Bishops who In former times were appointcd to supply the place of others during their absence on embassies or other business were so termed. They were' consecrated as other bishops were, and were anciently called “chore piscftpi” or “bishops of the county," in contradistinction to the regular bishops of the city or see. The practice of creating suffragan bishops, after hav-ing long been discontinued, wns recently revived ; aud such bishops are now permanent-ly “assistant” to the bishops. Brown
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)