versity of Aberdeen in 1862, and by Cambridge University in 1875; and that of D.C.L. by Oxford University in 1876. He was honorary fellow of Queen's College, Oxford; president of the oriental congress which met in London in 1874; officier de l'instruction publique de l'université de Paris; Rede lecturer at Cambridge in 1875; and president of the Society of Biblical Archæology from 1870 to 1885. The emperor of Germany conferred upon him in 1874 the order of the Crown, and the emperor of Brazil the order of the Knight of the Rose in 1875. Birch was kind-hearted and genial, shy among strangers, and so modest that he was content to allow much of his best work to appear only in the volumes of others.
The following are Birch's principal independent works:
- 'Analecta Sinensia,' 1841.
- 'Select Papvri in the Hieratic Character,' 3 pts. fol. 1841-4.
- 'Tablets from the Collection of the Earl of Belmore,' 1843.
- 'Friends till Death' (from Chinese), 1845.
- 'An Introduction to the Study of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics,' 1857.
- 'History of Ancient Pottery,' 2 vols. 1858.
- 'Memoire sur une Patere,' 1858.
- 'Select Papyri,' pt. ii. 1860.
- 'Description of Ancient Marbles in the British Museum,' pt. ii. 1861.
- 'Chinese Widow' (from Chinese), 1862.
- 'Elfin Foxes' (from Chinese), 1863.
- 'Papyrus of Nas-Khem,' 1863.
- 'Facsimiles of Egyptian Relics,' 1863.
- 'Facsimiles of two Papyri,' 1863.
- 'Inscriptions in the Himyaritic Character,' 1863.
- 'The Casket of Gems' (from Chinese), 1872.
- 'History of Egypt,' 1875.
- 'Facsimile of Papyrus of Rameses III,' fol. 1876.
- 'The Monumental History of Egypt, 1876.
- 'Egyptian Texts,' 1877.
- 'Catalogue of Egyptian Antiquities at Alnwick Castle,' 1880.
- 'The Coffin of Amamu' (unfinished).
Birch made the following important contributions to the publications of others: 'Egyptian Antiquities' (in the 'Synopsis of the Contents of the British Museum'), 1838; 'Remarks on Egyptian Hieroglyphics' (in 'Pyramids of Gizeh,' by J. S. Perring), 1839; 'Remarks' (in Cory's 'Horapollo JSinus '), 1841; 'Descriptions' in Arundale and Bonomi's 'Gallery of Antiquities,' 1842, 1843; 'List of Hieroglyphics' in Bunsen's ' Egypt's Place,' 1847; 'Egyptian Grammar,' 'Egyptian Dictionary,' 'The Book of the Dead ' (in Bunsen's 'Egypt's Place,' vol. v.), 1867. With Sir Henry Rawlinson [q.v.] he prepared ' Inscriptions in the Cuneiform Character,' 1851; and with (Sir) Charles Thomas Newton [q. v. Suppl.] 'Catalogue of Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum,' 2 vols. 1851. He revised in 1878 Sir J. G. Wilkinson's 'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians.' Birch was also author of numerous papers in the 'Numismatic Chronicle,' 'Gentleman's Magazine,' 'Proceedings' and 'Transactions' of the Royal Society of Literature, 'Archæologia,' 'Revue Archéologique' (Paris), 'Journal of the Royal Archæological Institute,' 'Journal of the British Archæological Association,' 'Classical Museum,' 'Mémoires des Antiquités de France' (Paris), 'Aegyptische Zeitschrift,' Chabas's 'Melanges,' 'Month,' 'Nature and Art,' 'Phoenix,' 'Proceedings' and 'Transactions' of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, 'Records of the Past,' 'English Cyclopædia,' 'Transactions of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society,' 'Encyclopædia Britannica,' and many periodicals.
[Times, 29 Dec. 1885; Athenæum, 2 Jan. 1886; Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. January 1886; Saturday Review, 2 Jan. 1886; Brighton Daily News, 5 Jan. 1886; Manchester Guardian, 6 Jan. 1886; Academy, 2 Jan. 1886; Le XIX Siècle, 11 Jan. 1886; Illustrated London News (with portrait), 2 Jan. 1886; and in Revue Egyptologique, iv. 187-92. All these were reprinted by W. de Gray Birch, his son, in 1886. The fullest account of Birch's life and work will be found (with portrait) in Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch. ix. 1-41, by E. A. Wallis Budge; a good account of his work up to 1877 will be found (with portrait) in the Dublin University Magazine, 1877.]
BLACK, WILLIAM (1841–1898), novelist, was born at Glasgow on 9 Nov. 1841. After receiving his education at various private schools he studied for a short time as an artist in the Glasgow school of art, but, becoming connected with the 'Glasgow Citizen,' gradually exchanged art for journalism. His contributions to the 'Citizen' included sketches of the most eminent literary men of the day. He came to London in 1864, and obtained some standing as a contributor to the magazines. In the same year he published his first novel, 'James Merle, an Autobiography,' which passed absolutely without notice from the literary journals. In 1865 he became connected with the 'Morning Star,' and in the following year went to Germany as correspondent for that paper in the Franco-Prussian war, with, as he himself admitted, no special qualification for the part but a very slight smattering of German. During most of the very short campaign he was under arrest on suspicion of being a spy, but the observations he made in the Black Forest aided the success of his excellent novel, 'In Silk Attire' (1869), part of the scene of which was laid there.
