1876.—"The motive of the scurrility with which Macaulay was assailed by a handful of sorry scribblers was his advocacy of the Act, familiarly known as the BLACK ACT, which withdrew from British subjects resident in the provinces their so called privilege of bringing civil appeals before the Supreme Court at Calcutta."—_Trevelyan's Life of Macaulay_, 2nd ed., i. 398. [BLACK BEER, s. A beverage mentioned by early travellers in Japan. It was probably not a malt liquor. Dr. Aston suggests that it was _kuro-hi_, a dark-coloured _saké_ used in the service of the Shinto gods. [1616.—"One jar of BLACK BEER."—_Foster, Letters_, iv. 270.] BLACK-BUCK, s. The ordinary name of the male antelope (_Antilope bezoartica_, Jerdon) [_A. cervicapra_, Blanford], from the dark hue of its back, by no means however literally black. 1690.—"The _Indians_ remark, _'tis_ September's _Sun which caused the black lines on the Antelopes' Backs_."—_Ovington_, 139. BLACK COTTON SOIL.—(See REGUR.) [BLACK JEWS, a term applied to the Jews of S. India; see 2 ser. _N. & Q._, iv. 4. 429; viii. 232, 418, 521; _Logan, Malabar_, i. 246 _seqq._] BLACK LANGUAGE. An old-fashioned expression, for Hindustani and other vernaculars, which used to be common among officers and men of the Royal Army, but was almost confined to them. BLACK PARTRIDGE, s. The popular Indian name of the common francolin of S.E. Europe and Western Asia (_Francolinus vulgaris_, Stephens), notable for its harsh quasi-articulate call, interpreted in various parts of the world into very different syllables. The rhythm of the call is fairly represented by two of the imitations which come nearest one another, viz. that given by Sultan Baber (Persian): '_Shīr dāram, shakrak_' ('I've got milk and sugar'!) and (Hind.) one given by Jerdon: '_Lahsan piyāz adrak_' ('Garlic, onion, and ginger'!) A more pious one is: _Khudā terī ḳudrat_, 'God is thy strength!' Another mentioned by Capt. Baldwin is very like the truth: 'Be quick, pay your debts!' But perhaps the Greek interpretation recorded by Athenaeus (ix. 39) is best of all: τρὶς τοῖς κακούργοις κακά 'Three-fold ills to the ill-doers!' see _Marco Polo_, Bk. i. ch. xviii. and note 1; [_Burton, Ar. Nights_, iii. 234, iv. 17]. BLACK TOWN, n.p. Still the popular name of the native city of Madras, as distinguished from the Fort and southern suburbs occupied by the English residents, and the bazars which supply their wants. The term is also used at Bombay. 1673.—Fryer calls the native town of Madras "the Heathen Town," and "the Indian Town." 1727.—"The BLACK TOWN (of Madras) is inhabited by _Gentows_, _Mahometans_, and _Indian Christians_.... It was walled in towards the Land, when Governor _Pit_ ruled it."—_A. Hamilton_, i. 367.