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BIKDS-NEST, in botanv. See Daucus and Ophrys.Birbs-nest, Purple. See Orchis.
Birds-nests, in natural history and cookery, the nest of a smallIndian swallow, (See Hirundo,) very delicately tasted, and fre- jquently mixed among soups. On the sea-coasts ot China , at cer-tain seasons of the year, there are seen vast numbers ot these birds.They leave the inland country at their breeding time, and cometo build in the rocks, and fashion their nests out of a matter whichthey find on the shore, washed thither by the waves. The natureof this substance is scarcely yet ascertained. According to Kemp-fer, it is molluscs: or sea-worms; according to M. le Poivre, fish-spawn ; according to Dalrymple, sea-weeds; and according toLinnieus, it is the animal substance frequently found on the beach,which fishermen call blubbers or jellies. The nests are of a hemis-pheric figure, and of the size of a goose’s egg, and in substancemuch resemble the icthyocclla or isinglass. The phinese gatherthese nests, and sell them to all parts of the world : they dissolve inbroths, &c. and make a kind of a jelly of a very exquisite flavour.These nests are found in great abundance in the island of Sumatra ,particularly about Croe, near the S. end of the island.' Fourmiles up the river of that name is a large cave, where the birdsbuild in vast numbers. The nests are distinguished into whiteand black, of which the first are by far the move scarce and valu-able, being found in the proportion of only 1 to 25. “ The white
sort (says Mr. Marsden) sells in China at the rate of 1000 to 1500Spanish dollars the pecnl; the black is usually disposed of at Ba-tavia for about 20 dollars the same weight, where it is chiefly con-verted into glue, of which it makes a very superior kind. Thedifference between the two has by some been supposed to beowing to the mixture of the feathers of the birds with the viscoussubstance of which the nests are former! ; and this they deducefrom the experiment of steeping the black nests for a short time inhot water, when they are said to become in a great degree white.Among the natives [ have heard some assert, that they are thework of a different species of bird. It was suggested to me, thatthe while might probably be the recent nests in which they weretaken ; and the black, such as had been used for a number of yearssuccessively. This opinion appearing plausible, I was particularin my inquiries as to that point, and learned what seemed to corro-borate it. When the natives prepare to take the nests, they enter thecaves with torches, and forming ladders according to the usualmode, of a single bamboo notched, they ascend and pull downthe nests, which adhere in numbers together, from the side and topof the rock. They informed me, that the more regularly thecave is stripped, the greater proportion of white nests they aresure to find, and that on this experience they often make a prac-tice of beating down and destroying the old nests in larger quan-tities than they trouble themselves to carry away, in order that theymay find white nests the next season in their room. The birdsduring the building time, are seen in large flocks on the beach,collecting in the bills the foam which is thrown up by the surf, ofwhich there is little doubt but they construct their nests, after ithas undergone, perhaps, a preparation, from a commixture withthe saliva, or other secretion, wkh which nature has provided themfor that purpose.”
BIREMIS, [from Ins, double, and remits, an oar,] in Romanantiquity, a vessel with two rows of oars.
BIRMAN EMPIRE, an extensive country of India, be-yond the Ganges , comprehending the kingdoms of Ava andPegu.
BIRMINGHAM, a very large town of Warwickshire , long cele-brated for its manufactures. It is no corporation, being governedby only two constables and two bailiffs, and a head-borough ; andit is therefore free for any person to come and settle there ; whichhas contributed greatly not only to the increase of the buildings,but also of the trade, which is the most flourishing of any in Eng-land for all sorts of iron work, besides many other curious manu-factures ; which are sent to every quarter of the globe, and forcheapness and beauty are unrivalled. Lon. 1° £ W. Lat. 52°^ N.
BIRTH, or BERTH, in sea language, the station in which ashiplides at anchor, either alone, or in a fleet, comprehending the ex-tent of the space in which she ranges at the length of hercables.
Birth-Day, the anniversary return of the day whereon a per-son was born. The ancients placed a good deal of religion in the
celebration of their birth-days, and took omens from thence of thefelicity of the coming year.
