STREPTOPUS SUS. 



731 



tringas, and some other birds of the family which 

 find their food by ranging about over the surface, 

 and not by turning over the pebbles. These birds 

 are in motion on their feet for the greater part of 

 their time, and do not readily take the wing. The 

 turnstones again will often remain at the same spot for 

 a considerable time, stirring about the small pebbles 

 with the greatest assiduity. When they shift their 

 ground from one stony patch to another, they gene- 

 rally use the wing ; and thus they are more ready to 

 take the wing in case of alarm, than most of their 

 neighbours. 



STREPTOPUS (Michaux). A genus of very 

 pretty herbaceous perennials, natives of Europe and 

 North America. The flowers are hexandrous, and 

 the plants belong to Smilaceee. The species affect a 

 light sandy soil, and are increased by division of the 

 root, or bv seeds. 



STROPHANTHUS (De Candolle). A genus 

 of curious evergreen shrubs, natives of China and 

 Sierra Leone. The flowers are pentandrous, and the 

 genus belongs to Apvcyncee. These plants do well 

 with the ordinary stove management. 



STRUMARI A (Jacquin). A genus of Cape bul- 

 bous plants, belonging to Amaryltidece. These bulbs 

 require to be planted in light sandy heath mould, 

 and watered only when growing. 



STRUTHIOLA (Linnaeus). A genus of slender 

 growing shrubs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 The flowers are tetrandrous, and the genus belongs 

 to Thymclece. The different species do well in the 

 greenhouse, affect light peat-earthy soil, and are pro- 

 pasated by cuttings. . 



STRYCHNEJ3. A small but remarkable natural 

 order of tropical trees, containing three genera, viz., 

 Theophrcut*, Strychnot, and Fraereea. They are 

 allied to Apocynsae, and several of them are fright- 

 fully poisonous. The S. mix voinica, or ratsbane, is 

 well known ; it is not only fatal if introduced into the 

 stomach, but equally so if injected into an open 

 wound. The inflorescence of the order is terminal, 

 solitary or aggregate, racemose or paniculate, the 

 flowers regular, symmetrical, and united ; the calyx 

 is free, persistent, and five-cleft ; the corolla below 

 the germen, deciduous, five-cleft, and often with ap- 

 pendages in the throat, and contorted ; the stamens 

 are definite, five, rarely more or less, and seated on 

 the corolla, alternating, with its segments equal to 

 them in number, and opposite the lobes of the calyx ; 

 the filaments are mostly free in one subtype the 

 Apocynidce, and mostly connate in the Stapelida; ; 

 anthers two-celled, pollen granulate, the styles two, 

 and stigma simple. The species of the several genera 

 in our collections, especially the Theophrastas, are 

 fine showy plants, and succeed well with the ordinary 

 stove treatment. Cuttings not divested of their leaves 

 strike root readily in sand. 



STUARTIA (Cavanille). A deciduous tree, 

 native of Virginia, bearing handsome monadelphous 

 flowers, and belonging to Tcrnstrcemiacece. This plant 

 is frequent in shrubberies, and is increased by layers 

 in peat-earth. 



STYLIDE^E. A natural order, containing as yet 

 only one genus, viz., Stylidium, a native of New 

 Holland, of which there are several species, either 

 herbs or half shrubby plants. " They have pink- 

 coloured flowers, ornamented with glittering glands ; 

 their stamens are united in a column, which is ter- 

 minated by a sessile stigma, and which is irritable in 



so high a degree, that if touched by a pin, it instantly 

 starts from its place with great elasticity." They are 

 propagated by seeds or cuttings, and require a moor- 

 earthy soil. The leaves are alternate, simple, and 

 entire, and without stipules ; the inflorescence is ter- 

 minal, and either solitary, spicate, or racemose ; the 

 tube of the calyx is attached to the germen, three- 

 parted, bilobiate or regular, and persistent ; the co- 

 rolla is synpetalous, with the limb variously cleft ; 

 the stamens are two filaments united with the stvle ; 

 the anthers one or two celled ; the style in one with 

 the filaments, and the stigma, which is simple or bifid, 

 is enclosed by the anthers. 



STYLOPS 'Kirby). See STREPSIPTERA. 



STYLOSANTHES (Swartz). A genus of herbs 

 and under shrubs, natives of South America, having 

 monadelphous flowers, and belonging to Leguniinosce. 

 The species require a light loamy soil, and are pro- 

 pagated by cuttings. 



STYPHELIA (Dr. R. Brown). A genus of 

 evergreen shrubs from New South Wales, belonging 

 to Epacride<E. They are favourite greenhouse plants, 

 and succeed with the ordinary treatment of plants 

 from the same quarter. 



STYPTANDRA (Dr. R. Brown). A genus of 

 herbaceous perennials, natives of New Holland, be- 

 longing to the sixth class of Linnsan botany, and to 

 the natural order Asphodeliete. These plants are nearly 

 hardy enough to bear our winter if planted in a warm 

 border, and allowed a little covering in hard frosts. 



STYRACINE^E. A natural order containing 

 only two, but rather remarkable genera, viz., Styrax 

 and Halesia. The species, of which there are seven, 

 are elegant trees with white flowers, natives of North 

 America. The S. officinale affords the useful gum 

 imported into this country from Turkey ; and in this 

 country the Styrax arrives at a tree-like size, and is 

 one of the most odoriferous of plants, especially after 

 rain. The Halesia is the well-known snowdrop-tree, 

 a hardy inmate of our shrubberies. They are in- 

 creased by layers. 



SUNDEW, is Drosera rotundifolia of Linnaeus, a 

 British plant found in bogs. The flowers are pen- 

 tandrous, and the genus gives a title to a natural 

 order, namely, Droseracece. 



SUS The hog, or rather perhaps Suidte, the hog 

 family. A genus or group of pachydermatous mam- 

 malia, differing much, in most of their characters, 

 from all the rest of that very singular class ; they 

 have cloven feet, or only two fully developed toes, 

 the same as the greater part of the ruminating ani- 

 mals, and they are the only pachydermata that are 

 miscellaneous in their feeding, the others being exclu- 

 sively vegetable, and subsisting chiefly upon strong 

 and harsh vegetation, though most of them prefer 

 more delicate food if they can obtain it. The hogs 

 are also chiefly vegetable in their feeding, but they 

 prefer succulent vegetables, especially wild fruits and 

 roots, though, when other food fails, they can subsist 

 upon almost any kind of garbage. 



The common characters of the group, which are, 

 of course, most descriptive of the hogs properly so 

 called, as being the typical and by far the most im- 

 portant division, are as follows : Four or six cutting 

 teeth in the upper jaw, and always six in the under; 

 two canines in each jaw, and twenty-four or twenty- 

 eight cheek teeth in all ; the lower incisors are 

 pointed obliquely upward and forward, and the upper 

 ones are conical, so that this part of the mouth is 



