SETARIA. 



SHELL. 



& Qoilauu u UM Ptttmem quadridemtata ot Humboldt and other*. 

 HumboUt tells lu thmt it U my poisonous. 



(Liodlm. >Yoro J/fdica; Babington, Manual of liriliik Botany.) 



SETA 'ill A, a gram of Grasses containing a few species cultivated 

 as corn-grains in some countries. The geiiui ii named from ' seta,' a 

 brittle, on account of the briatly nature of the iuvolucrum. The 

 MOM* are found in both the hot and temperate parU of the world. 

 The genui nearly oormpondi in character with Panicum, under which 

 it U lometimei included, but it is aUo combined with Pennuetum. It 

 i charactriMd by having the ipikeleta 2-flowered, supported by two 

 or more brittle* ; the lower valve u the smallest ; the lower flower is 

 neuter or male, with the valves of the corolla coriaceous and indurated, 

 awnlras, the lower one embracing the other; petaloid scales very 

 obtuM and atibfalcate ; germen emarginate; seed included within the 

 persistent glumes. The specie* are found both in the hot and 

 temperate ports of the world. 



& mrtictUaia, Bristle-Grass, has a panicle spiked, lobed below; 

 branches whorled ; bristles of the involucre rough, with reversed teeth, 

 outer Rlumella of the fruit nearly even ; lower floret united with one 

 glumella. It is found in cultivated fields in England. 



S. viridu, Green Bristle-Grans, has a panicle spiked, continuous; 

 briftlea of the involucre rough, with erect teeth; outer glumella of the 

 fruit nearly even ; lower floret neuter, with one glumella. This species 

 is also British. 



& yiatKo, Glaucous Bristle-Grass, has a panicle spiked, continuous; 

 bristle* of the involucre rough, with erect teeth ; outer glumella of 

 the fruit conspicuously wavy, wrinkled transversely; lower floret 

 triandrous with two glumellas. It is found in Hertfordshire and other 

 parti of England. The first two species are found in America and India. 

 & Oermanica and & ftalica are cultivated as articles of diet in Europe. 



SETTER, the name for that variety of the Dog which partakes of 

 the characters of the POINTER and SPANIEL, Cauii familiarii Index of 

 Caius. 



The Setter is less liable to be foot-sore than the Pointer ; but is 

 generally considered more difficult to break. When however a well- 

 broken well-bred Setter is hunted frequently, no dog trained to the gun 

 does his work better, or is more staunch. The breed originated, in all 

 probability, between the Urge English spaniel and the Spanish pointer. 



This variety possesses a high degree of intelligence, and is capable 

 of the strongest attachment Mr. Bell's account of a favourite of this 

 breed is so interesting that we give it in his own words : 



" By far the most interesting, and, if I may so employ the term, 

 amiable animal I have ever known, was a bitch of this kind, formerly 

 belonging to my father, which he had from a puppy, and which, 

 although never regularly broke, was the best dog in the field that he 

 ever possessed. The very expression of poor Juno's countenance was 

 full of sensibility and affection. She appeared to be always on the 

 watch to evince her love and gratitude to those who were kind to her; 

 and the instinct of attachment was in her so powerful that it showed 

 itself in her conduct to other animals as well as to her human friends. 

 A kitten which had been lately taken from its mother was sent to us, 

 and on Juno's approach showed the usual horror of the cat towards 

 dogs ; but Juno seemed determined to conquer the antipathy, and, by 

 the most winning and persevering kindness and forbearance, advancing 

 or receding as she found the waywardness of her new friend's temper 

 required, she completely attached the kitten to her ; and as she hod 

 lately lost her puppies, and still had some milk left, I have ofcen seen 

 them lying together before the fire, the kitten sucking her kind foster- 

 mother, who was licking and caressing her as her own offspring. She 

 would also play with great gentleness with some tame rabbits of mine, 

 and would entice them to familiarity by the kindness of her manner ; 

 and so fond was she of caressing the young of her own species, that when 

 spaniel bitch of my father's had puppies, of which all excepting one 

 were destroyed, Juno would take every opportunity to steal the 

 remaining on* from its mother's neat and carry it to her own, where 

 ahe would lick and fondle it with the greatest tenderness. Poor Busy, 

 the mother, also a good-tempered creature, as soon u she had dis- 

 covered the theft, hastened of course to bring back her little one, 

 which was again to be stolen on the first favourable opportunity, 

 until at length the two bitches killed the poor puppy between them, 

 as they wero endeavouring each to pull it from the other ; and all this 

 with the most perfect mutual good understanding. Juno lived to a 

 good old age, an unspoiled pet, after her master had shot to her for 

 fourteen stations." (' British Quadruped*.') 



8EVERITE, a Mineral occurring massive, in piece* from two to 

 five inches in diameter. Its fracture is uneven ; the fractured surfaces 

 dull. Hardness 1- to 1-5; it yields easily to the knife. Brittle. 

 It polishes by friction. It adheres strongly to the tongue, but emits 

 no argillaceous odour when breathed on. Colour white. Streak 

 shining. Dull. Slightly translucent It is found near St-Sever, in 

 France, in a gravelly soil Secerite, as shown by the annexed analysis 

 by Pelletier, is a hydrated silicate of alumina : 



Silica 60 



Alumina . ....... 22 



Water 26 



Los* 2 



100 

 SEXES OF PLA.XT3. [llurBooucriox ur PLANTS AJCD ANIMALS.] 



