Birmah

Birmah. See Burma.

Birmingham

Birmingham, the capital of Jefferson county, Alabama, and the most important seat of the iron industry of the southern states, is situated at the junction of several railways, 95 miles NNW. of Montgomery. It has numerous foundries, mills, factories, and machine-shops; and the development of the iron interests of its immediate vicinity has caused a marvellous growth of the city. Pop. 40,000.

Birnam

Birnam, a Perthshire hill, 1324 feet high, near Dunkeld. Birnam Wood, forming part of an ancient royal forest, is immortalised by Shakespeare in Macbeth. Opposite Dunkeld is the pretty village of Birnam; pop. 394.

Birni

Birni, a ruinous town, the former capital of Bornu (q.v.)t 100 miles W. of Lake Chad.

Birr

Birr. See Parsonstown.

Birrenswark

Birrenswark. See Brunswark.

Birstal

Birstal, a woollen manufacturing town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, 7 miles SSW. of Leeds. Dr Priestley was born hard by. Pop. 6558.

Biru

Biru', a kingdom of Soudan, Western Africa, bounded on the E. by the Niger.

Bisaccia

Bisaccia (Bisat'cha), a town of Italy, 60 miles E. of Naples. Pop. 6189.

Bisacquino

Bisacquino (Bisaquee'no), a town of Sicily, 27 miles S. of Palermo. Pop. 9588.

Bisalnagar

Bisalnag'ar, a town of India, in Baroda, 220 miles NW. of Mhow. Pop. 21,000.

Bisalpur

Bisalpur', a town of India, in the United Provinces, 24 miles E. of Bareli. Pop. 10,000.

Biscay

Bis'cay, or Vizcaya, the most northerly of the Basque Provinces of Spain, is bounded N. by the Bay of Biscay. Area, 833 sq. m.; population, 312,000. Chief town, Bilbao (q. v.).

Biscay

Biscay, Bay of (Fr. Golfe de Gascogne), that portion of the Atlantic Ocean which sweeps in along the northern shores of the Spanish peninsula from Cape Ortegal to St Jean de Luz, at the western foot of the Pyrenees, and thence curves northward along the west shores of France to the island of Ushant. The depth of water varies from 20 to 200 fathoms. The whole of the south coast is bold and rocky, but great parts of the French shores are low and sandy. Navigation of 'the bay' is frequently rendered dangerous by the prevalence of strong winds, especially westerly ones. Rennel's Current sweeps in from the ocean round the north coast of Spain.

Bisceglia

Bisceglia (Bishel'ya), an Italian seaport, on the Adriatic, 21 miles NW. of Bari. Pop. 31,675.

Bischoff

Bischoff, Mount, a post-town of Tasmania, 60 miles W. of Launceston. Here were discovered in 1872 some of the richest tin-mines in the world, the yield of pure tin from the ore being from 70 to 80 per cent. The mount takes its name from the chairman of a land company (1828). There is railway communication with Emu Bay, 45 miles distant. Pop. 1420.

Bischweiler

Bischweiler (Bishvi'ler), a town of Alsace, on the Moder, 17 miles N. of Strasburg. Pop. 7810.

Bisham Abbey

Bisham Abbey, a Tudor mansion, in Berkshire, on the Thames, opposite Great Marlow. Elizabeth resided here in Mary's reign.