SEA 



from 10 to 12 feet in length, found among 

 the Grecian and Adriatic Islands ; the 

 Elephant Seal, or Ph. leonina, Lin., from 

 20 to 25 feet in length, common in the 

 southern latitudes of the Pacific Ocean, 

 where it constitutes an important object 

 of the fisheries ; the Sea-lion, or Ph. 

 jubata, Gm., from 15 to 20 feet in length, 

 common also in the Pacific Ocean. There 



are other- species. See PHOCA. 2. In 



Gem sculpture, a stamp cut on stone, ca- 

 pable of impressing any soft substance. 



SEALED EARTH Sigillata terra. An 

 old name for medicinal earths, which 

 were made up into cakes, and stamped or 

 sealed. 



SEA.I/INO-WAX, Ger. siegellack. The wax 

 used to seal letters, legal documents, &c. 

 It is composed of gum-lac, and resin, 

 coloured with some pigment, as ver- 

 milion, verditer, ivory-black, &c. 



SEA-LION. A name given by Steller, 

 Pernetty, and others, to a large species 

 of seal, the Phoca jubata, Gm. See SEAL 

 and OTTA.R. 



SEAMS. The spaces between the edges 

 of planks. In geology, thin layers which 

 separate thicker strata. 



SEA-MAID. Another name of the Du- 

 gong. See HALICORE. 



SEA-MOSS. A name common to the 

 Conferva rupestris and the Curallina offiei- 



SEA-HEED'LE. Another name of the 

 Gar-fish, or Gar. See Esox. 



SEA-NET'TLE. Another name of the 

 Sea-anemone. 



SEA-OAK. The Fiteus vesiculosus ; called 

 also Sea -wrack, and Bladder- wrack. 

 "When burned in the air it yields the 

 black powder known as vegetable ethiopt. 



SEA-ON'ION. The Scillamaritima. 



SEA-OT'TER. The Miutela lutris, Lin., 

 a species of otter, nearly double the size 

 of the European species ; its blackish vel- 

 Tet fur is highly valued, and, to obtain it, 

 the English and Russians hunt the animal 

 throughout the northern parts of the 

 Pacific Ocean. 



SEA-PERCH. Another name of the 

 Bass (Labrax lupus, Cuv. and Yarr.), but 

 placed by Linn6 in the genus Perca. 



SEA-PIKE. Another name of the Gar- 

 fish. 



SEARCH WAH'KAST. In law, a grant 

 made by a justice of the peace to search 

 for stolen goods, on the oath of a credible 

 witness. 



SEA-ROC'KET. In botany, a name com- 

 mon to the Cakile maritima, an indige- 

 nous annual plant, and the several 

 species of the genus malcomia (q. v.). 



SEA-SALT. Chloride of sodium obtained 

 by evaporation of sea- water. 



SEA-SER'PEST. An enormous marine 

 fcerpent, said to have been seen frequently 

 on the coasts of America. Its existence, 



9 SEC 



however, is at present doubtful ; though 

 there is certainly no physical impossibility 

 standing in the way of that exUtence. 



SEA-SICK'NESS. An intense nausea, with 

 violent retching, which varies in respect 

 to duration in different persons upon 

 their first going to sea, and which seems 

 to arise from a depressing effect upon the 

 brain, produced by the motion of the 

 vessel. The only remedy for it is to lie 

 perfectly still with the head low. 



SEA-SWAL'LOW. A name common to 

 the Terns, (see STERNA), derived from 

 their long and pointed wings, and their 

 forked tail, which render their flight and 

 carriage analogous to those of the swal- 

 lows. 



SEA-U'NICORN. The Karichal. 



SEA-UR'CHIN. See ECHINUS. 



SEBA'CEOUS, from sebum, suet; suety. 

 Applied to glands which secrete a suety 

 humour ; and also to the matter secreted. 



SEBAC'IC ACID. Acid of suet (sebum) 

 obtained by distilling tallow, and agita- 

 ting the product in boiling water. It 

 crystallises, from its boiling aqueous solu- 

 tions, in white needles having a pearly 

 lustre. It is destitute of taste and smell. 



SECA'LE. Rye. A genus of gramineous 

 plants. TnandriaDigynia. Name ac- 

 cording to De Theis, from Celtic sepal, 

 from sega, a sickle, whence seges, the 

 Latin appellation of all grain that is 

 reaped with sickles. There are two spe- 

 cies, the 6'. cereale, an annual, which af- 

 fords the rye-corn, so valuable as a bread- 

 corn in some parts; and the S. cor nut um, 

 a biennial, which affords the medicinal 

 poison called ergot of rye. 



SE'CANT, Lat. secans, from seco, to cut 

 In geometry, a term sometimes used to 

 denote a line which cuts any other what- 

 ever ; in a more restricted sense, it may 

 be defined a right line cutting a curve , 

 but in its most common received sense, it 

 is a right line cutting a circle. In tri- 

 T gonotnetry, a se- 

 lj cant implies a 

 right line A B 

 drawn from the 

 centre of a circle, 

 which, cutting 

 the circumfer- 

 ence, proceeds till it meets another right 

 line, which isa tangent to the same circle. 



SECE'DERS. In Scotland, a numerous 

 body of presbyterians, who seceded from 

 the established church, about 1733. 



SEC'OND. The sixtieth part of a minute 

 of time or of a degree : an hour is divided 

 into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 

 seconds; a degree is in like manner di- 

 vided into 60 minutes, and each minute 

 into CO seconds. 2. In MUSIC, an inter- 

 val of a conjoint degree, bein;; the rtiffc''- 

 ence between any sound and the noa:ctt 

 sound, above or below it. 