SEXUAL SYSTEM. [REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS.] 



8EYBERTITE. [CI.INTONITE.] 



SEYCHELLE COCOA-NUT U the fruit of one of the Palms 

 (Lodoieta SccktUarum), respecting which many fabulous accounts were 

 formerly related, such as, that it was produced at the bottom of the 

 sea, the nut* being only found thrown up on the coasts of the Maldivu 

 Islands. They were called Coco de Maldivia, or Coco de Salomon, by 

 the early Portuguese navigator*. Many marvellous medical virtues 

 were ascribed to these nuts by the physicians of the age, both Asiatic 

 and European, and they were consequently sold at a high price. At 

 present they form only objects of curiosity, and are well known under 

 the name of Double Cocoa-Nuts. The tree yielding them was first 

 discovered by Barn!, a French officer of engineers, in 1769, then 

 described by Sonnerat, but for the first time accurately described by 

 Labillardiere, 'Ann. Mus.,' Paris, ix. p. 140, t 13. A very full 

 description and illustrative plates have been given by Dr. Hooker, in 

 the ' Botanical Magazine,' N. S., No*, iv., v., and vi., 1827 ; and a 

 paper on the subject was read at the Royal Asiatic Society by a 

 resident of the Seychelle Islands. To the inhabitants the tree is 

 useful for its timber, which is hard externally, and employed in 

 building their huts and for posts; the leaves and their footstalks are 

 used for the roof, walls, and partitions, and for many other domestic 

 purposes. The nuts weigh from 20 to 25 pounds each, and when 

 fresh contain a white, transparent, and jelly-like substance, which is 

 edible. The shells are employed in making vessels and dishes of 

 various kinds, and the entire nuts form articles of commerce, as they 

 are esteemed in other countries both for their fabled virtues and aa 

 curiosities. 



SHAD. [CLUPEID.E.] 



SHADDOCK. [CITRUS.] 



SHAG. [PELECANID.fi.] 



SHALE. Any argillaceous deposit, naturally divided into lamiuie 

 parallel to the plane of deposition, is rightly so called by geologists. 

 These are sandy, calcareous, purely argillaceous, and carbonaceous 

 shales. Geologists sometimes, very inconveniently, call fine-grained 

 very laminated shales by the title of Slates. A synonym in the 

 north of England mining-districts is Plate, (COAL FORMATION.] 



SHALLOTT. [ALLIUM.] 



SHALLOW, a name for the Rudd. [LEVCISCUS.] 



SHANNY. [BLENNICS.] 



SHARK. [SO.CALIDJS.] 



SHARPLIN. [GASTEROSTEUS.] 



SHAVING-BOX-FRUIT. [FEOILLKA.] 



SHEA-TREE. [BASSIA.] 



SHEARWATER. [PROCELLARIDJE; PUFFINUS.] 



SHEAT-FISH. [SILURID.K.] 



SHEEP. [OVK*.] 



SHEEP'S SCABIOUS. [JASIONE.] 



SHEERWATER. [RvNcaore.] 



SHELDRAKE. [DOCKS.] 



SHELL. The hard calcareous substance which protects either 

 partially or entirely the Testaceous Molluscs externally, or supports 

 certain of them internally, is termed Shell. 



This substance, when external, may be considered as the exo- 

 skeleton of the animal ; when internal, as its endo-skeloton. 



The Common or Waved Welk of our shores (Muccinum undatam) and 

 the Common Oyster (Oslrea. edulit), may be taken as examples of 

 external shells; and the internal support, or cuttle-bone, as it is 

 generally called, of the Common Cuttle- Fi^h (Septa vulyarit) [SEi-i AD.E], 

 affords au example of an internal shell. 



At one time h was supposed that the shells of the various forms of 

 Molliuca, as well as those of Crabs, Lobsters, and other Cnutacea, 

 were merely exudations of inorganic matter from the internal struc- 

 ture of the animal. It has however been recently shown by thu 

 microscopic and physiological researches of Dr. Carpenter, and the 

 observations of Mr. Bowerbank and others, that this view is entirely 

 erroneous, and that shell, like other organic products, is the result of 

 the regular growth of cells. 



Although the forms and mode of development of these cells are 

 very numerous, and differ in almost each particular species, a suffi- 

 cient number of observations have been made to lead to the conclu- 

 sion, that the growth of shells depends on the same general laws as 

 are observed in bone, teeth, scales, horns, and other hard parts of 

 animals. Wherever hardness and solidity is required in the animal 

 body, there phosphate of lime and carbonate of lime are deposited, 

 and the mode of their deposit is strikingly similar in all cases. 



In a report made to the British Association, 1344, Dr. Carpenter 

 has given the result of bis researches on the structure of a large 

 number of shells, and all observations have since tended to confirm 

 his accuracy. He finds that certain forms of shell-structure are to 

 constant that he proposes them, if not as a means of distinguishing 

 species, at least of recognising groups. " My inquiries," he says, " so 

 far as they have yet proceeded, tend to establish this position, that 

 where a recognisable and constant diversity presents itself in the 

 elementary structure of the shell among different groups, that 

 diversity affords characters, which are to a very high degree indicative 

 of the natural affinities of those groups. It is not always that 

 peculiarities sufficiently distinct present thetus-lve*, evrn between 



