SPHEX 



310 



SPONGILLA 



chiefly hydrated silicate of aluminum, named 



from occurring in globular masses. 

 Sphex, (sfeks). [Gk. sphex, wasp.] An insect 



belonging to Hymenoptera. 

 Sphincter, (sfingk'ter). [Gk. sphigkter, clasp.] 



S. muscles: those which contract and close 



apertures; such as the mouth, eyes, &c. 

 Sphingidse, (sfin'ji-de). [Sphinx, q.v. ; Gk. 



eulos, form.]=!5phiux-iuoth8 : a family of 



crepuscular insects, belonging to Lepidoptera. 

 Sphinx, (sfingks). [The Latin name. ] Hornet 



moth, &c., the typo of Sphingidie, q.v. S. 



atropus: death's head hawk-moth. 

 Sphygmograph, (sfig'm6-graf). [Gk. sphygmos, 



pulse; yrapho, I write.) An instrument to 



write pulse waves, on smoked glass or paper, 



so as to show the character of the pulse. 

 Sphyrsena, (sfi-ro'na). A fish belonging to 



Percidse. 

 Spica, (spi'ka). [L. spica, spike.]=a Virginia, 



the chief star in the constellation Virgo. 

 Spicula, (spik'u-la). [L. spicula, small thorn.] 



Any small hard organic substance having a 



pointed form. 

 Spider, (spi'der). [Spinner.] Epeira diadema: 



an aniniiil belonging to Araneida, q.v.; also 



called Tegeneria domestica. S. cra6=Maia. 



6'. i)ufw=GanasidaB. S. wonJley=Ateles. S. 



orc/<t=Ophrys araneifera. <S'. tcorto=Cotu- 



Tuelynacete. 

 Spiders, (spi'dgrz). [Spider, g.r.]=Araneida, 



q.v. Sea S.=Pantopoda. 

 Spiegeleisen. (spe-je-li'sen). [The German 



name.] Mirror iron: a hard fusible vari.-ty 



of cast-iron containing a large percentage of 



manganese. 

 Spigelia, (spl-j6li-a). [Spigelius, a Belgian 



botanist.] Worm-grass: a plant, the type of 



Spigeliacete. 

 Spigehaceae, (spi-jel-i-a'se-S). [Spigelia, q.v.] 



A family of American, plan ts= Logan iaceaj, 



q.v. 



Spigelian. S. lobe: in the liver. 

 Spignel=Meum, q.v. 

 Spike, (spik). [L. spica, ear of corn.] S. horn 



5cA:=CervuB Virginianus: has a very sharp 



horn. S. infloreience : in which the flowers 



are sessile, on a common axis, as in grasses. 

 Spikenard = Nardostachys jatamansi, q.v. 



Ploughman's .=lnula conyza. 

 Spinach, (spin'aj)=Spinacia, q.v. 

 Spinacia, (spi-na'shi-a). [The Latin name.] 



A plant belonging to Chenopodiacese. S. 



o(fracea=:Gardeu spinach. 

 Spinal, (spin'al). [L. spina, thorn.] Related 



to the spine. S. cord: of soft grey substance, 



extending from the brain to the lumbar 



region. S. nerves, branching from the spinal 



cord. 



Spinax, (spi'naks). A fish belonging to Squa- 

 lid* ; also called Piked dog-fish. 

 Spindle, (spin'dl). [Spindle, the A.-S. word.] 



=Shaft, especially when of small size. S. tree 



Euonymus, q.v. S. trees=Celastracea3, q.v. 

 Spine, (spin). [L. spina, thorn). l.=Back- 



bone, q.v. 2. Sharp projections, as of the 



sterna of some plants. 

 Spinel, (spinel). [Spindle, the French word.] 



A mineral, crystallising in cubes, chiefly 



aluminate of magnesia, the purer varieties 



of which are valuable for ornameiit. 



Spinning. The process by which the short 



fibres of wool, cotton, flax, &c., are twisted 

 into long threads. 



Spiracle, (spi'ra-kl). [Spiraculum, the Latin 

 word.] Side openings of the tracheal tubes 

 in insects. 



Spiraea, (spi-re'a). [Gk. speira, cord.] A plant 

 belonging to Rosace. S. ulmaria ^Meadow- 

 sweet. Oil o/S.=Salicyl hydride. 



Spiral, (spi'ral). [Spire, q.v.] A curve which 

 winds, screw-like, round 

 an axis. S. wheel: one 

 of which the teeth are 

 inclined to the axis. 



Spiranthes.(spi-ran'thez). 

 [Gk. tpeira, twist; an- 

 thos, flower.) = Lady's 

 tresses: a plant belong- 

 ing to Orchidacese. 



Spire, (spir). [Spira, the Spiral-wheel. 

 Latin word.) The termination of a tower, 

 when tapering. 



Spirifer, (spl'ri-f?r). [L. tpira, coil; J era, I 

 bear.) A genus of Brachiopoda, found in 

 Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian rocks. 



Spirit, (spi'rit). [L. spiritus, breath of life.] 

 1.= Alcohol. 2. A general term for essence, 

 and for any substance capable of being puri- 

 fied by distillation. S. level: a tube nearly 

 filled with spirit, the remaining space being 

 filled by a small quantity of air, which is at 

 the centre of the top, when the tube is hori- 

 zontal. Wood S. =Methyl : alcohol. 



Spirting cucumber ^Elateriuin agreste=Mo- 

 mordica elaterium. 



Spittle. A secretion of the salivary glands. 



Splachnum, (splak'num). [Gk. splachnon, 

 moss.]=Gland-mo88 : a plant belonging to 

 Mosses. 



Splanchna- (splangk'na). [Gk. tplagchnon, 

 entrail.] Relating to the alimentary canal. 



Spleen, (splen). [Splen, the Latin name.]= 

 Milt: a kidney-shaped red body near the 

 stomach, the use of which is, possibly, the pro- 

 duction of the white corpuscles of the blood. 



Spleen-wort=Asplenium, q.v. 



Splenic, (splen'ik). [Spleen, q.v.] Related to 

 the spleen. S. artery: supplies the spleen 

 with blood direct from the aorta. S. vein: 

 conveys the blood from the spleen to the 

 liver, through the vena portse. 



Split mossesr=Andr8eacea5, q.v. 



Spodumene, (spod'Q-inen). [Gk. apodos, ashes.] 

 A mineral, chiefly silicate of aluminum. 



Sponge, (spunj). [Spongia, q.v.] v. Spongida. 

 S. <:/= Dromia. 



Spongia, (spun'ji-a). [The Latin name.] The 

 typical genus of Spongida, q.v. 



Spongiaria, (spun-ji-fi'ri-a). [Spongia, q.v.] 

 Used for sponges by Milne-Edwards. 



Spongida, (spun'ji-da). [Gk. spoggos, sponge.] 

 fcjpongiadte^Sponges: a division of Protozoa; 

 gelatinous, marine and fresh-water, animals, 

 traversed by numerous canals, and usually 

 extended over fibrous siliceous skeletons, 

 divided into horny, flinty, and limy sponges. 



Spongilla, ( spuu-jil'la ). [Sponjia, q.v.] = 



