Rectified spirit 1 pint.
Oil of rosemary 2 oz.
Strong liquid ammonia 4 oz.—Mix.
ORANGE, _s._ The orange tree; the fruit of the tree.
ORANGE, _a._ Belonging to an orange, of the colour of an orange.
_To dye a fine Orange._—If you have half a pound of stuff to dye, you
must get an ounce and a half of black grain (cochineal), and pound it
fine; put down the stuff in six or eight quarts of water, with turmeric,
to bring it to the finest highest yellow that is possible; take it out,
and put in the black grain; stir it about well, boil it half an hour.
Then put in the stuff for ten minutes, and draw half for the first
shade; keep the remainder of the stuff for thirty minutes, then take it
out, put two teaspoonfuls of Brazil dust into the pot, and let it boil
up. Throw in the light shade, and be watchful lest it get too dark; lift
out the stuff, and put in two more spoonfuls of dust, and watch as
before, and boil on for a blood orange. This is certainly the best way
for oranges in the world.
Should you make your shades too dark, infuse six drops of spirit into
the liquor while hot, and any shade you want to brighten throw it in,
press it well, and lift out in an instant; and if not to your wish, put
in three drops more, and throw the other shades into it, and it will
enliven the colour exceedingly. The same may be done with gold colours,
and it will brighten them also.
_To dye Orange Hackles._—Get white hackles; prepare them as already
directed. Ground them richly in turmeric, then put in some cochineal,
boil it well, and if you do not soon get a fine rich orange, put in some
more cochineal with a pinch of Brazil dust. Let it boil for a time, and
then draw for bright orange; put in more cochineal, and a teaspoonful of
Brazil dust; boil it well, and you will have a full or deep orange. Draw
the hackles, and put in a spoonful or two of Brazil dust, and boil on
till you see a fine blood red. These three shades may be distinguished
as a bright orange, a blood orange, and a blood red. Archil will give a
fourth shade.
* * * * *
Take care not to dry your hackles too quickly, neither put them too near
the fire. Finish one bunch at a time, and draw them constantly through
your fingers till dry, as that keeps the hackles in proper form. You
should keep the wet hackles rolled up in paper, as, if they dry too
fast, they will get ragged and staring, which is a great fault, and can
seldom be cured. To stain fine bright golden yellows, follow the same
process, with this difference,—that the quantity of turmeric and madder
used must be very small, and only two drops of spirits should be
infused, if any be necessary.—_Old Recipe._
ORBITS (_Orbita_, LINN.), _s._ In ornithology, the skin which
surrounds the eye. It is generally bare, but particularly in the
parrot and the heron.
ORC, _s._ A sort of sea-fish.
ORNITHOLOGY, _s._ Natural history of birds.
A good ornithologist should be able to distinguish birds by their air as
well as by their colours and shape; on the ground as well as on the
wing, and in the bush as well as in the hand. For, though it must not be
said that every species of birds has a manner peculiar to itself, yet
there is somewhat in most genera at least, that at first sight
discriminates them, and enables a judicious observer to pronounce upon
them with some certainty. Put a bird in motion
“——et vera incessu patuit.”
Thus kites and buzzards sail round in circles with wings expanded and
motionless: and it is from their gliding manner that the former are
still called in the north of England gleads, from the Saxon verb
_glidan_, to glide. The kestrel or wind-hover has a peculiar mode of
hanging in the air in one place, his wings all the while being briskly
agitated. Hen-harriers fly low over heaths or fields of corn, and beat
the ground regularly like a pointer or setting-dog. Owls move in a
buoyant manner, as if lighter than the air; they seem to want ballast.
There is a peculiarity belonging to ravens that must draw the attention
even of the most incurious—they spend all their leisure time in striking
and cuffing each other on the wing in a kind of playful skirmish; and
when they move from one place to another, frequently turn on their backs
with a loud croak, and seem to be falling to the ground. When this odd
gesture betides them, they are scratching themselves with one foot, and
thus lose the centre of gravity. Rooks sometimes dive and tumble in a
frolicsome manner; crows and daws swagger in their walk; woodpeckers fly
_volatu undoso_, opening and closing their wings at every stroke, and so
are always rising or falling in curves. All of this genus use their
tails, which incline downward, as a support while they run up trees.
