the Atlantic islands. In most parts of
its range it is migratory, and in Britain every autumn its numbers
receive considerable accession from passing visitors. Allied species
inhabit most parts of the world, excepting Africa south of the Sahara,
New Zealand and Australia proper, and North America. In some of these
the legs as well as the bill are yellow or orange; and in a few both
sexes are glossy black. The ring-ousel, _Turdus torquatus_, has a dark
bill and conspicuous white gorget, whence its name. It is rarer and more
local than the common blackbird, and occurs in England only as a
temporary spring and autumn visitor.

BLACK BUCK (_Antilope cervicapra_), the Indian Antelope, the sole
species of its genus. This antelope, widely distributed in India, with
the exception of Ceylon and the region east of the Bay of Bengal, stands
about 32 in. high at the shoulder; the general hue is brown deepening
with age to black; chest, belly and inner sides of limbs pure white, as
are the muzzle and chin, and an area round the eyes. The horns are long,
ringed, and form spirals with from three to five turns. The doe is
smaller in size, yellowish-fawn above, and this hue obtains also in
young males. These antelopes frequent grassy districts and are usually
found in herds. Coursing black-buck with the cheeta (q.v.) is a
favourite Indian sport.

BLACKBURN, COLIN BLACKBURN, BARON (1813-1896), British judge, was born
in Selkirkshire in 1813, and educated at Eton and at Trinity College,
Cambridge, taking high mathematical honours in 1835. He was called to
the bar in 1838, and went the northern circuit. His progress was at
first slow, and he employed himself in reporting and editing, with T.F.
Ellis, eight volumes of the highly-esteemed Ellis and Blackburn reports.
His deficiency in all the more brilliant qualities of the advocate
almost confined his practice to commercial cases, in which he obtained
considerable employment in his circuit; but he continued to belong to
the outside bar, and was so little known to the legal world that his
promotion to a puisne judgeship in the court of queen's bench in 1859
was at first ascribed to Lord Campbell's partiality for his countrymen,
but Lord Lyndhurst, Lord Wensleydale and Lord Cranworth came forward to
defend the appointment. Blackburn himself is said to have thought that a
county court judgeship was about to be offered him, which he had
resolved to decline. He soon proved himself o