SLING 



5407 



SLOE 



cial interest because of their resemblance to 

 minute animals. In fact, they have been de- 

 scribed as belonging both to the animal and 

 to the vegetable kingdoms. The spores germi- 

 nate in moist soils and in humus, forming a 

 simple cell with a single, slender, hairlike at- 

 tachment, by means of which they move about. 

 Later they lose the projection, and the cells 

 unite in a common mass which has the appear- 

 ance of mold. The cells take a variety of 

 forms in the process of development. The 

 masses are frequently found on stumps and 

 bark. The largest of them may be several 

 inches square, but they are usually much 

 smaller. 



SLING, a weapon of very ancient origin, for 

 throwing stones or other missiles. It is prob- 

 ably the most ancient of all weapons for in- 

 creasing the force of projectiles. In its simplest 

 form it consists of a leather or hide strap, to 

 each end of 

 which is fastened 

 a string. The 

 stone to be 

 thrown is placed 

 on the strap, and 

 the operator 

 holds the two 

 cords in his hand. 

 Whirling the sling 

 rapidly round his 

 head to attain 

 velocity, he re- 

 leases one end, 

 and the stone or 

 other missile is 

 discharged with 

 the initial ve- 

 locity at which 

 the sling is 

 whirled at the TWO KINDS OP SLINGS 

 moment of release. This simple form is the 

 oldest form of sling known, it having come 

 down the centuries practically unchanged. 



There are many allusions to slings in the 

 Bible, the most familiar reference being to the 

 slaying of Goliath by David with a stone (7 

 Samuel XVII, 49). It is also recorded that 250 

 slingers of the Benjamites "could sling stones 

 at an hair breadth and not miss" (Judges XX, 

 16). 



The ancient inhabitants of the Balearic Is- 

 lands were famed for skill with the sling, 

 and its use was of great value to the armies of 

 Egypt, Greece and Rome. In the Middle Ages 

 slings attached to a staff were used to hurl big 



stones against fortifications and castles. This 

 sling was hurled with both hands and the size 

 of the stone was limited only by the strength 

 and skill of the slinger. In the ordinary one- 

 hand sling the stone was "the size of a man's 

 fist." 



Sling Shot. In America a small hand cata- 

 pult (which see) is called a sling shot, or sling, 

 and is made by fastening elastic bands on the 

 two ends of a forked stick. At the other ends 

 of the elastics is a leather pouch in which is 

 stone or small bullet is placed. The fork is 

 held in one hand and with the other hand the 

 elastic is stretched, the thumb and first finger 

 holding the missile in place. Suddenly released, 

 the elastic is projected with great force. In 

 most cities the use of slings is forbidden. Par- 

 tridges, small birds, rabbits and squirrels are 

 easy prey to an expert in the use of this simple 

 catapult. 



Bola. This is a kind of sling used in many 

 South American countries. It consists t)f three 

 to six small stones or bullets securely fastened 

 to the ends of an equal number of strings about 

 two and a half feet long. The ends without 

 weights are tied together. The slinger holds 

 the tied end and whirls the bullets round his 

 head. When let go into the air the bullets 

 separate and frequently succeed in entangling 

 legs of animals or wings of birds at which they 

 are thrown. In some South American countries 

 the bola consists of only one rope about six 

 feet long with a weight at each end. F.ST.A. 



SLIPPERWORT, slip'erwurt, sometimes 

 called pocket flower, is a low, shrubby, ever- 

 green plant whose blossoms have something the 

 shape of a pouch or slipper. The flowers are 

 abundant and showy, ranging in color from 

 creamy-white to yellow, maroon or crimson, 

 often spotted with darker shades, and are sel- 

 dom marked alike on two different plants. 

 The foliage leaves are large, close-growing and 

 feltlike. Twelve inches is the usual height of 

 the dwarfed variety of slipperwort, the taller 

 species often reaching eighteen inches. All 

 species are natives of South America, but sev- 

 eral are cultivated in hothouses and gardens in 

 America. 



SLOE, slo, a spiny, branching shrub, related 

 to the plum and found in Europe, Central 

 Asia and on the mountains in the southern and 

 eastern parts of the United States and South- 

 eastern Canada. It has pure-white blossoms, 

 which appear before the leaves and later give 

 place to small, black fruit, about the size of a 

 pea. The latter are used for making wine. 



