon their backs. The legs and feet of the badger
are black, very short, and strong; each foot is divided into five toes,
those in the fore feet are armed with long claws, well adapted for
digging its subterraneous habitation, where, although there is but one
entrance from the surface, it forms several apartments, and in the
breeding season carries in grass in his mouth, to form a bed for its
young. It confines itself to its hole during the day, feeding only at
night. It is so cleanly as never to obey the calls of nature in its own
burrow. It is said the fox takes advantage of this niceness, and uses an
obvious method to make the badger’s home unpleasant, of which he by this
means possesses himself. In walking, the badger treads on his whole
heel, like the bear, which brings the belly very near the ground.
Immediately below the tail, between that and the anus, there is a narrow
transverse orifice, from whence continually exudes a white substance of
a very fœtid smell: this seems peculiar to the badger and the hyæna.