SYLVICAPKA. 



SYMPLOCOS. 



tail-coverts, or lens than half way along the tail-feathers. The two 

 birds here named, and a third species, the Chiff-Chaff, o called from 

 iU peculiar note, are, Mr. Yarrell remarks, the only Brituh species 

 included in the genus Sylvia as at present restricted. These, he state*, 

 differ from the Warblers generally in the colour of their plumage, and 

 in not being fruit-eaters. Their nests are covered or domed at 

 the top. 



It is a Swedish summer visitor, but rare there, as it is in northern 

 Europe generally. Of frequent occurrence in Germany, Holland, 

 France, Florence, and Italy, in the summer. It is found in England 

 and Wales, but not recorded in Scotland nor identified in Ireland. 

 Supposed winter-quarters, Efrypt and Asia. 



The rang, if song it may be called, of this species is to be heard 

 in the woodlands of England and Wales in the spring, and during 

 the greater part of the summer, accompanied by a shivering of the 

 wings. Mr. Yarrell well describes the note as resembling the word 

 ' twee,' sounded very long, and repeated several times in succession, at 

 first but slowly, afterwards much quicker, and as accompanied, when 

 about to conclude, by a peculiar tremulous motion of the wings, which 

 are lowered by the side. A lofty elm in a hedgerow is often, he 

 observes with equal truth, selected as the singing station, and the note 

 is occasionally uttered while the bird wings its way from place to 

 place. 



Insects and their larva form its food, which is captured both on 

 the wing and among the leaves of trees. The oval and domed nest 

 is framed, amid the herbage on the ground, of dry grass, leaves, and 

 a little moss, with a finer lining of grass and hairs, but no feathers, 

 which hut are present in the nests of other warblers that build on the 

 ground, with the exception of the other two Sylvia noticed above. 

 The white eggs, most thickly speckled with purple-red and ash, are 

 generally six in number. 



The following is a list of the British species of this family, as given 

 in Yarrell's 'British Birds': 



Accentor alpiniu, Alpine Accentor. 



A. modularit, the Hedge Accentor, or Hedge-Warbler. 



Erythaca rubecuia, the Redbreast or Robin. [ERTTHACA.] 



Phaaiicwa Suecica, the Blue-Throated Warbler. [BlAJE-BBBAST.] 



P. ruticilla, the Redstart. [MoTACILLIS.*.] 



P. liihyi, the Black Redstart. 



Saxieola nibicola, the Stonechat (SAXICOLA.] 



8. ntetra, the Whinchat [SAXICOLA.] 



S. cenanthe, the Wheatear. [SAXICOLA.] 



Saiiearia lociatella, the Grasshopper Warbler. [SAUCARU.1 



S. pkragmitet, the Sedge Warbler. [SALICARIA.] 



& ttucinoidct, Salvis Warbler. [SALICARIA.] 



& anutdinacea, the Reed Warbler. [SALICASIA.] 



Philomela luicinia, the Nightingale. [PHILOMELA.'] 



CWrmca atncapiUa, the Black-Cap Warbler. [CuBRUCA ; BLACK- 

 CAP.] 



C. hortauit, the Garden Warbler. 



C. cinerca, the Common Whitethroat. 



O. lylfiella, the Lesser Whitethroat 



fylria tylvicola, the Wood Warbler. 



8. Trockilui, the Willow- Warbler. 



8. hippolait, the Chiff-Chaff. 



MilHophUu* Dartfordimtit, the Dartford Warbler. 



Rryultu criitaltu, the Golden-Crested Regulus. [RKOULUS.] 



R. iynicapillia, the Fire-Crested Regulus. [REOULDS.] 



X. Modaltu, the Dalmatian Regulus. [REQULOS.] 



(Yarrell, Uutory of Britiik Birdt.) 



8YLVICAPRA. [AKTILOPIA] 



SYLVl'COLA. [8YLVIAD*.] ' 



8YLV1PARUS. [STLVIADA] 



SYMA. [HALCTONIDJS.] 



