SCI 



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SEC 



Brongniart ; the Schorlous beryll of Jame- 

 son. A mineral of a straw colour, occur- 

 ing at Altenburg, in Saxony, in a rock of 

 quartz and mica. 



SCI'ENCE. (from scientia, knowledge, Lat. 

 science, Fr. sienza, It.) The knowledge 

 of many, orderly and methodically ar- 

 ranged and digested, so as to become 

 attainable by one. The knowledge of 

 reasons and their conclusions constitutes 

 abstract, that of causes and their effects, 

 and of the laws of nature ; natural science. 



SCITAMI'NE^E. One of Linnseus's natural 

 orders of plants ; they are all natives of 

 warm climates : the ginger, plantain, &c. 

 are examples. 



SCITAMI'NEOUS. Belonging to the order 

 Scitaininese. Scitamineous plants have 

 been found fossil in the strata of the Isle 

 of Sheppey. 



SCLERO'TICA. ) (from <TK\rjpoG, hard, Gr.) 



SCLERO'TIC. $ The outermost coat, tunic, 

 or membrane of the eye. It is exceed- 

 ingly dense and firm, and does not pass 

 over more than about four-fifths of the 

 ball of the eye, its place in front being 

 supplied by a transparent membrane, the 

 cornea, to permit the passage of light. 



SCO'PIFORM. (from scopa, a besom, and 

 forma, form, Lat.) Of the form of a 

 besom or broom. 



SCORBI'CULATE. In conchology, pitted ; 

 having the surface covered with hollows. 



SCORBI'CULUS. A depression or cavity. 



SCO'RIA. (ffKwpia, Gr. scoria, Lat.) The 

 dross or scum of metals ; the cinders of 

 volcanic eruptions (then used plurally, 

 scoriae) ; the recrementitious matter of 

 metals in a state of fusion. 



SCORIA'CEOUS. Resembling scoria ; con- 

 taining scoria. 



SCO'RIFIED. Reduced to scoria or dross. 



SCO'RIFORM. Having the form, shape, or 

 external appearance of scoria. 



SCO'RIOUS. Drossy ; cindery ; excremen- 

 titious. 



SCORPION. (<TKop7r/o, Gr. scorpius, Lat. 

 scorpion, Fr. scorpio, It. scorpion, Germ.) 

 A genus of arachnidans, belonging to the 

 family Pedipalpi, order Pulmonariae. The 

 scorpion is remarkable, not only for the 

 powerful organs by the aid of which it 

 is able to seize its prey, but also for its 

 jointed tail, terminating in a deadly sting. 

 The palpi are very large, with a forceps 

 at the extremity resembling a hand ; the 

 tail is composed of six joints, the last 

 joint terminating in an arcuated and ex- 

 ceedingly acute point or sting, which 

 allows the exit of a poisonous fluid con- 

 tained in an internal reservoir. The 

 scorpion is provided, on each side of the 

 thorax, with four pulmonary cavities, into 

 each of which air is admitted by a sepa- 

 rate external opening. The eyes are 



compound, accompanied by stemmata. 

 A fossil scorpion has been discovered by 

 Count Sternberg in the ancient coal for- 

 mation at Chorale, near Radnitz. 



SCROBI'CULATED. (scrobiculus, fromttcrobs, 

 a furrow, Lat. ) Furrowed ; having small 

 ridges and furrows. 



SCRU'BSTONE. A provincial term for a 

 species of calciferous sandstone. 



SCU'TUM. (scutum, Lat. a shield or buck- 

 ler.) A species of Echinite. The name 

 given by Klein to the third section of the 

 class of Catocysti ; the scutum of Klein 

 is the Echinanthus of Leske. 



SE'CONDARY. (from secundus, Lat. secon- 

 daire, Fr.) Succeeding to the first. 



SE'CONDARY FORMA'TIONS.^ Bysecondary 



SE'CONDARY STRATA. }> are meant 



SE'CONDARY ROCKS. ) those stra- 



tified rocks older than the tertiary, which 

 contain distinct organic remains, and 

 which sometimes pass into the strata 

 commonly called primary. The principal 

 groups of the secondary formations, be- 

 ginning with the uppermost and descend- 

 ing, are as follows: 1. The cretaceous 

 group, beginning with the Maestricht 

 beds, and terminating in the lower green 

 sand. 2. The wealden group, commenc- 

 ing with the weald clay, and closing with 

 the Purbeck beds ; this group is a fresh- 

 water deposit. 3. The oolite, or Jura 

 limestone group, beginning with the Port- 

 land beds and ending with the inferior 

 oolite. 3. The lias group. 4. The new 

 red sandstone group, commencing with 

 the Keaper and ending in the red con- 

 glomerate. 5. The carboniferous group, 

 comprising the coal measures, the moun- 

 tain limestone, and the old red sandstone. 

 6. The graywacke group. 



Some authors, however, subdivide the 

 secondary formations as thus described, 

 separating the transition rocks and coal 

 measures, and making the secondary rocks 

 terminate with those formations that 

 cover the transition rocks and the coal 

 measures. The secondary strata cover a 

 large portion of the habitable globe, and 

 are the immediate subsoil of the most 

 fertile districts in Europe. The secondary 

 strata are composed of extensive beds of 

 sand and sandstone, mixed occasionally 

 with pebbles, and alternating with de- 

 posits of clay, and marl, and limestone. 

 Six substances are interstratified in this 

 system : arenaceous, argillaceous, and 

 calcareous rocks form the principal 

 masses, and are associated with beds of 

 chert, iron-stone, and coal. In colour, 

 these rocks are white, brown, grey, green, 

 yellow, or red. It is no small proof of 

 design, says Prof. Buckland, in the ar- 

 rangement of the materials that compose 

 the surface of our globe, that whereas 