BilfTH WORT, in botany. See Aristoi.ochia.
BIRV1ESCA, a town ot Old Castile in Spain , 15 miles N. ofBurgos.
B1RZA, a town of Poland, in Samogitia .
lHSA, or B1ZA, a coin of Pegu, current there for half a ducat.It is also a weight used in that kingdom, equal in Venetian weightto 2 lb. 5 oz.
BIS ANNUAL, a name given by botanists to those plants,winch ordinarily do not flower till the second year.
BISCARA, a town of Africa, in the kingdom of Algiers .
BISCAY, a province of Spain , bounded on the N. by the seacalled the Bay of Biscay , on the S. by Old Castile, on the W. byAsturias of Santiiana, and on the E. by Navarre. In general itis mountainous and barren ; but in some places it produces com,and every where a great quantity of apples, oranges, anil citrons.The inhabitants have a peculiar language, which greatly resemblesthe Irish. The chief towns in it are Bilboa , Ordomia, Durango,Fontarubta, St. Sebastian , Tolosa, and Victoria.
Biscay, New', a province of North America , in the audienceof the Guadalajara. It has New Mexico on the N. Culiaean onthe W. Zacatecas on the S. and Panuca with Florida on the E.The latitude is from 25“ to 28° N.
B1SCI10FS ZELL, a town of Switzerland , nearly half-waybetween Constance and St. Gall.
] BISC11ROMA, in music, the same as the triple quaver. SeeChroma.
BISCUIT, Sea , is a sort of bread much dried, to make itkeep for the service of the sea. It was formerly baked twice, oroftener, and prepared six months before the embarkation. It willkeep good a whole year. The process of biscuit-baking for theBritish navy is as follows, which is equally simple and ingenious.The meal and every other article, being supplied with muchcertainty and simplicity, large lumps of dough, consisting merelyof flour and water, are mixed up together ; and as the quantityis so immense as to preclude, by any common process, a possi-bility of kneading it, a man manages, or as it is termed, rides amachine, which is called a horse. 'Phis machine is a long roller,apparentI)' about four or five inches in diameter, and about sevenor eight feet in length. It has a play to a certain extension, bymeans of a staple in the wall, to which is inserted a kind of eye,making its action like the machine by which they cut chaff torhorses. The lump of dough being placed exactly in the centreof a raised platform, the man sits upon the end of the machine,and literally rides up and down throughout its whole circular di-rection, till the dough is equally indented ; and this is repeatedtill it is sufficiently kneaded ; at which times, by the diffluentpositions of the lines, large or small circles are described, accordingas they are near to or distant from the wall. The dough in thisstate is handed over to a second workman, who slices it with aprodigious knife ; and it is then in a proper state for the use ofthose bakers who attend the oven. These are five in number;and tbeir different departments are as well calculated for expedi-tion and correctness, as the making of pins, or other mechanicalemployments. On each side of a large table, where the dough islaid, stands a workman ; at a small table near the oven stands ano-ther ; a fourth stands by the side of the oven to receive thebread ; and a fifth to supply the peel. By this arrangement theoven is as regularly filled, and the whole exercise performed in asexact time, as a military evolution. The man on the further sideof the large table moulds the dough, having previously formed itinto small pieces, till it has the appearance of muffins, althoughrather thinner, and which he does two together, one with each hand ;and as fast as he accomplishes this task, he delivers his work overto the man on the other side of the table, who stamps them witha docker on both sides with a mark. As he rids himself of thiswork, he throws the biscuits on the smaller table next the oven,where stands the third workman, whose business is merely toseparate the different pieces into two, and place them immediatelyunder the hand of him who supplies the oven, whose work ofthrowing, or rather chucking, the bread upon the peel, must beso exact, that if he looked round for a single moment, it is im-possible he should perform it correctly. 1 he fifth receives thebiscuit on the peel, and arranges it in the oven ; in which dutylie is so very expert, that though the different pieces are thrown
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