BETULA. 



[ 79 ] 



BILE. 



B, fragilis{V\. 1 4. fig. 8). Filiform branches 

 mostly simjile, crowded; valves lanceolate, 

 obtnse: lens-tli 1-330". British. 



Branches about I -4 "in length. Found upon 

 marine ])lants and rocks. 



B, adriatica. Branches lax, subdivided, 

 attenuate and flagelliform ; valves narrowly 

 lanceolate, almost linear, somewhat obtuse ; 

 length 1-200';. 



In the Adriatic Ocean. 



BiBL. Grev. Scot. Crypt. FZor«, tab. 294; 

 Ralfs, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1845, xvi. p. 110; 

 Kiitzing, BacilL, and Sj). Alg. 



BETULA, L.— The Birch-tree (Dicotyle- 

 donous Plants, N. O. Betulaceae), remarkable 

 for its peculiar silveiy periderm. See Bark. 

 The bark of B. nigra contains reservoirs filled 

 with an aromatic oil and also a peculiar re- 

 sin, called Birch Camphor, which is used in 

 the manufacture of Russia leather. 



BIBLARIUM, Ehr.— A genus of Diato- 

 macese. 



Char. Frustules single, multivalve, com- 

 pressed and angular ; valves lamelliform, the 

 inner ones having a large median umbilicus 

 or apertm-e (?). Front view of valves trans- 

 versely vittate. Fossil. 



This genus is allied to Striatella, Tahellaria 

 and Tessella. 



Twelve species. Found fossil in Siberia 

 and Oregon. 



BiBL. Ehrenberg, Ber. d. Berl. Akad. 

 1844-45 ; Klitzing, Sp. Alg. 



BICHROMATE OF POTASH. See 



xOT A S 1-T 



BIDDULPHIA, Gray.— A genus of Dia- 

 tomacese. 



Char. Frustules compressed, quadi-ilateral, 

 connected with each other by one of the 

 angles, thus forming a chain or filament ; 

 filament attached by a stipes ; angles of the 

 frustules equal and produced ; valves covered 

 with depressions (visible by direct hght), 

 giving them a cellular appearance; ma- 

 rine. 



This genus resembles Isthmia and Amphi- 

 tetras in the general appearance of the frus- 

 tules and valves. But it diff'ers from the 

 former in the angles being alike, and from 

 the latter in the compressed side view of 

 the frustules. The frustules are said to be 

 subdivided by internal septa, which run par- 

 allel with their long axis ; these correspond 

 to the striae seen in the front view. 



The species are not well determined; 

 those in which the angles are more prolonged 

 and acute, and the markings more delicate 

 and indistinct, are retained by Kiitzing in 



the genus Odontella, Ag. {Denticella, in part, 

 Ehr.). See Diatomace^. 



B. pulchella, Ehr., {B. trilocularis, K.) 

 (PI. 12. fig. 15). Cellular appearance (pro- 

 duced by the depressions) distinct ; ])roduced 

 angles blunt, rounded; length 1-400'' to 

 1-200". 



B. aurita {Odont. aurita, K.). Cellular 

 appearance indistinct, longitudinal striae (in- 

 ternal septa) none ; length 1-800". 



Several other species, but not British (?). 



BiBL. Kiitzing, Bacill. and Sp. Alg.; 

 Ehrenb. Ber. d. Berl. Akad. 1843 & 1844; 

 Ralfs, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1843, xii. p. 2/3. 



BIFORINES.— Under this name Turpin 

 described certain cells occm-ring in the septa 

 of the air-chambers of the leaves of the Ara- 

 cese, characterized especially by the presence 

 of a large bundle of raphides. They contain 

 a thick fluid, and when they are placed in 

 water, endosmose causes them to burst and 

 discharge the crystals. Turpin's long ac- 

 count of them contains much useless disqui- 

 sition and various errors. See Raphides. 



BiBL. Turpin, Ann. des Sc. nat. 2 ser. vi. 

 p. 5. pi. 1-5. 



BILE. — Three colouring matters have 

 been obtained from the bile, viz. cholepyr- 

 rhine, biliverdine and bilifulvine. These 

 were formerly regarded as distinct ; but later 

 researches have tended to show that they 

 are modifications of the same pigment, pro- 

 bably in difi'erent states of oxidation. 



Cholepyrrhine, the colouring matter in its 

 ordinary state, is characterized by the series 

 of tints through which it passes when treated 

 with nitric acid, especially if this contain 

 nitrous acid ; becoming first brownish, then 

 green, bluish, violet, red, and finally yellow. 

 It is sometimes found in bile in the form of 

 yellow semicrj^stalline grains; at others, it 

 enters into the composition of biliary calculi. 



Bilifulvine is also sometimes found in bile 

 which has been retained in the gall-bladder. 

 The bile then appears thick and dark browTi, 

 and exhibits small, dark, minute grains. 

 Under the microscope, the crystals of biliftil- 

 vine are found in these grains. They form 

 longish, very fine needles, of a reddish-yel- 

 low colom', either single or several combined. 

 When the needles are aggregated, they some- 

 times resemble the crystals of m'ate of soda, 

 having a thick globular extremity and a fine 

 point, and they are often variously curved 

 and twisted. Caustic potash dissolves them 

 tolerably readily. When the solution is neu- 

 tralized and acidified, no precipitate nor se- 

 paration of crystals occurs. Acetic acid pro- 



