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Bacbakiri
One of the short-winged SHRIKES, the Telephonus, bacbakiri
of South-African
ornithology, and so named of the colonists from its call-note (Layard,
The
birds of South Africa, page 161).
Baldpate
The name commonly given by the English-speaking residents of the West Indies
to a DOVE, the Columba leucocephala, from its white head-though
most inaccurately, for that part is well clothed with feathers. It may
here be observed that the epithet "Bald" is applied just as inaccurately
in North America to an EAGLE, the Haliatus leucocephalus,
and in
England, though more appositely, to the Coot.
Bantam
A small breed of domestic poultry, so-called under the belief that it came
from the part of Java which bears that name; but apparently it originated
in Japan (cf Darwin, Anim.
&:
Plants under Domest.
chap.
vii.) Birds of this breed were mentioned in 1698 by Fryer (New Accmmt
of East India, p. 116) as "Champore cocks", coming from Siam. Remarkable
for their diminutive size, they were characterized also by their feathered
feet. In the 19th Century, Sir John Sebright established a sub-breed,
known as the Sebright Bantam, in which not only is this last feature wanting,
but there is comparatively little external difference between the cocks
and hens.
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