8YMMOUPHUS (Gould), a genus of Birds. The bill is rather 

 short, tumid ; the upper mandible slightly notched at the tip ; the 

 culmen and commissure subarcuate ; the nostrils basal, oval, and 

 nearly hidden by the frontal feathers. Wings moderate ; first quill 

 ahortcr than the second by one-half; third, fourth, and fifth longest 

 aod nearly equal Tail moderate, the external tail-feather on each 

 rid* shorter than the rest by one-fourth. Tarsi and feet moderate, 

 the former scutellated anteriorly ; the posterior toe with its claw 

 shorter than the middle one, the two lateral toes unequal, the inner 

 shortest. S. Itucopyg** is a native of Australia, 



8YMPATHKTIC NERVES. [NeavoDB STBTIIL] 



8YMPHOKICAHPOS, or SYMPHORIA, a genus of Plants belong- 

 ing to the natural order Caprifoliacea. The tub* of the calyx is 

 globose, with a small limb, and 4-5-toothed ; corolla fimnel-chapcd, 

 4-5-lobed; stamens 6; ovary 4 -celled, with simple style and semi- 

 globose stigma, the fertile cells containing one ovule, sterile ones 

 several; fruit a berry, having 4 cells, 2 of which contain single seeds 

 and 2 are empty. The species are natives of North and South America. 

 They are elegant, busby, oppositely-branched shrubs, with oval entire 

 leavrs, small whiU or roee-coloured flowers with short pedicels, seated 

 on one or many-flowered peduncles, and furnUbed with two bracts. 



8. rulyarit, Common St. Peter's- Wort. Flowers dinposed in axillary 

 capitate cluster*, and seated on very thort pedicels. It is a native of 

 Pennsylvania, the Carolioas, and Virginia, in sandy dry districts. It 



bean red cup-shaped berries which are about the size of a hempseed, 

 and ripen in winter. It grows to the height of from 3 to 6 feet, and 

 flowers in August and September. 



& roecmonu, Snow-Berry. Flowers disposed tn loose, often leafy, 

 interrupted racemes; corolla bearded internally; stamens and style 

 included. It is a native of North America, and grows on the bank* 

 of the Missouri, in Upper Canada, and on the north-west coast at 

 Paget's and Nootka Sounds. This is a very handsome shrub, and was 

 introduced into our gardens in 1817, since which time it has become 

 very common. It has rose-coloured flowers, with entire leavrs glaucous 

 beneath. The fruit is about the size of a small cherry, and quite 

 white, remaining on the tree after the leaves have dropped off, nJ 

 giving it a very beautiful appearance. 



& occidentals, AVolf-Berry, Western St. Peter's- Wort Flowers in 

 spikes, dense, terminal, axillary, and drooping; style and stamens 

 protruded. It is a native of British North America, and is abundant 

 about the Saskatchewan and Red River. It is a shrub from 4 to 6 feet 

 high, and has the same general characters as the last, but has not yet 

 been cultivated in Great Britain. 



S. microphylliu and .S. glaucaceiu are natives of Mexico. 



SYMPHYNOTA. [NAIAD*.] 



SY'MPHYTUM, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Boraginacecc. It has a 6-parted calyx; a cylindrical-campanulato 

 corolla, the throat of which is furnished with 6 subulate vaulted pro- 

 cesses which connive to form a cone ; 4 1 -celled ovate nuts fixed at 

 the base of the calyx, imperforate. The species are rough herbaceous 

 plants, with broad leaves and terminal twin racemes of flowers. They 

 are natives chiefly of Europe and Asia. 



