S P L 



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S P 



SPLE'NDENT. (splendens, shining, Lat. 

 splendente, It.) 1. In mineralogy, a 

 term applied to metals as regards 

 their degree of lustre. A mineral 

 is splendent when perceptible in 

 full day-light at a great distance, 

 as in highly polished metals. 

 2. Applied to any colour which 

 possesses a metallic splendour. 



SPLENT COAL. } An impure variety of 



SPLINT COAL. ) cannel coal, occur- 

 ring in Scotland. 



SPLI'NTEEY. In mineralogy, a term 

 applied to a particular fracture of 

 minerals. The fracture is called 

 splintery when the surface, pro- 

 duced by breaking a mineral, is 

 nearly even, but exhibits little 

 splinters or scales, somewhat thick- 

 er at one extremity than the other, 

 and still adhering to the surface by 

 their thicker extremities. 



SpLfNTEEY HOENSTONE. The Splittri- 



ger Hornstein of Werner. Splin- 

 tery hornstone is a subspecies of 

 hornstone, occurring both massive 

 and crystallized. It is infusible, 

 per se, before the blow-pipe. Its 

 colours are various, principally 

 grey, red, and green. For a fur- 

 ther description, see Hornstone. 



SPO'DTJMENE. (from O-TTO^OW, Gr. in 

 cinerem redigo.) The Triphane of 

 Haiiy ; Spodumene of D' Andrada. 

 A rare mineral of a greenish-white 

 or gray colour ; occurring massive, 

 and in large granular concretions. 

 Spodumene has been found in the 

 iron-mine of TJton, in Sweden, and 

 in primary rocks in Ireland. Ac- 

 cording to the analysis of Yauque- 

 lin, it consists of silica 64 '4, alu- 

 mina 24'4, potash 5, lime 3, oxide 

 of iron 2'2. 



SPO'NDYLTJS. A genus of rough, 

 slightly- eared, inequivalved, ma- 

 rine, bivalves, with unequal beaks ; 

 hinge with two recurved teeth, se- 

 parated by a small hollow. Spon- 

 dyli are found only in the ocean, 

 attached to rocks, corals, &c. : they 

 are remarkable for their spines, and 



the richness of colouring of the 

 shells. They are eaten like oysters. 

 Lamarck has described one spe- 

 cies as occurring fossil in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Paris, and very fine 

 fossils are found in Tuscany. 



SPONGE, (anoxia, Gr. spongia, Lat. 

 eponge, Fr. spiigna, It.) This word 

 is pronounced, and frequently writ- 

 ten, spunge. A porous marine 

 substance found adhering to rocks, 

 formerly supposed to be a vegetable 

 production, but now classed among 

 the zoophytes: it is soft, light, 

 porous, and easily compressible, 

 readily imbibing fluids, and there- 

 by distending. " The existence of 

 fossil sponge in the transition or in 

 the mountain limestone," says Par- 

 kinson, "has not been ascertained, 

 or in the different beds of the lias 

 formation ; but the tenuity, in ge- 

 neral, of its substance^ and the 

 nature of the matrices in which it 

 has been sought, may perhaps oc- 

 casion its concealment." 



SPO'NGIFOEM QUAETZ. The name given 

 to a white or grey, porous, variety 

 of quartz, so light as to swim on 

 water, and called also Floatstone. 



SPONG'IADJE. An order of the class 

 Astomata, sub-kingdom Protozoa, 

 and divided by Pictet into three 

 families; Spongidse, Clionidse, and 

 Petrospongidas. 



SPO'NGIOLE. In botany, an organ 

 situated at the extremity of the 

 root, and thus named from its 

 peculiar texture. It is by the 

 spongioles that plants are enabled 

 to absorb. They are constructed of 

 common cellular spongy tissue, and 

 they imbibe the fluids which are 

 in contact with them, partly by 

 capillary action, and partly, also, 

 by a hygroscopic power. 



SPO'EULE. (from aTropa, a seed, Gr.) 

 The organ of reproduction in cryp- 

 togamic plants. Ferns are increased 

 by minute bodies, called sporules ; 

 these are produced either on the 

 backs, or in the axillse of the fronds, 



