BIRMINGHAM (478), in the NW. of Warwickshire, 112 m.  NW. of London by rail; is the chief town of the Midlands, and celebrated all over the world for its metal ware.  All kinds of engines and machinery, fine gold, silver, copper, and brass ware, cutlery and ammunition are made here; steel pens, buttons, nails, and screws are specialties.  It is a picturesque town with many fine buildings, libraries, art gallery and museums, educational institutions, a cathedral, and a great town-hall, where the triennial musical festival is held.  Of this town Burne-Jones was a native, and Priestley, George Dawson, and Dale were dissenting ministers.

BIRNAM, a hill near Dunkeld, in Perthshire; contains part of a forest mentioned in “Macbeth.”

BIRON, a madcap lord in “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”

BIRON, BARON DE, marshal of France, born at Perigord; served bravely under Henry IV.; though a Catholic, favoured the Huguenots; narrowly escaped at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew; was killed at the siege of Epernay; carried a note-book with him everywhere, and so observant was he that it passed into proverb, “You will find it in Biron’s note-book” (1524-1592).

BIRON, DUC DE, son of the preceding; served also bravely under Henry IV.; but being a man of no principle and discontented with the reward he got for his services, intrigued with the Duke of Savoy and with Spain against Henry; was arrested and sent to the Bastille, where, after trial, he was beheaded (1562-1602).

BISCAY, BAY OF, a bay in the Atlantic, extending from Cape Ortegal, in Spain, to Cape Finisterre, in France, and 400 m. broad, of depth varying from 20 to 200 fathoms, and, under SW. winds particularly, one of the stormiest of seas.

BISCHOF, KARL GUSTAV, chemist, born at Nueremberg, professor at Bonn; experimented on the inflammable power of gas (1792-1870).

BISCHOFF, THEODOR LUDWIG WILHELM, distinguished biologist, born at Hanover; made a special study of embryology; was professor of Anatomy at Heidelberg, of Physiology at Giessen, and of both at Muenich (1807-1882).

BISHOP, originally an overseer of souls, eventually an overseer of churches, especially of a district, and conceived of by High-Churchmen as representing the apostles and deriving his powers by transmission from them.

BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY, an English composer, born in London, composer and director of music in Covent Garden Theatre for 14 years; produced 60 pieces, of which “Guy Mannering,” “The Miller and his Men,” are still in favour; was for a brief space professor of Music in Edinburgh University, and eventually held a similar chair in Oxford (1786-1855).

BISHOP OF HIPPO, St. Augustine, as once in office there.

BISHOP-AUCKLAND (10), a market-town 9 m.  SW. of Durham, where the bishop of Durham has his residence, a palatial structure; it has coal-mines close by; manufactures machinery and cotton goods.