94 LITERATURE. 



Sciop'tics (Gr. sldfK, shadow, and optomai, I shall see). — The 

 science of exhibiting images of external objects, received 

 on some extended surface through a double convex glass 

 into a darkened room. 



Spec'troscope. — An optical instrument for forming and ex- 

 amining spectra, particularly those produced by flames in 

 which different substances are volatilized, so as to determine, 

 from the position of the spectral lines, the composition of 

 the substance. 



Spectrum. — The several colored and other rays of which light 

 is composed, separated by the refraction of a prism or other 

 means, and exhibited either as spread out on a screen or 

 by direct vision. 



Spherom'eter (Gr. sphaira, a sphere, and onetron, a measure). 

 — An instrument for measuring the thickness of small 

 bodies, the curvature of optical glasses, etc. 



Tith'onic'ity. — That property of light by which it produces 

 chemical effects. 



TJndulatory Theory. — The theory according to which light is 

 transmitted by the undulations of an elastic medium sup- 

 posed to pervade the universe. 



LITERATURE. 



Lit'erature. — The results of learning, knowledge, and imagina- 

 tion preserved in writing. 



jEne'id. — A heroic poem, written by Virgil, in which jEneas is 

 the hero. 



AnthoI'Dgy (Gr. anthologia, a gathering of flowers). — A selec- 

 tion of poems, or of elegant extracts from authors. 



Ap'ologue. — A story or relation of fictitious events, intended 

 to convey useful truths; a moral fable. 



Autohiog'raphy (Gr. aiitos, self, hioa, life, and ffrapho, I write). 

 — The biography or memoirs of one's life written by one's 

 self. 



Bed'agat. — The name of the sacred books of the Boodhists in 

 Burniah. 



Belles-Lettres. — Polite or elegant literature ; including especi- 

 ally rhetoric, history, poetry, philology, and criticism, with 

 the languages in which the standard works in these depart- 

 ments are written. 



Bib'licism. — Biblical doctrine, learning, or literature. 



