anatomy. See there, no 141.

Several naturalists and physicians have held, that cutting off the ear rendered persons barren and unproductive; and this idle notion was what first occasioned the legislators to order the ears of thieves, &c. to be cut off, lest they should produce their like.

The ear has its beauties, which a good painter ought by no means to disregard; where it is well formed, it would be an injury to the head to be hidden. Suetonius insists, particularly, on the beauties of Augustus's ears; and Athenian, describing the beauties of Apasia, observes, she had short ears. Martial also ranks large ears among the number of deformities.

Among the Athenians, it was a mark of nobility to have the ears bored or perforated. And among the Hebrews and Romans, this was a mark of servitude.

Loss of one ear is a punishment enacted by 5 and 6 Edw. VI. cap. 4. for fighting in a church-yard; and by 2 and 3 Edw. VI. cap. 15. for combinations to raise the price of provisions, labour, &c. if it be the third offence, beside pillory, and perpetual infamy, or a fine of 40l.

By a statute of Henry VIII. maliciously cutting off the ear of a person is made a trespass, for which treble damages shall be recovered; and the offender is to pay a fine of ten pounds to the king.

37 Hen. VIII. cap. 6. § 4. In the index to the Statutes at Large, it is said, that this offence may be punished as felony, by 22 and 23 Car. II. cap. 1. § 7, commonly called Coventry's act; but ear is not mentioned in that statute.

Ear of Fishes. See Comparative Anatomy, no 167.

music, denotes a kind of internal sense, whereby we perceive and judge of harmony and musical sounds. See Music.

In music we seem universally to acknowledge something like a distinct sense from the external one of hearing; and call it a good ear. And the like distinction we should probably acknowledge in other affairs, had we got distinct names to denote these powers of perception by. Thus a greater capacity of perceiving the beauties of painting, architecture, &c. is called a fine taste.

Ear is also used to signify a long cluster of flowers, or seeds, produced by certain plants; usually called by botanists spica. The flowers and seeds of wheat, rye, barley, &c. grow in ears. The same holds of the flowers of lavender, &c. We say the stem of the ear, i.e. its tube or straw; the knot of the ear; the lobes or cells wherein the grains are inclosed; the beard of the ear, &c.

Ear-ach. See (the Index subjoined to) Medicine.

Ear-Pick, an instrument of ivory, silver, or other metal, somewhat in form of a probe, for cleansing the ear. The Chinese have a variety of these instruments, with which they are mighty fond of tickling their ears; but this practice, Sir Hans Sloane observes, must be very prejudicial to so delicate an organ, by bringing too great a flow of humours on it.

Ear-Ring. See Pendent.

Ear-Wax. See Cerumen, and Anatomy, p. 764, col. 1.

Earwig, in zoology. See Forficula.