BIR 



139 



BIS 



tain, the common and dwarf birch, but 

 there are four varieties of the former. 

 The Scotch name is birk, Sax. hire. 



The second letter of the Runic alpha- 

 bet is called biarkann, i.e. the birch- 

 leaf, and the second of the Irish is beit 

 or beith, birch. 



BIRD'-CALL, a little stick, cleft at one 

 end. in which is put a leaf of some plant 

 for imitating the cry of birds when blown 

 upon like a whistle. A. laurel leaf coun- 

 terfeits the cry of lapwings, a leek that 

 of nightingales, &c. 



BIRD'HME, bird and slime, a vegetable 

 substance generally prepared from the 

 middle bark of the holly, and so called 

 because, from its great viscidity, it is 

 used to entangle birds. It may likewise 

 be obtained from the mistletoe, the vi- 

 burnum lantana, young shoots of alder, 

 and dther vegetables. 



BIRD or PARADISE. The birds of Para- 

 dise are natives of New Guinea and the 

 adjoining islands, are said to live on 

 fruits, and are particularly fond of aro- 

 ruatics. See PARA.DIS.EA. 



BIRD'-PEPPER, the capsicum baccatum, a 

 shrubby plant of both Indies, bearing an 

 oval fruit, very biting, to which the name 

 of bird-pepper is given. 



BIRDS, in heraldry, are emblems of ex- 

 pedition, liberty, readiness, and fear. 



BIRD'S-EYE. 1. A species of the prim- 

 rose, the primula farinosa. 2. The 



Adonis vera, and sometimes the whole 

 genus Adonis, more usually called phea- 

 sant's-eye. 



BIRD'S-ETE-VIEW, a view taken from a 

 point considerably above the objects re- 

 presented. 



BiRD's-MorTH, in architecture, an inte- 

 rior angle or notch cut in the end of a 

 piece of timber for its reception on the 

 edge of a pole or plate. It signifies also 

 the internal angle of a polygon. 

 BIRD'S-NEST. 1. A genus of ferns, the 



stmthiopteris germnnica. 2. The plants 



of the genus monotropa are distinguished 

 by the name yelloic -bird's- nest, but are 

 often called simply bird's-nest. The British 



species is the M. hypopithys. -3. The 



liitern nidus aris of Britain. 



BIRD'S-NESTS, in commerce, the nest of a 

 species of swallow peculiar to the Indian 

 islands i the hirnndo esciUenta),-very highly 

 valued in China as an article of luxury. 

 The nest in shape resembles that of other 

 swallows. It is formed of a viscid sub- 

 stance not unlike fibrous, imperfectly, 

 concocted isinglass. These esculent nests 

 are chieliy found in caverns in Java, and 

 the better sorts are sold at Canton at from 

 61. to 71. per Ib. 



BI'REMB, Lat. biremis, a vessel with two 

 banks or tiers of oars (Mi and remut an 



BIRHOMBOI'DAI., bis and rhomboid Hav- 

 ing a surface of 12 rhombic faces, which 

 being taken 6 and 6, and prolonged till 

 they intercept each other, would form 

 two different rhombs. 



BIRTH, evidenceof By the French civil 

 code it is required that a declaration be 

 made of the birth of every child to thu 

 proper officer within three days, with the 

 production of the child. 



BIRTH OR BERTH, of a ship. The ground 

 in which she is anchored ; also, an apart- 

 ment, as the midshipman's berth ; also, 

 the space allotted to a seaman to hang up 

 his hammock in. 



BIRTH'WORT, a name common to all the 

 plants of the genus aristolochia (q. v.). 



Bis, Lat. twice. In music, a word 

 placed over passages signifying that they 

 are to be Clayed twice over. 



BIS'CUIT, Lat. bis and cttit, baked. Ear- 

 thenware when it has been baked, but 

 not glazed. 



BI'SECT, BISECTION, Lat. bis and seco, to 

 cut. To bisect is to divide into two equal 

 parts ; e. g. the rational horizon bisects the 

 globe ; and such division is called a bisec- 

 tion. 



BISEG'MENT, bis and segment. One of the 

 parts of a line, &c., divided into two equal 

 parts. 



BIS'ETOUS, Lat. bis and seta, a bristle. 

 "When an animal is furnished with two 

 bristle-like appendages. 



BISEX'UAL, when flowers contain both 

 stamens and pistils in the same envelope. 

 It is the same as hermaphrodite. 



BISHOP, Lat. episcopal ; Gr. iXHrxoxo;, of 

 M7, over, and rzoTo;, inspector; (rxoxicu, 

 to view. This Greek and Latin word ac- 

 companied the introduction of Christi- 

 anity into the west and north of Europe, 

 and has been corrupted into Saxon, 

 biscop, bisceop; Sw. and Dan. biskop; 

 D. bisschop ; Germ, bischof. It is the title 

 which the Athenians gave to those whom 

 they sent into the provinces subject to 

 them, to inspect the state of affairs ; and 

 the Romans gave the title to those whose 

 business it was to inspect the provisions 

 brought into the markets. In the primi- 

 tive church the title denoted one who had 

 the pastoral charge of a church. In pro- 

 cess of time the maintenance of their 

 ecclesiastical prerogatives, and their ex- 

 tensive ecclesiastical as well as criminal 

 jurisdiction, left the bishops little time or 

 inclination for the discharge of their 

 duties as teachers and spiritual fathers. 

 They therefore attached to themselves 

 particular vicars, called suffragan*, for 

 the inspection of all that concerned the 

 church. The office now became an object 

 of ambition for the nobility and the sons 

 of kings: it was honourable, profitable, 

 and permitted sensual enj oyments of e vei y 



