s dem Handels- und
Wechselrecht_, von Dr R. Koch, pp. 163-164.

[6] The imperial treasury is bound to pay the state notes in cash at any
time when this is required, but an independent fund of cash set apart for
this purpose does not exist. See _Handwoerterbuch der
Staatswissenschaften_, vol. v. art. "Papiergeld," p. 97 (Jena, 1893; ed. J.
Conrad, L. Elster, W. Lexis and E. Loening).

BANKSIA, an Australian genus of shrubs and trees (natural order
Proteaceae), with leathery leaves often deeply cut and handsome dense
spikes of flowers. It is named after Sir Joseph Banks (_q.v._). The plants
are grown in England for their handsome foliage as evergreen greenhouse
shrubs.

BANKURA, a town and district of British India, within the Burdwan division
of Bengal. The town has a population of 20,737. The district has an area of
2621 sq. m., and in 1901 its population was 1,116,411, showing an increase
of 4% in the decade. It is bounded on the N. and E. by Burdwan district; on
the S. by Midnapur district; and on the W. by Manbhum district. Bankura
forms a connecting link between the delta of the Ganges on the E. and the
mountainous highlands of Chota Nagpur on the W. Along its eastern boundary
adjoining Burdwan district the country is flat and alluvial, presenting the
appearance of the ordinary paddy lands of Bengal. Going N. and W., however,
the surface gradually rises into long undulating tracts; rice lands and
swamps give way to a region of low thorny jungle or forest trees; the
hamlets become smaller and more scattered, and nearly disappear altogether
in the wild forests along the western boundary. Large quantities of lac and
tussur silk are gathered in the hilly tract. The stone quarries and
minerals are little worked. There are indigo factories and two coal-mines.
Both cotton and silk are woven, and plates, &c., are carved from
soap-stone. The old capital of the country was at Bishnupur, which is still
the chief centre of local industries. The north-east part of the district
is skirted by the East Indian railway beyond the river Damodar. The
Midnapur-Jherria line of the Bengal-Nagpur railway passes through the
district, and there is a line from Howrah to Bankura. The climate of
Bankura is generally healthy, the cold season being bracing, the air
wholesome and dry, and fogs of rare occurrence. The district is exposed to
drought and also to destructive floods. It suffered in the famines of 1866,
1874-1875 and 1896-1897. The te