BISHOP'S HOOD BISON. 



their number, and although, In some of the Protestant 

 countries of the north of Kurope. the higher clergy 

 have retained the title of t>ix/</>, yet tiny have iusi 

 the greater part of ilielr tbruier revenues iiiul privi- 

 leges, aUhoiigh in neither of these particulars have 

 those of England any reason to complain. The 

 Swedish bishops constitute one of tin- estates of 

 the kingdom, like the Knglish, hut have little in- 

 fluence. The English church has left to its bishops 

 more authority than the rest, ami for this iv MM, 

 has received the name of the rpiscopal. In 1'mies- 

 tant Germany, bishopric's were abolished by the 

 reformat ion, but they havelwen restored, in l'iu<-ia, 

 within the last twelve years. The church of Rome 

 early lost many bishoprics by the conquests of the 

 Mohammedans ; hence the great number of titular 

 bishops, whose bishoprics lie in pnrtilnis injideliitm, 

 that is, in countries in possession of the infidels. The 

 Roman see, howexcr, honours with this title only ec- 

 clesiastics of a high rank. In consequence of the ces- 

 sion of se\cral (icrmaii countries to France, twenty- 

 three bishoprics were abolished ; but, by particular 

 agreement* with the Roman court, they have been 

 re-es'.ablis!ii ,1 in several German states. (See Con- 

 cordat and German Church.) There is a proverb 

 in Germany, " It is good to dwell under the crosier," 

 which lias been instanced to prove that the episcopal 

 power was not prejudicial to the prosperity and hap- 

 piness of those subject to it. See Clergy and Church 

 of England. 



BISHOP'S HOOD. See Mitre. 

 Misiiop's STAFF. See Crosier. 

 BISMUTH is a metal called, by artists, tin glass, a 

 name obviously derived from the French etain de 

 glace. It is found both pure and mineralized by sul- 

 phur, oxygen, and arsenic. Native bismuth occurs 

 in the veins of primitive mountains, and is accompanied 

 by ores of lead, silver, and sometimes of cobalt and 

 nickel. It exists in reticulated, lamellar, or amor- 

 phous masses ; is soft, and of a white colour, occa- 

 sionally tinged with red. Specific gravity, 9. It is 

 found in many countries, in France, England, Swe- 

 den, Bohemia, and the United States, but its chief 

 locality is at Schneeberg, in Saxony, whence the 

 supply of bismuth, in commerce, is principally derived. 

 To procure the metal, the ore requires merely to be 

 reduced to convenient fragments, and heated in fur- 

 naces, when the bismuth separates from the earthy 

 matter in which it is engaged, and flows out into cast- 

 iron moulds prepared for its reception. 



Bismuth, when pure, has a reddish- white colour, is 

 harder than lead, and is easily broken under the 

 hammer, by which it may even be reduced to powder. 

 It melts at 470 or 480 , and crystalizes, on cooling, 

 with great regularity, in the form of cubes. When 

 kept in a state of fusion, at a moderate heat, it is co- 

 vered with an oxyde of a greenish-grey, or brown 

 colour ; at a higher temperature, it enters into a 

 feeble combustion, forming a yellow powder, called 

 Jlowers of bismuth. It combines, by fusion, with a 

 great number of metals, communicating to them 

 brittleness and fusibility. The mixture discovered 

 by Newton, and produced by melting together 8 oz. 

 bismuth, 5 oz. lead, and 3 oz. tin, fuses at 202. From 

 it are made toy spoons, which melt on being employ- 

 ed to stir very hot tea. A still more fusible compound 

 was invented by Mr Dalton, composed of 3 parts tin, 

 5 lead, and 10* bismuth, which melts at 197. The 

 addition of a little mercury renders it even more 

 fusible, and fits it to be used as a coating to the in- 

 side of glass globes. An alloy of equal parts of tin 

 and bismuth melts at 280 ; a less proportion of bis- 

 muth adds to the hardness of tin, and hence its use 

 in the formation of pewter. Equal parts of tin, bis- 

 muth, and mercury, form the mosaic gold, used for 



various ornamental purposes. 1 part of bismuth, vritJl 

 5 of lead, mid 3 of tin, forms plumbers' solder, a com- 

 pound of great importance in the arts. Bismuth is 

 also --.Ned by letter-founders in their best type-metal, 

 to obtain a sharp and clear face for their letters. 

