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LEFT BOSS 121 BOSS line with nitrous acid, and boiling the resulting ^ diazo-compound with hydro- chloric acid. It forms shining monoclinic prisms, closely resembling those of aurine, melts above 220°, is insoluble in water, but dissolves readily with brownish-yel- low color in alcohol and ether. Boiled with aniline and benzoic acid it yields a beautiful and permanent blue dye. BOSS, BETSY, famous in history as the maker of the first American flag. She was born in 1752, in Philadelphia, a daughter of Samuel Griscom, who helped to erect Independence Hall, and was mar- ried to John Ross. Following the deci- sion of the Continental Congress in re- spect to a national flag, a committee, including George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross called on Mrs. Ross and invited her to undertake the sewing. She agreed and it was on her suggestion that the five-point rather than the six-point star was used. Mrs. Ross contracted to make all the government flags and the business continued in the family till 1857. Mrs. Ross died in 1836. In 1898 the Betsy Ross Memorial Asso- ciation was formed, and in 1905 the house of Betsy Ross was converted into public property as the American Flag House. BOSS, EDWABD ALSWOBTH, an American economist, born at Virden, 111., in 1866. He graduated from Coe College in 1886 and took post-graduate studies at the University of Berlin and at Johns Hopkins. In 1891-2 he was professor of economics at Indiana University, and in 1892-3 was associate professor of political economy and finance at Cornell. He be- came professor of sociology in Leland Stanford Jr. University in 1893; he occu- pied the same chair at the University of Nebraska (1901-6). In 1906 he was professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin. He lectured on sociology at Harvard, Chicago, and other universi- ties. His works on economic subjects in- clude "Honest Dollars" (1896); "Social Control" (1901); "Sin and Society" (1907) ; "The Changing Chinese" (1911) ; "Changing America" (1912) ; "The Old World in the New" (1914) ; "Russia in Upheaval" (1918) ; and "What Is Amer- ica?" (1919). BOSS, SIB JAMES CLABK, an Eng- lish Arctic and Antarctic explorer; born in London, England, April 15, 1800. He entered the British navy at the age of 12, accompanied his uncle, Sir John Ross, on his two voyages in search of a N. W. passage, and in the interval between them accompanied Capt. William Parry in his three Arctic voyages. He was promoted to the rank of post-captain in 1834, par- ticularly for the discovery of the North magnetic pole in 1831. He commanded the expedition in the "Erebus" and "Ter- ror" to the Antarctic Ocean in 1839- 1843; and on his return published a nar- rative of that voyage, which had contrib- uted largely to geographical and scientific knowledge generally. Captain Ross was knighted for his services, and received numerous other honors. In 1848 he made a voyage in the "Enterprise" to Baffin Bay in search of Sir John Franklin. He died in Aylesbury, England, April 3, 1862. BOSS, SIB JOHN, an English Arctic navigator; born in Inch, Wigtownshire, Scotland, June 24, 1777. In 1786 he en- tered the navy, and saw a considerable amount of service before the peace of 1815, which found him with the rank of commander. In 1817 he accepted the command of an admiralty expedition to search for a N. W. passage, and in April, 1818, set sail in the "Isabella," accompa- nied by Lieutenant Parry in the "Alexan- der." After passing through Davis Straits and Baffin Bay the vessels entered Lancaster Sound and proceeded up it for a considerable distance, when Ross con- ceived the erroneous idea that the sound was here brought to a termination by a chain of mountains, and accordingly re- turned to England. Shortly after landing he was advanced to the rank of post- captain, and the following year published an account of his voyage. His next ex- pedition, in the steamer "Victory," was equipped by Sir Felix Booth and set out in May, 1829. Ross entered Prince Re- gent Inlet and discovered and named Boothia Felix and King William Land. In 1832 he was forced to abandon his ships, and he and his crew suffered great hardships before they were picked up in August, 1833, by his old ship, the "Isa- bella." In 1834 Captain Ross was knight- ed, and in the following year published a narrative of his second voyage. From 1839 till 1845 he was consul at Stockholm. In 1850 he made a last Arctic voyage in the "Felix," in a vain endeavor to ascer- tain the fate of Sir John Franklin. He became a rear-admiral in 1851, and died in London, England, Aug. 30, 1856. BOSS, BOBEBT BALDWIN, a British art critic, born at Tours, France, in 1869. He was the son of John Ross, attorney- general for Upper Canada, and received part of his education at Cambridge Uni- versity, England. He took up newspaper writing and soon became known as an au- thority on art, the drama and literature. In 1908-12 he worked on the staff of the "Morning Post" and acted as adviser to the Inland Revenue on picture valuations, 1912-14. He wrote and edited some books,