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BARRIE BARRBIE, SIR JAMES MATTHEW, a Scottish author, born in Kirriemuir, Forfarshire, May 9, 1860. He graduated from Edinburgh University in 1882, and went to London in 1885, to engage in journalism. His peculiar talent for de- picting Scottish village life and rustic characters brought him fame. "Better Dead" (1887) and "When a Man's Single" (1888) were followed by "Auld Licht Idylls" (1888) and "A Window in Thrums" (1889), which first made him widely knovini; "An Edinburgh Eleven" (1890); "My Lady Nicotine" (1890); "The Little Minister" (1891) ; "Sentimental Tommy" (1896) ; "Margaret Ogilvy" (1896) ; "Tommy and Grizel" (1900) ; "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" (1906) ; "Peter and Wendy" (1911) ; etc. He has also written numerous short sketches and the comedies "Walker, London" (1892) ; "Jane Annie" (1893) ; "The Professor's Love Story" (1895) ; "Quality Street" (1903) ; "Peter Fan" (1904) ; "What Every Woman Knows" (1908); "Half Hours" (1908); "Mary Rose" (1920).

BARRIENTOS, MARIA, a Spanish soprano singer, born in Barcelona, Spain. She studied music in Madrid and first appeared in public at the age of 17 in Milan. Gaining instant success, she made tours in the leading European and South American countries. In 1915 she sang with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York, of which organization she was a member for several years.

BARRIER REEF, a coral reef which extends for 1,260 miles off the N. E. coast of Australia, at a distance from land ranging from 10 to 100 miles.

BARRON, JAMES, an American naval officer, born in Virginia in 1769; became Lieutenant in the navy in 1798, and was soon promoted to Captain. He commanded the "Chesapeake" in 1807, and was attacked by the British ship "Leopard" as a result of his refusal to allow the "Chesapeake" to be searched for deserters. The "Chesapeake," which was quite unprepared, discharged one gun previous to striking her colors. She was captured and three alleged deserters were found. Barron was court-martialed and suspended for five years. Upon his restoration, as the outcome of a long correspondence with his personal enemy. Commodore Decatur, a duel was fought and Decatur was killed. Barron became senior officer in the navy in 1839. and died in Norfolk, Va., April 21, 1851.

BARROW, an artificial mound or tumulus, of stones or earth, piled up over the remains of the dead. Such erections were frequently made in ancient times in our own land, and are numerous in many countries. In Scotland they are called cairns. Burial in barrows seems to have been practiced as late as the 8th century A. D. One of the finest barrows in the world is Silbury Hill, Wiltshire, near Marlborough. It is 170 feet in perpendicular height, 316 along the slope, and covers about five acres of ground.

BARROW, a term applied to three prominent localities of the Arctic Ocean, in honor of Sir John Barrow. (1) Point Barrow on the N. coast of Alaska, in 71° 23′ N. lat. and 156° 31′ W. long., long considered as the most northerly spot on the American mainland. (2) Cape Bar- row, on the coast of Canada, or Corona- tion Gulf, is at 68° N. lat., 111° W. long. (3) Barrow Strait, the earliest of Parry's discoveries, leading to the W. out of Lancaster Sound, which Parry's immediate predecessor. Captain, afterward Sir John Ross, had pronounced to be land-locked in that direction. Besides its main course to Melville Sound, Barrow Strait throws off Prince Regent's Inlet to the S. and Wellington Channel to the N. The passage averages about 50 miles in breadth, extending nearly along the parallel of 74° N., from 85° to 100° W.

BARROW, a river in the S. E. of Ireland, province of Leinster, rising on the borders of the King's and Queen's counties, and after a southerly course joining the Suir in forming Waterford harbor. It is the next in importance to