 Kismuth combines with sulphur, and forms a bluish- 

 grey sulphuret, having a metallic lustre. The same 

 compound is found native in small quantity, and is 

 called, in mineralogy, bismuth glance. Nitric acid 

 dissolves bismuth with great readiness. The solution 

 is decomposed on the addition of water, and a while 

 substance, called magestens of bismttt/t, is precipitated, 

 which consists of a hydrated oxyde, united to a small 

 proportion of nitric acid. This precipitation, by the .xl- 

 dition of water, being a peculiarity of bismuth, serves 

 as an excellent criterion of this metal. The mages- 

 tens of bismuth, from its whiteness, is sometimes em- 

 ployed to improve the complexion, as well as the 

 pearl powder, a similar preparation, differing only by 

 the mixture of a little muriatic acid with the nitric ac'ul 

 in effecting the solution of the bismuth. The liberal 

 use of either, however, is highly prejudicial to the skin. 

 They are, besides, liable to be turned black by the 

 vapours evolved from nearly all putrefying substances. 

 The chloride of bismuth, formerly termed butter of 

 bismuth, is formed by pouring bismuth, in fine pow- 

 der, into chlorine gas, or by depriving the muriate 

 of bismuth of its water of crystalization by heat. 



BISON (bos dmericaniis, Gmel.) ; a species of ox 

 found only in North America, peculiarly distinguish- 

 ed by a great hump or projection over its fore shoul- 

 ders, and by the length and fineness of its woolly hair. 

 The hump is oblong, diminishing in height poste- 

 riorly, and gives a considerable obliquity to the out- 

 line of the back. The hair over the head, neck, and 

 fore part of the body is long and shaggy, forming a 

 beard beneath the lower jaw, and descending below 

 the knee (wrist) in a tuft. The hair on the summit 

 of the head rises in a dense mass, nearly to the tips 

 of the horns, and, directly on the front, is curled and 

 matted strongly. 



The numbers of this species still existing are sur- 

 prisingly great, when we consider the immense de- 

 struction annually occurring since European weapons 

 have been employed against them. They were once 

 extensively diffused over what is now the territory of 

 the United States, except that part lying east of II ud- 

 son's river and lake Champlain, and narrow stripes of 

 coast on the Atlantic and Pacific. At the present 

 day, their range is very different. They are no 

 longer found except in the remote unsettled regions 

 of the north and west, being rarely seen east of the 

 Mississippi or south of the St Lawrence. West of 

 lake Winnipeg, they are found as far north as C^ ; 

 west of the Rocky mountains, it is probable they do 

 not extend north of the Columbia river. 



The bison, on his native plains, is of savage and 

 formidable appearance, uniformly inspiring dread 

 when beheld for the first time. His ponderous head, 

 rendered terrific by his thick, shaggy hair and stream- 

 ing beard, is supported upon a massive neck and 

 shoulders, whose apparent strength is more imposing 

 from the augmentation produced by the hump and 

 the long fell of hair covering the anterior parts of the 

 body. Nevertheless, the bison is not known to at- 

 tack man, unless when wounded and at bay. The 

 difference between the summer and winter dress of 

 the bison consists rather in the length than in other 

 qualities of the hair. In summer, from the shoulders 

 backwards, the surface is covered with a very short, 

 fine liair, smooth and soft as velvet. The tail is 

 short, and tufted at the end. Except the long hair on 

 the fore parts, which are, to a certain extent, of a 

 rust colour, or yellowish tinge, the colour is a unifonr 

 dun. Varieties of colour are so rare among this spe- 