Parrots, like all other hook-clawed birds, walk awkwardly, and make use
of their bill as a third foot, climbing and descending with ridiculous
caution. All the _Gallinæ_ parade and walk gracefully, and run nimbly;
but fly with difficulty, with an impetuous whirring, and in a straight
line. Magpies and jays flutter with powerless wings, and make no
despatch; herons seem encumbered with too much sail for their light
bodies, but their vast hollow wings are necessary in carrying burthens,
such as large fishes, and the like; pigeons, and particularly the sort
called smiters, have a way of clashing their wings the one against the
other over their backs with a loud snap; another variety called tumblers
turn themselves over in the air. Some birds have movements peculiar to
the season of pairing; thus ringdoves, though strong and rapid at other
times, yet in the spring hang about on the wing in a toying and playful
manner: thus the cock-snipe, while breeding, forgetting his former
flight, fans the air like the wind-hover; and the greenfinch in
particular exhibits such languishing and faltering gestures as to appear
like a wounded and dying bird; the kingfisher darts along like an arrow;
fern-owls, or goat-suckers, glance in the dusk over the tops of trees
like a meteor; starlings, as it were, swim along, while missel-thrushes
use a wild and desultory flight; swallows sweep over the surface of the
ground and water, and distinguish themselves by rapid turns and quick
evolutions; swifts dash round in circles; and the bank martin moves with
frequent vacillations like a butterfly. Most of the small birds fly by
jerks, rising and falling as they advance. Most small birds hop, but
wagtails and larks walk, moving their legs alternately. Skylarks rise
and fall perpendicularly as they sing; woodlarks hang poised in the air;
and titlarks rise and fall in large curves, singing in their descent.
The whitethroat uses odd jerks and gesticulations over the tops of
hedges and bushes. All the duck kind waddle; divers and auks walk as if
fettered, and stand erect on their tails; these are the _compedes_ of
Linnæus. Geese and cranes, and most wild fowls, move in figured flights,
often changing their position. The secondary _remiges_ of _Tringæ_, wild
ducks, and some others, are very long, and give their wings, when in
motion, a hooked appearance. Dabchicks, moorhens, and coots, fly erect,
with their legs hanging down, and hardly make any despatch; the reason
is plain, their wings are placed too forward out of the true centre of
gravity, as the legs of auks and divers are situated too
backward.—_White’s Selborne._
ORTOLAN, _s._ A small bird accounted very delicious.
OSIER, _s._ A tree of the willow kind, growing by the water.
OSPREY, _s._ The sea eagle. _Vide_ EAGLE.
[Illustration: THE OSPREY.]
Buffon observes that the osprey is the most numerous of the large birds
of prey, and is scattered over the extent of Europe, from Sweden to
Greece, and that it is found even in Egypt and Nigritia. Its haunts are
on the sea shore, and on the borders of rivers and lakes. Its principal
food is fish; it darts upon its prey with great rapidity, and with
undeviating aim.
OSSIFICATION, _s._ Change of carneous, membranous, or cartilaginous,
into bony substance.
Ossification of the cartilages frequently accompanies ringbone, but it
may exist without any affection of the pastern joint. It is oftenest
found in horses of heavy draught. It arises not so much from concussion,
as from a species of sprain, for the pace of the horse is slow. The
cause, indeed, is not well understood, but of the effect we have too
numerous instances. Very few heavy draught horses arrive at old age
without this change of structure.
In the healthy state of the foot, these cartilages will readily yield to
the pressure of the fingers on the coronet over the quarters, but, by
degrees, the resistance becomes greater, and at length bone is formed,
and the parts yield no more. No evident inflammation of the foot, or
great, or perhaps even perceptible lameness accompanies this change; a
mere slight degree of stiffness may have been observed, which, in a
horse of more rapid pace, would have been lameness. Even when the change
is completed, there is not in many cases any thing more than a slight
increase of stiffness, little or not at all interfering with the
usefulness of the horse. When this altered structure appears in the
lighter horse, the lameness is more decided, and means should be taken
to arrest the progress of the change: these are blisters or firing; but,
after those parts have become bony, no operation will restore the
cartilage.—_The Horse._
OSSIFRAGE, _s._ A kind of eagle.
OSTEOLOGY, _s._ A description of the bones.
OSTLER, _s._ The man who takes care of horses at an inn.
OTTER, _s._ An amphibious animal that preys upon fish.
