ST A 



c!78 



ST A 



and produced by the percolation and drip- 

 ping of water holding in solution, or su- 

 per-saturated with, carbonate of lime. 

 The mode of formation of a stalactite 

 resembles that of an icicle. 



STALAG'MITE, from ara.\a,ytM>s, a drop- 

 ping. A concretion of carbonate of 

 lime, originating from the same cause as 

 stalactite, but formed upon the floor of 

 a cavern or grotto, by the dropping of the 

 lime-water from the roof, which, under 

 these circumstances, is usually covered 

 with stalactites. It sometimes happens, 

 that the stalactites increasing downwards, 

 and the stalagmites increasing upwards, 

 the two become united, and form a co- 

 lumn extending from the floor to the roof. 

 Some caverns have been completely filled 

 in this manner, and present a solid mass 

 of carbonate of lime, which in some in- 

 stances, as at Carrara, has been placed 



among the finer marbles. 2. The name 



of a genus of plants. Polygamia Monce- 

 cia. The species yield a sort of bastard 

 gamboge ; whence the name from rrtt- 

 }.a-yu.o;, distillation, the gum escaping as 

 if by distillation. 



STALK, stem, Lat. caulis and scapus. 

 1. That part of a plant rising immediately 

 from the root, and which usually supports 

 the leaves, flowers, and fruit. The culm 

 is the stalk of grasses. 2. In architec- 

 ture, an ornament resembling a stalk, in 

 the Corinthian capital, from which the 

 volutes spring. 



STALK'ING. A sporting-term, applied to 

 a kind of screen (which is sometimes a 

 horse), to hide the sportsman till he gets 

 within shot. 



STALL. In church rituals, the seat of a 

 dignified clergyman in the choir. 



STALL' AGE. A duty paid for being per- 

 mitted to set up a stall, in a fair or market. 



STA'MEN. The male organ of plants, 

 found generally with the corolla near the 

 pistil, consisting of two parts, the fila- 

 ment and the anther. The plural is 

 stamens or stamina. 



STAM'INA. 1. A term applied in physi- 

 ology and pathology to the degree of 

 strength and vigour in the constitution. 



2. The simple original particles which 



exist in the embryo or seed, by whose 

 augmentation the animal is subsequently 



s, Lat. staminiferut, sta- 

 men-bearing. Applied to flowers and 

 florets which contain one or more sta- 

 mens and no pistils. 



STAMP. 1. Any instrument for making 

 impressions by pressure or mere force on 

 other bodies; also the impression so 



made. 2. A kind of large pestle for 



stamping or pounding or beating ores, 



kr. 3. A paper or parchment, on which 



tax is paid. 



STAMP'-DDTIES. A general name tor 

 all those taxes which benr evidence of 

 the payment in the stamp impressed on 

 the paper, or parchment. Most legal 

 instruments are drawn on stamps, that is 

 paper or parchment which has paid a 

 certain amount of tax. 



STAMP'ING MILL. A machine in which 

 ores are pounded by means of a stamp. 



STAS'CHIONS. The sea term for up- 

 right supports in general. 



STAND. A sea term, used variously. 

 A sail stands well or ill ; a ship stands on 

 her course ; and so on. 



STAN'DARD. 1. An ensign of war : a 



staff with a flag or colours. 2. That 



which is established by a competent 

 power, as a rule or model, as standard 



weights and measures. 3. In coinage, 



the proportion of weight of pure metal 

 and of alloy established by authority. 

 Our standard for gold and silver coins 



is j . 4. In ship-building, an inverted 



knee placed upon the deck, instead of 

 beneath it, with its inverted branch 

 turned upward from that which lies 



horizontally. 5. In botany, the upper 



petal of a papilionaceous corolla, called 

 also the banner. 



STAN'N ARIES. Tin-mines and works: 

 from stannum, tin. 



STAN'NIC ACID. A name which has 

 been given to the peroxide of tin (stan 

 num), because it is soluble in acids. 



STAS'ZA (Italian). 1. Inpoetry, a num- 

 ber of lines or verses, connected witii 

 each other, and ending in a full-point or 

 pause ; a part of a poem containing every 

 variation of measure or relation in that 



poem. 2. In architecture, an apartment 



or division in a building. 



STAPES. A stirrup, in quo pes stat. The 

 name of a bone of the internal ear, and 

 somewhat like a stirrup. 



STAPHTLO'MA, ) Lat. from trrat^vXri, a 



STAPHYLO'SIS. ' gripe. A disease of the 

 eye-ball in which the cornea loses its 

 natural transparency, rises above the 

 level of the eye, and successively even 

 projects beyond the eye-lids in the form 

 of an elongated whitish tumour, which 

 is attended with a total loss of sight. 



STAPH'YSINE A solid substance, of an 

 alkaline nature, and an exceedingly acrid 

 taste, obtained from Delphinium staphy- 

 sagria or stavesacre, a biennial plant, 

 which grows plentifully in the south of 

 Europe. 



STA'PLE, Sax. ttapel, stapul, a stake. 

 1. In commerce, a settled mart or mar- 

 ket ; an emporium. Formerly the king's 

 staple was established in certain ports or 

 towns ; and certain goods could not be 

 exported without being first brought to 

 these ports to be rated, and charged with 

 the duties payable to the crowr. Ilen-.t 



