a small globule or ball used in necklaces; and made of different materials, as pearl, steel, garnet, coral, diamond, amber, crystal, pastes, glaifs, &c.—The Romanists make great use of beads in rehearsing their Ave-Marias and Pater-nosters; and the like usage is found among the dervishes and other religious throughout the East, as well Mahometan as Heathen. The ancient Druids appear also to have had their beads, many of which are still found; at least, if the conjecture of an ingenious author may be admitted, who takes those antique glass globules, having a snake painted round them, and called adler-beads, or snake-buttons, to have been the beads of our ancient Druids. See ANGUIN.

Beads are also used in speaking of those glass globules vended to the savages on the coast of Africa; thus denominated, because they are strung together for the convenience of traffic.

The common black glass of which beads are made for necklaces, &c., is coloured with manganese only; one part of manganese is sufficient to give a black colour to near twenty of glass.

architecture, a round moulding, commonly made upon the edge of a piece of stuff, in the Corinthian and Roman orders, cut or carved in short embossments, like beads in necklaces.

Bead-Makers, called by the French paternotriers, are those employed in the making, stringing, and selling of beads. At Paris there are three companies of paternotriers, or bead-makers; one who make them of glass or crystal; another in wood and horn; and the third in amber, coral, jet, &c.

Bead-Proof, a term used by our distillers to express that sort of proof of the standard strength of spirituous liquors, which consists in their having, when shaken in a phial, or poured from on high into a glass, a crown of bubbles, which stand on the surface some time after. This is esteemed a proof that the spirit consists of equal parts of rectified spirits and phlegm. This is a fallacious rule as to the degree of strength in the goods; because anything that will increase the tenacity of the spirit, will give it this proof, though it be under the due strength. Our malt-distillers spoil the greater part of their goods, by leaving too much of the flinting oil of the malt in their spirit, in order to give it this proof when somewhat under the standard strength. But this is a great deceit on the purchasers of malt spirits, as they have them by this means not only weaker than they ought to be, but stinking with an oil that they are not easily cleared of afterwards. On the other hand, the dealers in brandy, who usually have the art of sophisticating it to a great nicety, are in the right when they buy it by the strongest bread-proof, as the grand mark of the best; for being a proof of the brandy containing a large quantity of its oil, it is, at the same time, a token of its high flavour, and of its being capable of bearing a very large addition of the common spirits of our own produce, without betraying their flavour, or losing its own. We value the French brandy for the quantity of this essential oil of the grape which it contains; and that with good reason, as it is with us principally used for drinking as an agreeably flavoured cordial: but the French themselves, when they want it for any curious purposes, are as careful in the rectifications of it, and take as much pains to clear it from this oil, as we do to free our malt spirit from that nauseous and fetid oil which it originally contains.

Bead-Roll, among Papists, a list of such persons, for the rest of whose souls they are obliged to repeat a cer- tain number of prayers, which they count by means of their beads.

**BEAD-Tree.** See MELIA.

**BEADLE,** (from the Saxon *bydel,* a messenger), a crier or messenger of a court, who cites persons to appear and answer. Called also a summoner or apparitor. — Beadle is also an officer at an university, whose chief business is to walk before the masters with a mace, at all public processions.—There are also church-beadles, whose office is well known.

**BEAGLES,** a small sort of hounds or hunting dogs. Beagles are of divers kinds; as the southern beagle, something less and shorter, but thicker, than the deep-mouthed hound; the fleet northern or cat beagle, smaller, and of a finer shape than the southern, and a harder runner. From the two, by crossing the strains, is bred a third sort held preferable to either. To these may be added a still smaller sort of beagles, scarce bigger than lap-dogs, which make pretty diversion in hunting the coney, or even small hare in dry weather; but otherwise unserviceable, by reason of their size.

**BEAK,** the bill or nib of a bird. See Ornithology.

**Beak,** or Beak-head, of a ship, that part without the ship, before the fore-castle, which is fastened to the stem, and is supported by the main knee.

The beak, called by the Greeks *προστενος,* by the Latins *rostrum,* was an important part in the ancient ships of war, which were hence denominated *navis rostrata.* The beak was made of wood; but fortified with brafs, and fastened to the prow, serving to annoy the enemies vessels. Its invention is attributed to Pifusus an Italian. The first beaks were made long and high; but afterwards a Corinthian, named *Arifto,* contrived to make them short and strong, and placed so low, as to pierce the enemies vessels under water. By the help of these great havock was made by the Syracusans in the Athenian fleet.

**BEAKED,** in heraldry, a term used to express the beak or bill of a bird. When the beak and legs of a fowl are of a different tincture from the body, we say beaked and membered of such a tincture.