849 



SOLENODON. 



SOMERVILLITE. 



8;0 





muzzle, forehead, vertex, middle of the nape, and anterior part o 

 the back, tinged with black-brown : the rest of the back black-brown 

 the colour (more diluted) extending towards the posterior part of th 

 sides and towards the external surface of the thighs. The basal au 

 middle part of the scaly tail gray ; the apical part white. 



0, Skull of Solencdon (profile) ; 6, seen from above ; e, seen from below ; 

 d, mandible or lower jaw ; , anterior part of the intermaxillary bone, with the 

 two anterior incisor teeth ; /, anterior surface of an anterior upper incisor tooth ; 

 f t anterior parto of the mandible, with the four anterior incisor teeth ; A, the 

 crown of a second nr middle incisor tooth of the mandible, seen on iut internal 

 surface, and exhibiting iu triangular canal. (The foregoing figures arc nearly 

 of the natural size.) t, Teeth of the upper jaw seen laterally ; 11, natural size ; 

 2 2, magnified. (Brandt.' 



Feet of Solenodon. (Brandt.) 



a, anterior part of the anterior foot, seen on the dorsal or upper side ; b, 

 similar riew of the anterior part of the posterior foot. 

 BAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. IV. 



Habits, &c. Brandt remarks that nothing is known of the mode of 

 life of this animal ; but from the structure of the proboscis and 

 claws, he concludes that it must burrow. The form of the nose and 

 of the cribriform plate seems, he observes, to indicate a well-developed 

 organ of smell. 



The true place of this animal is, most probably, among the Soreddce 



Solenodon pnradoxus. (Brandt/ ' Memoirs of the Imperial Academy of 

 Sciences of St. Petersburg, 1832-33.') 



SOLETELLI'NA. [PYLOKIDIA.] 



SOLIDA'GO, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Composite, the sub-order Corymbiferce, and the tribe Asteroidece. It 

 has radiant heads of flowers, the florets of the ray pistilliferous, ligulate 

 in one row; those of the disc tubular, with stamens and pistils, the 

 reeeptable rather alveolate, the involucre imbricated, with a few scales 

 on the peduncle; the pappus pilose in one row; the fruit terete. 

 This genus closely resembles Aster, from which it is distinguished by 

 its pappus in a single row, and its terete fruit. 



S. Virgauna, Golden Rod, has an erect slightly angular stem, the 

 leaves lanceolate, narrowed at both ends ; the lower leaves elliptical, 

 stalked, serrated ; the raceme erect, simple, or compound ; involucral 

 scales lanceolate, acute ; the fruit downy. This plant is a native of 

 the woods and thickets of Great Britain, and was formerly much used 

 iu medicine. Its leaves and flowers are said to be aperient, and it has 

 been employed for internal hemorrhages. It is astringent and tonic. 



SOLIPE'DES, Cuvier's name for his third family of Pachydermata. 

 [PACHYDERMATA.] 



SOLITAIRE. [DODO.] 



SOLITARY SNIPE. [SCOLOPACIDJE.] 



SO'LLYA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Pitto- 

 sporacece. The genus is closely allied to Pronuya and Billardie.ru, and 

 the species are highly ornamental plants, which are indigenous iu 

 Australia and Van Diemen's Land, with voluble stems, oblong alter- 

 nate, shining, dark-green leaves, with the flower-stalks terminal, or 

 opposite to the leaves, and bearing bunches of bright blue nodding 

 flowers. S. helwophytta and S. angustifolia are two common species 

 cultivated in our greenhouses, and were very common everywhere 

 until the severe winter of 1837-38. 



SOLOMON'S SEAL, the common name of the species of Piilygp- 

 natum, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order lAliaceie, and 

 ihe sub-order Asparagea?. 



Polyyonatumhas the perianth tubular, 6-toothed, tardily deciduous; 

 lie ovary 3-celled ; cells 2-ovuled ; the stigma blunt, trigonous ; berry 

 with 1-seeded cells ; the flowers not jointed to pedicel. There are 

 .hree British species. 



P. i-erHcillatum has linear-lanceolate whorled leaves, with an erect 

 angular stem. It is a rare plant in Great Britain. 



P. officinak, Solomon's Seal, has leaves ovate-oblong, half-clasping, 

 glabrous, stem angular ; peduncles 1-2-flowered ; filaments glabrous, 

 t is the Oonvallaria, Polygonatmn of Linnaeus, and has been confounded 

 vith the following. It is only found in Scotland. 



P. mullijlorum has leaves ovate-oblong, half-clasping, glabrous, 

 jlternate; stem round; peduncles one- or many-flowered; filaments 

 lowny. This plant is the common species known by the name of 

 Solomon's Seal. 

 SOMATE'RIA. [DUCKS.] 



SOMERVILLITE, ffwnboldtilile, is a Mineral occurring crystallised, 

 'rimary form a square prism. Cleavage perpendicular to the axis, 

 ery distinct. Colour pale dull brownish-yellow. Fracture uneven. 

 "Yausparent, translucent. It is found in the cavities ejected from 

 csuvius. Its analysis by Mouticelli and Covelli gives 



Silica 43-90 



Lime 31-67 



Magnesia 8-83 



Alumina 0'50 



Protoxide of Iron 2'00 



86-90 



Cobell found 4'25 per cent of Soda. 



3i 