& officinalit, Common Comfrey. Fusiform-branched roots ; branched 

 stem ; leaves decurront, the upper ones lanceolate, the lower ovato- 

 lauceolate, scabrous above and hairy beneath ; limb of the corolla 3- 

 toothed, with the teeth recurved ; the anthers twice the length of the 

 filament It is an inhabitant of the banks of rivers and streams and 

 watery places throughout Europe. " Comfrey -root," Woodville 

 observes, "abounds in a tasteless mucilage like that of the marsh- 

 mallow ; and being more easily obtained, it ought not to be omitted 

 in lists of medicinal plants." The flowers are of a yellowish-white 

 colour. A variety not uncommon in Scotland and the continent has 

 bluish-purple flowers, red before expansion : it was called by Sibthorp 

 S. patent. S. Bohtmiwn is also a variety of this species. It has red 

 or reddish-purple flowers. 



S. tuberotum, Tuberous-Rooted Comfrey. Rhizoma oblique, thick- 

 ened by scales, furnished with short branches ; leaves partly decurn-ut, 

 upper ones elliptical, lower ones ovate ; corolla tubulose, funnel-shaped, 

 5-toothed ; teeth recurved. This plant is not so stiff and hairy as the 

 last It is a native of Germany, Austria, Franco, Spain, aud Italy. It 

 has also been found in Scotland near Edinburgh, and in Durham in 

 England. Ita flowers are of a yellowish-white colour, and appear in 

 April and May. 



& cuperrimum, Rough Comfrey. Stems branched, covered with 

 tubercles; leaves ovate, heart-shaped, pointed, running into petioles, 

 hairy above, strigose beneath, upper ones opposite, subaessile ; calyx 

 tuberculated, acute ; limb of corolla campanulate. It is a native of 

 the Caucasus, and grows on the banks of streams and rivulets. It is 

 a tall plant, very rough, with handsome flowers, which are red before 

 expansion, and afterwards blue. There are several other species. 



SYMPLECTES. [PLOCKINJI] 



SYMPLESITE. [iBOJf.] 



SYMPLOCARPOS, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural 

 order Araccct. It has a cucullate spathe, a short spadix covered with 

 tetrandrpus floscules. The ovaries are 1-cellcd, with an ovule in each 

 and a minute stigma ; berries consolidated ; seeds without albumen. 



S. fatidui, Skunk-Weed, or Skunk-Cabbage, has a large abrupt tuber 

 with numerous crowded fleshy fibres ; the spathe ia precocious, ovate, 

 turgid, various in width, itpotted, and sometimes covered with dull 

 brownish purple; the spadix is oval, on a short peduncle covered with 

 perfect tetrandrous flowers, and of the same colour as tho spatho. It 

 has 4 fleshy wedge-shsped sepals, truncate at the top, and edges 

 inflated ; the 4 stamens are opposite the sepals, with subulate fila- 

 ments equal in length to the calyx. When the spathe decays, the 

 spadix continues to grow, and every part of the plant, excepting the 

 anthers. Within the spadix at the base of each style is a round fleshy 

 seed as large as a pea, white, tinged with green and purple, and 

 invested with a separate membranous coat, and with a prominent 

 embryo situated in a depression at the top. The leaves spring up 

 some time after the flowers; they are numerous, large, crowded, 

 oblong, heart-shaped, and on long channelled petioles. The plant 

 emits an offensive odour ; its tubers are acrid, but when dried and 

 powdered are antispasmodic. 



(Lindley, flora Mcdica.) 



SY'MPLOCOS (from m^wKoidi, a knitting together), a genus' of 

 Plants belonging to the natural order fityracea. This genus was made 

 the type of a natural order, Symplocinea, by D. Don, which contained 

 only this example. It has a 3-parted half-inferior calyx ; rotate 

 monopetalous 3- 10- parted corolla, imbricate in aestivation ; indefinite 

 stamens inserted iu the lobe of the corolla, with the filaments 

 cuspidate at the apex, and polyadelphous at the base ; erect anthers 

 bursting longitudinally ; 3-5-celled ovary with 4 ovules in each cell 