[Illustration]
The description of this animal and the mode of destroying it are
mentioned on account of its being so inveterate a foe to the fisherman’s
amusement, for the otter is as destructive in a pond as a polecat in a
hen-house. This animal seems to link the chain of gradation between
terrestrial and aquatic creatures, resembling the former in its shape,
and the latter in being able to remain for a considerable space of time
under water, and being furnished with membranes like fins between the
toes, which enable it to swim with such rapidity as to overtake fish in
their own element. The otter, however, properly speaking, is not
amphibious; he is not formed for continuing in the water, since, like
other terrestrial creatures, he requires the aid of respiration; for if,
in pursuit of his prey, he accidentally gets entangled in a net, and has
not time to cut with his teeth the sufficient number of meshes to
effectuate his escape, he is drowned. The usual length of the otter,
from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, is twenty-three
inches; of the tail itself, which is broad at the insertion and tapers
to a point, sixteen; the weight of the male is from eighteen to
twenty-six, of the female from thirteen to twenty pounds. One, in
October, 1794, was snared in the river Lea between Ware and Hertford,
which weighed upwards of forty pounds. The head and nose are broad and
flat; the eyes are brilliant, although small; are nearer the nose than
is usual in quadrupeds, and placed in such a manner as to discern every
object that is above, which gives the otter a singular aspect, not
unlike the eel; but this property of seeing what is above gives it a
particular advantage when lurking at the bottom for its prey, as the
fish cannot discern any object under them, and the otter seizing them
from beneath by the belly readily takes any number with little exertion;
the ears are extremely short, and their orifice narrow; the opening of
the mouth is small, the lips are capable of being brought very close,
somewhat resembling the mouth of a fish; are very muscular, and designed
to close the mouth firmly while in the action of diving, and the nose
and corners of the mouth are furnished with very long whiskers; it has
thirty-six teeth, six cutting and two canine above and below; of the
former the middlemost are the least; it has besides five grinders on
each side in both jaws. The legs are very short, but remarkably broad
and muscular; the joints articulated so loosely, that the otter can turn
them quite back, and bring them on a line with its body and use them as
fins; each foot has five toes, connected by strong webs like those of a
water-fowl; thus nature in every particular has attended to the way of
life allotted to an animal whose food is fish, and whose haunts must
necessarily be about waters. The otter has no heel, but a round ball
under the sole of the foot, by which its track in the mud is easily
distinguished, and is termed the seal. The general shape of the otter is
somewhat similar to that of an overgrown weasel, being long and slender;
its colour is entirely a deep brown, except two small spots of white on
each side the nose, and one under the chin; the skin is valuable, if
killed in the winter, and makes gloves more durable, and which at the
same time will retain their pliancy and softness after being repeatedly
wetted, beyond any other leather.
The otter destroys large quantities of fish, for he will eat none unless
it be perfectly fresh, and what he takes himself; by his mode of eating
them he causes a still greater consumption. So soon as the otter catches
a fish, he drags it on shore, devours it to the vent, but, unless
pressed by extreme hunger, always leaves the remainder, and takes to the
water in quest of more. In rivers it is always observed to swim against
the stream, to meet its prey; it has been asserted, that two otters will
hunt in concert that active fish the salmon; one stations itself above,
the other below where the fish lies, and being thus chased incessantly
the wearied salmon becomes their victim. To suppose the otter never uses
the sea is a mistake, for they often have been seen in it, both swimming
and seeking for their booty, which, in the Orkneys, has been observed to
be cod and conger.
In very hard weather, when its natural sort of food fails, the otter
will kill lambs, sucking pigs, and poultry, and one was caught in a
warren, where he had come to prey on rabbits.
The hunting of the otter was formerly considered as excellent sport, and
hounds were kept solely for that purpose. The chase of the otter has
still, however, its staunch admirers, who are apparently as zealous in
this pursuit as in any other we read of. In 1796, near Bridgnorth, on
the river Worse, four otters were killed: one stood three, another four
hours, before the dogs, and was scarcely a minute out of sight. The
hearts, &c., were eaten by many respectable people who attended the
hunt, and allowed to be very delicious; the carcasses were also eaten by
the men employed, and found to be excellent; what is a little
extraordinary, the account does not state that the partakers of this
hard-earned fare were Carthusians.
* * * * *
As he spoke, I remarked the occurrence which the commander noticed. The
fish, which upon our first arrival had risen merrily at the natural
flies, ceased on a sudden altogether—now they rushed confusedly through
the water, or threw themselves for yards along the surface. It was not
the sullen plunge at an insect, or the vertical spring, when sport, not
food, brings the salmon over water; but it was evident that there was
some hidden cause of alarm, and we were not long left in doubt. Near the
neck of the pool, an otter of the largest size showed himself for a
moment, then darting under water, the same commotion ensued again.
Before a minute elapsed, Andy Bawn pointed silently to a shoal beneath
an overhanging bush, and there was the spoiler, apparently resting
himself after his successful exertions, and holding a four-pound
white-trout in his mouth. Either he noticed us, or had some more
favourite haunt to feed in, for he glided into the deep water, and we
saw no more of him.
Although we found out that the otter and ourselves could not manage to
fish in company, we ascertained that the pool was abundantly stocked
with salmon:—during the period of the greatest alarm, at least half a
dozen fish were breaking the surface at the same time.
A curious incident, however, supplied us with an excellent white fish.
The servant who brought the post bag, when in the act of crossing the
river, which in his route from the lodge he was obliged to do
repeatedly, most unexpectedly encountered a large otter carrying off a
salmon he had just seized. The postman attacked the poacher vigorously,
who, dropping his prey, glided off into the deep water at the tail of
the ford. The spoil proved to be a fresh salmon not twenty hours from
the sea, and consequently in prime condition. The otter showed himself
the best artist of the day, for while the Colonel and his companion
returned with empty baskets, the little animal managed to secure the
finest and freshest salmon in the river.—_Wild Sports._