BIRCH-PFEIFFER, CHARLOTTE (1800-68). A German actress and playwright, horn in Stuttgart. She made her &but in Munich at the age of 13, and played with great success in Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg, Saint Petersburg, Pestim, Amsterdam, and other places. In 1823 she married Dr. Christian Birch of Copenhagen. She managed the theatre in Zurich from 1837 to 1843, and then, after visiting pro fessionally most of the cities in Germany, made an engagement with the Royal Theatre in Berlin, which continued until her death. Her plays, al though of no high artistic merit, showed true dramatic talent. and a thorough knowledge of stage effects, and net with popular suceess throughout Germany. Most of her plays were dramatizations of popular novels. The following were especially successful: 1'fefferr6sel; Die Giinstlinge, probably her best; Der Glockner von Notre Dame, after Victor Hugo; Die Frau in Weiss, after W. Collins. and Die Waise von
Lowood, after Charlotte Brontivs Jane Eyre. A complete edition of her writings was pub lished in 1S62.
BIRD (origin obscure). Birds are warm blooded vertebrate animals clothed with feathers, and normally capable of flight. They comprise the class Arcs. They have existed since early Mesozoic times, exhibit an interesting evolution within very compact and well-defined limits, dwell in every part of the globe, are exceedingly diverse in size, form, ability, and appearance, adapted to every sort of climate and food, show mental qualities of a high order, are of great importance in their economic relations with man, and in most cases are beautiful in outline and color and possessed of melodious voices.