BIB 



140 



BIT 



description. The reformation, in some of 

 the Protestant countries, left the higher 

 clergy with the title of bishop, but stripped 

 them of many of their privileges and 

 much of their revenues: the English 

 bishops fared the best, and for that reason 

 the English church has received the name 

 of episcopal. Her bishops are appointed 

 by the Sovereign, must be thirty years of ' 

 age, and are, with the exception of the [ 

 bishop of Sodor and Man, peers of the 

 realm. 



BIS'MUTH, Germ, bismiit. A metal of a 

 reddish white colour, and almost destitute 

 of taste and smell. It is softer than cop- 

 per, breaks when struck smartly with a 

 hammer, and consequently is not mallea- 

 ble, neither can it be drawn into wire. 

 Its sp. gr. is 9-82, but its density may be 

 much increased by cautious hammering ; 

 it melts at 476 Fah., and, if gradually 

 cooled, it crystallises in octohedrons. At 

 a strong heat it burns with a pale blue 

 flame, and sublimes in the form of the 

 yellow-coloured oxide known by the name 

 of flowers of bismuth. It occurs both na- 

 tive and combined with other substances, 

 as oxygen, sulphur, and arsenic, and, in 

 veins of primitive rocks, accompanied by 

 ores of lead, silver, and sometimes cobalt 

 and nickel. "When found as an oxide, it 

 is called bismuth ochre ; as a sulphuret, bis- 

 muth glance ; as a sulphuret with copper, 

 it is copper bismuth ore ; with copper and 

 lead, it forms needle ore. The metal used 

 *n the arts is derived chiefly from the 

 mineral called native bismuth. It gene- 

 rally contains small proportions of sul- 

 phur, iron, and copper. It is known among 

 workmen by the names of marcasite and 

 tin-glass : the last a corruption of French, 

 ttaiti de glace. 



BISON. /3/<rfly. Alarge, wild, untame- 

 able, herbivorous, and gregarious animal 

 of the bovine genus, which inhabits the 

 temperate parts of North America, and 

 which, from its resemblance to the buffalo 

 (bos bubulus, Lin.), is often termed the 

 buffalo of America (Bos Americanus, 

 Gmel.). It is particularly distinguished 

 by a great hump or projection over its 

 fore-shoulders, and by the length and 

 fineness of its woolly hair. 



BISPINO'SCS, Lat. bis and spina, a spine, 

 armed with two spines. 



BIS'SEXTILE, leap-year. A year consist- 

 ing of 366 days, the additional day being 

 added to the month of February. This is 

 done every fourth year, on account of the 

 excess of six hours by which the year 

 really exceeds 365 days. It takes its name 

 thus: the Romans, instead of making a 

 29th day in February, reckoned the 24th 

 twice, and called this 24th day,swo ealm- 

 das Martias, i. e. the sixth day before the 

 calends of March. This, with the prefix 

 bis, to denote that it was reckoned twice, 



gave the name bissextili*, which we write 

 bissextile, to the leap-year. 



BISTOR'TA, snake weed. A species of po- 

 lygonum, named from bis and torqueo, to 

 twist, in allusion to the contortions of its 

 root. 



BIS'TOUHY, Fr. bistouri, any small knife 

 for surgical purposes. 



BIS'TRE, j Fr. bistre, from bis, brown 



BIS'TER.JA brown colour prepan-c 

 from wood soot, and used in M-ater-colours 

 in the same way as China ink. 



BI'SULPHATE, a sulphate in which the 

 oxygen of the sulphuric acid is a null 

 tiple by two of that of the base. 



BISUL'PHITE, a sulphite in which the 

 oxysjen of the sulphurous acid is a mul- 

 tiple by two of that of the base. 



Bisu I/PHUKET, a sulphuret with a 

 double proportion of sulphur. 



BIT, from Sax. bita, a mouthfdl, of 

 bitan, to bite. 1. The iron part of a 

 bridle, which is inserted into the mouth 

 of a horse, and its appendages to which 

 the reins are fastened. It includes the 

 bit-mouth, the branches, the curb, the 

 level-holes, the tranchefll, and the cross- 

 chains. There are various kinds ; the 

 musrole, snaffle or waterbit, the canon 

 mouth, jointed in the middle, the canon or 

 fast-mouth, all of a piece, kneed in the 

 middle; the scotch-mouth, the masticador 

 or slavering- bit. 2. A boring instru- 

 ment: the boring end of the stock and 



bit. See STOCK. 3. A small coin of the 



West Indies, half a pistareen, about five- 

 pence sterling. 



BITER'.NATE, Lat. biternatus, doubly- 

 ternate. Applied to compound leaves 

 when the common footstalk supports three 

 secondary petioles on its apex, and each 

 of them bears three leaflets. 



BIT-NOBEJI (Indian), Salt of Bitumen. 

 A white saline substance prepared by the 

 Hindus, and variously used to improve 

 the appetite, cure diseases of the liver, 

 paralytic disorders, cutaneous affections, 

 rheumatisms, and indeed all chronic dis- 

 orders of man and beast. It is called in 

 the country pandanoon, soncherloon, and 

 popularly khalamimuc, or black salt 

 Hooper. 



BIT'TER-APPLE, ) The ciicumis colo- 



BIT'TER-CI-CUMBER, \cyulhis. An an- 



BIT'TER-GOURD, .' nual of Turkey 

 and Nubia, and also its fruit, which is a 

 round berry or pep* of the size of a small 

 orange, yellow, and smooth on the out- 

 side when ripe. It is gathered, peeled, and 

 dried in a stove, and in this state sent into 

 this country, where it is known popu 

 larly by the names given, and scientifi- 

 cally as coloquintid*. It is intensely 

 bitter, and strikes, with sulphate of iron, 

 a deep olive colour. It is much used ia 

 medicine. 



