Shen Collection, Middle Volume. Radical: Insect (chóng). Kangxi Stroke Count: 15. Page 1090, Entry 01.
Pronounced xia.
According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to a toad.
In the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of the Turtle Divination: The moon acts as the deity of punishment and execution and assists it, being swallowed by a toad.
In the History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Annals of Emperor Wu: In the autumn of the fifth year of the Yuanding reign, frogs and toads engaged in battle.
In Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (Youyang Zazu): Toads have no intestines.
Also known as toad-protector, a type of bird.
In Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (Youyang Zazu): Below the Southern Mountains, there is a bird called the toad-protector; it is frequently found in fields, possesses a crest on its head, has blue-black feathers, red feet, and a form resembling a heron.
Also refers to a type of cart.
In the History of the Southern Dynasties (Nan Shi), Biography of Yin Yan: Former Right Army Commander Du Shubao and others urged Yin Yan to join them in rebellion. The Emperor dispatched Liu Mian to march west to suppress them, where they constructed a large toad-cart, loaded it with soil, covered it with cowhide, and pushed it to fill in trenches.
Also known as the xia-ge, a type of beast.
In Sima Xiangru, Rhapsody on the Shanglin Park (Shanglin Fu): Subduing the xia-ge. See the commentary under the character ge.
Also pronounced xia. The name of an insect.
In the Sea of Characters (Pianhai): Used interchangeably with the character for shrimp.
In The Wings of the Erya (Erya Yi): Shrimp have many antennae, are skilled at swimming, and enjoy leaping. Nowadays, in the Fujian region, there are five-colored shrimp, over a foot long, possessing five distinct colors. Plum-shrimp appear only during the plum rain season. Reed-shrimp are blue and are traditionally said to be transformed from reeds. Mud-shrimp are transformed from rice blossoms and are found mostly in muddy paddies.
Also known as the shrimp-aunt, which has a shape resembling a centipede, also called tube-shrimp.
In the Records of Caves and Mysteries (Dongming Ji): There is a cinnabar-shrimp that is ten zhang long, with antennae eight feet long, and a nose shaped like a saw.
In Zhang Heng, Rhapsody on the Southern Capital (Nandu Fu): Variegated shrimp winding and twisting.
Textual research: In Zhang Heng, Rhapsody on the Southern Capital (Nandu Fu), the original text reads jiao-xia winding and twisting. We have corrected jiao to bo according to the original text.