Birgander

(Zool.) See SHELDRAKE. Birgus, n. ( Zool.) A genus of long-tailed crustaceous animals, of which the Purse-crab, B. latro, is the largest. It is a native of Amboyna and other neighboring islands. Birhomboid'al, a. [Lat. bis, and rhomboidal, q. v.] (Geom.) Having a surface of 12 rhombic faces, which, being taken 6 and 6, and prolonged till they intercept each other, would form two different rhombs. Birk'en, a . Birchen; belonging to the birch. (R.) Birkenfeld, ( bir'ken - felt ,) a small principality of Germany, belonging to Oldenburg, but detached from it on the W. of the Rhine, and enclosed by Rhenish Pru ia and Mei enheim; area , 143 sq. m. pop . 31,816. - Its capital has the same name, with a pop of about 3,000. Birken head, a fine seaport of England, in the county of Chester, on the Mersey, opposite to Liverpool, of which city it may almost be deemed a component part. It is 15 m. E. of Chester, and 199 N.W. of London. B. is a prosperous place, po e ing magnificent docks cov ering an area of 160 acres of water space, and erected at a cost of $15,000,000. It is also famous for its great iron ship-building establishments and engineering works. About 1820, B. was but a mere rural hamlet, with a few hundred inhabitants. Birk's City, in Kentucky , a post-office of Davie co. Bir'law, n . [Ger. bauer , a countryman, and law .) ( Law .) A law made by husbandmen respecting rural affairs. Birman Empire. See BURMAH. Bir'ming, or BERMING, in Mi ouri , a village of Buchanan co., 45 m. N. by W. of Independence. Birmingham, an important town and borough of England, co. of Warwick, 17 m. N.W. of Warwick, 69 S.S.E.of Manchester, and 100 N.W.of London. It is for the most part a well-built and ordered town, but the smoke of its countle factories has begrimed its buildings, and it presents but a dingy appearance at first sight. Among the public edifices may be mentioned the Town Hall, modelled on the temple of Jupiter Stator at Rome, and capable of holding 4,000 persons; the market hall; bar racks, and several fine churches. B. is richly endowed with schools, literary institutions, and libraries. B. is the metropolis of the hardware trade; here are manufactured cannon, fire-arms, shot, plated bra and enamelled goods, and cutlery; bronze wares, lamps, buttons, and metallic wares; steel pens, (500,000,000 annually), papier-maché goods, jewelry, toys, trinkets, and, in short, almost every conceivable article that can be fashioned out of metals. Birmingham, in Ala . , a flourishing city and R. R. centre of Jefferson co. Great beds of iron ore, coal, limestone and fire-clay are found in the neighborhood. Here are the machine-shops of the South and North Alabama R. R., rolling mills, steel and iron works, and a number of elegant public buildings, including a $60,000 courthouse. Pop . , 1880, 3,100; 1890, 26,180.-In Iowa , a post village of Van Buren co., 12 m. N. of Keosauqua.-In Kentucky , a township and village of Marshall co.-In Michigan, a flourishing post-village in Bloom field township, Oakland co., 18 m. N. W. of Detroit. In Mi ouri, a village of Cape Girardeau co., on the Mi i ippi, 14 m. N. E. of Jackson; a village of Perry co. -A village of Mercer co., 5 m. N.N.W. of Trenton. Birth'root, n. ( Bot .) See TRILLIUM. Sable township, Clinton co., on Au Sable River, about 100 m. N. of Albany.