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SPA 



SOLENE'LLA. A genus of bivalve con* 

 chifera, established by Sowerby, 

 belonging to the family Arcacea. 



SO'LENITE. A fossil solen. Fragments 

 of solenites are found in the Essex 

 cliffs. 



SOLE^TES. A genus of plants of the 

 Algae tribe, found fossil in the 

 Jurassic or Oolitic rocks. 



SOLFATA'RA. The name of an extinct 

 volcano near Puzzuoli, which con- 

 stantly emits aqueous vapour, and 

 sulphureous and muriatic exhala- 

 tions. The word solfatara is now 

 applied to any volcanic vent emit- 

 ting sulphureous, muriatic, and 

 acid vapours or gases. Solfataras 

 are usually considered as semi- 

 extinct volcanoes, emitting only 

 gaseous exhalations and aqueous 

 vapours; but there can be no 

 certainty that they may not again 

 become active. According to Dr. 

 Daubeny, sulphuretted hydrogen 

 and a small quantity of muriatic 

 acid are contained in the steam 

 which rushes out of the fumeroles 

 at the solfatara near Naples. Sol- 

 fataras, variously modified, are by 

 no means rare in volcanic countries. 



SOLIDU'NGULOUS. (from soltdus, solid, 

 and ungula, a hoof, Lat.) Having 

 the hoof whole and undivided, as 

 in the horse. 



SO'LITABY. (sotitarius, Lat.) 



1 . In botany, applied to peduncles 

 when there is only one on the 

 same plant, or when they stand 

 singly in the same place ; to seeds, 

 when there is only one in a pericarp. 



2. In conchology, applied to a 

 single tooth. 



SO'MMITE. The name given by Jame- 

 son to the mineral called by Haiiy 

 Nepheline, 



SO'RDAWALITE. An earthy mineral of 

 a greyish or bluish-black colour, 

 massive, and without any traces of 

 cleavage. It was first discovered 

 by Nordenskoild, near the town of 

 Sordawala in Finland, whence its 

 name. 



SPALACOTHE'EITTM. A genus of fossil 

 mammifers, of the upper oolite 

 beds, and so named by Prof. Owen. 



SPAR, (spathy Germ, spath, Fr. terme 

 de mineralogie, emprunte de VAlle- 

 mand. Quelques uns disent,^ spar.} 

 In mineralogy, a name given to 

 those earths which easily break 

 into rhomboidal, cubical, or lami- 

 nated fragments with polished sur- 

 faces. Spar constitutes the sixth 

 order of the second class in the 

 natural history system of mineral- 

 ogy. Spar is not metallic; its 

 streak is white, grey, brown, or 

 blue. Hardness from 3*5 to 7*0. 

 Specific gravity from 2-0 to 3'7. As 

 the term spar is applied to stones of 

 different kinds, without any regard 

 to the ingredients of which they 

 are composed, an additional term 

 must necessarily be employed to 

 express the constituent parts as 

 well as the figure; for instance, 

 calcareous spar, gypseous spar, 

 adamantine spar, cubic spar, brown 

 spar, &c. &c. The term spar is 

 sometimes applied to quartz. 



SPA'RRY I'RON. The fer oxide car- 

 bonate of Haiiy ; spath eisenstein 

 of Werner; fer spathique of 

 Brongniart; sparry iron-stone of 

 Jameson; sparry iron-ore of Kir- 

 wan. Carbonate of iron. It is 

 of a yellow, grey, brown, or black 

 colour; occurring crystallised in 

 rhombohedrons, or in laminated 

 and lamellar masses. It is found 

 in metalliferous veins, as well as in 

 common veins, in primary, transi- 

 tion, and secondary rocks. It con- 

 sists principally of protoxide of 

 iron and carbonic acid ; some spe- 

 cimens yielding manganese and 

 lime; others, magnesia, oxide of 

 manganese, and lime, but in very 

 small proportions. Sparry iron is 

 a valuable ore, from the facility 

 with which it may be converted 

 into excellent steel. It is, from 

 the last circumstance, sometimes 

 called steel ore. 



2 G 



