UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G - AMENDMENT 3

(Name of Issuer)
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

(Title of Class of Securities)
Common Stock

(CUSIP Number)
090572207

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Private Capital Management, Inc.

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
59-2756929

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Florida

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 0
SHARED VOTING POWER 0
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 1019984

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1019984

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
10.2%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IA

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Bruce S. Sherman

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
###-##-####

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

CITIZENSHIP
U.S. Citizen

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 0
SHARED VOTING POWER 0
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 1019984

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1019984

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(yes)

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
10.2%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IN



ITEMS 1 - 10 OF GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Item 1.
(a)Name of Issuer:  Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
(b)Address of Issuer:  1000 Alfred Nobel Drive, Hercules, CA  94547

Item 2.
(a)Name of Person Filing:  See Exhibit 1
(b)Address of Person Filing:3003 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, FL  33940
(c)Citizenship:  See Exhibit 1
(d)Title of Class of Securities:  Common Stock
(e)CUSIP Number:  090572207

Item 3.
The reporting person is filing as an Investment Adviser registered
under section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Item 4. Ownership
(a)Amount Beneficially Owned:  See Exhibit 1
(b)Percent of Class:  See Exhibit 1
(c)Number of Shares as to which such person has:
(i)sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
     See Exhibit 1
(ii)shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
     See Exhibit 1
(iii)sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
     See Exhibit 1
(iv)shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
     See Exhibit 1

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of Class:
        N/A

Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
Person: N/A

Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding
Company: N/A

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
        See Exhibit 1

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group:
        N/A

Item 10. Certification:
        By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
acquired in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
for the purpose of and do not have the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having such purposes or effect.

SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement
is true, complete and correct.

Date:   See Exhibit 2
Signature:  See Exhibit 2
Name/Title: See Exhibit 2



                    Exhibit 1


Item 2.
(a) Name of Person Filing
     1)  Private Capital Management, Inc.
     2) *Bruce S. Sherman

(c)Citizenship
     1)  Florida
     2)  U.S.

Item 4.
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned
     1) 1019984
     2) 1019984


(b) Percent of Class
     1)  10.2%
     2)  10.2%


(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
   (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote
         1)  0
         2)  0


   (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote
         1)  0
         2)  0


   (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
         1)  0
         2)  0


   (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
         1)  1019984
         2)  1019984


*Bruce S. Sherman is Chairman of Private Capital Management, Inc.
("PCM") and exercises shared dispositive power with respect to
shares held by it on behalf of its clients.  Mr. Sherman, disclaims
the existence of a group.


Exhibit 2

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement
is true, complete and correct.

Date:  February 15, 2000




_____________________________________
Bruce S. Sherman
Chairman of Private Capital Management, Inc.




_____________________________________
Bruce S. Sherman
Individually