Five (PbO) x (Bi 2 O 3 ) 0.2 (B 2 O 3 ) 0.8−x glasses, where x = 0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.6, were prepared. The dilatometric glass transition temperature (T g ) was found in the region 470 .x = 0/ ½ T g (°C) ½ 347 (x = 0.6), and the density (r) varied within 4.57 .x = 0/ Ä r (g/cm 3 ) Ä 8.31 (x = 0.6). Raman spectra indicated the conversion of BO 3 to BO 4 entities for low x values but for x > 0.3, namely, for x → 0.6, back-conversion occurred, most probably. From the measurements of the optical transmission on very thin bulk samples, the room temperature optical gap values (E g ) were determined to be in the range 4.03 .x = 0/ ½ E g (eV) ½ 3.08 (x = 0.6). The temperature (T) dependence of the optical gap (E g (T)) in the region 300 Ä T(K) Ä 600 was examined and approximated by a linear relationship of the form of E g .T/ = E g .0/ − gT, where g × 10 −4 (eV/K) varied from 5.1 to 6.8. The non-linear refractive index (n 2 ) was estimated from the optical gap values and it was found to correspond to the n 2 values calculated from the experimental third-order non-linear optical susceptibility taken from the literature.