S C I 
SCHOMBURGER; the Oriolus Melancholi- 
cus of LinnfEHS, This bird, which was firO: de- 
fcribed by Edwards, is a native of the Spanifii 
Weft Indies. The bill, which is pretty long and 
thick, is of a dnfl<;y flefh -colour; the eyes are ha- 
zel; and the fides of the head and throat, for a 
iinall fpace above the bill, are black; which co- 
lour extends downv/ards on each fide of the neck 
almoft to the rife of the wings. The top of the 
head, the upper fide of the neck, the back, and 
coverts of the wings, are brown, fpotted v/ith 
black; and the quill-feathers of the wings and tail 
are duf!<y, edged with a bright reddifh brown. 
The whole under-fide, from the throat to the co- 
verts beneath the tail, is of a lively light reddifh 
brown colour; the breaft and belly are fpotted 
with black, the whole plumage being black in the 
middle, and brown round the borders. The legs 
and feet are of a reddifh flefh-colour; and^e 
claws are brown, the hind claw being unufually 
long. 
SCHR AITSER. A Danubian fifti, bearing a 
flrong refemblance to the ruff, or fmall gilded 
pearch. It is commonly about three inches long; 
the tail is bifid; the dorfal fin is compofcd of thirty 
rays, eighteen of which are rigid and prickly, the 
remainder being foft and flexile; the upper jaw 
has a membrane fomev/hat like a lip depending 
from it; and the covertures of the gills terminate 
in a fpine or prickle. The membrane of the 
back-fin is variegated with black fpots. It's gene- 
ral colour is paler than that of the pearch; and 
it's flefli is much efceemed. 
SCIiENA. A diftina genus of fiflies in the 
Linnaean diftribution, of the general order of tho- 
racici: the charafters of which are; that the oper- 
cula of the gills are fcaly ; and that there are fix 
branchioftegous rays, and a groove in the back to 
receive the dorfal fin. The umbra conftitutes 
one fpecies of this genus. 
According to Artedi, the charaflrers of this ge- 
nus are the following. The whole head and co- 
vertures of the gills are fcaly; and one or the la- 
minse of thefe coverings is ferrated at the edge. 
The body is comprefled and broad; the back is 
acute ; the teeth are arranged only in the jaws and 
fauces, the palate and tongue being bare; there is 
only one fin on the back, but it is bifid, and fo 
deeply divided at the middle, that it feems to 
form two; the tail is not forked, but even at the 
extremity; and the appendices of the pylorus are 
feven or eight in number. Five fpecies of this 
genus are found in the Mediterranean. 
The word Sci^na is of Greek origin, and de- 
rived from Skia, Umbra. The genus receives it's 
name from the duflcy, fhadowy colour of it's body. 
SCINCUS, the Skink. A fpecies of lizard, 
•called alfo the land-crocodile, and well known by 
the faculty as an ingredient in feveral compofi- 
tions. It refembles the fmaller fpecies of lizards, 
being feldom more than fix inches in length. The 
colour is a filvery grey ; the body is covered with 
fcales; the tail is rounded; the head is of an ob- 
long figure; the nofe is fnarp; and the feet ap- 
pear as if alated, having five toes each, armed 
with very fliarp claws. This creature is common 
in Egypt and 7\rabia. 
The dried flefh of theScincus is fcrongly recom- 
mended as a fubfcitute for that of vipers, poflef- 
fmg all it's virtues in the mod exalted dep-ree. It 
is elleemed diuretic, alexipharmic, and reftora- 
tive, as v/ell as pov/erfully provocative. The 
Egvpiians cut the flelli to pieces, and boil it 
VoL.IL 
SCO 
dowft to a ftrong broth or jelly; in which form \t 
may have fome efficacy, though it's virtues feem 
to be greatly exaggerated. 
SCNIPS, An appellation by which fome na- 
turalifts exprefs a fmall fpecies of gnat commonly 
found on the oak-tree, feeding on the juices of 
it's leaves, which it fucks by the application of 
it's fharp trunk. This infeft is fuppofed to ori^ 
ginate from the fmall oblong white worm which 
lodges in the oak-apple, 
SCOLOPAX. A genus of gralLie in the Lin- 
njeanfyftem: the charafters of which are; that the 
beak is roundifti, obtufe at the end, and longer 
than the head; that the noftrils are linear; than 
the face is covered with feathers; and that the feeC 
are furnifhed with four toes, the hinder one con^ 
fifting of feveral joints^ 
Linnseus enumerates eighteen fpecies; among 
which are placed the curlev/, whimbrel, fnipe,' 
godwit, and woodcock, 
ScoLOPAx is ali15 an appellation by which fome 
authors exprefs the trumpet-filh, 
SCOLOPENDRA. An infed with a long 
flender body, very fmooth, of a yellov.'ilh or red- 
difli colour, furnifhed with a vaft number of legs, 
and having two long antennse and a bifid tail. 
In the Linnasan fyftem, the Scolopendra is a 
genus of the order of aptera: the charafters of 
which are; that the animal has as many feet on 
each fide as the body contains fegments; that the 
antenns are fetaceous; that it has two articulated 
palpi; and that the body is depreifed. Linnsus 
enumerates eleven fpecies. 
From the Philofophical Tranfac^ions we learn 
that there is a fpecies of this animal which natu- 
rally fhines in the dark, after the manner of a 
glow-worm, but with a fainter and more general 
light. Every part of the body of this infe<5t will 
emit fparks in the dark, if preffed. It is covered 
with a foft down, or fliort fine hair; among which 
a vaft number of long fharp prickles are inter- 
fperfed, about the fame length as the hair, but as 
iliff as the briftles of a hog, fharp-pointed, and 
black. The tail, or fiinaller end, terminates in 
two bright fcales on the back, and in this the anus 
is fituated. It has neither horns, eyes, nor any 
other organ common to the heads of the infe6b 
tribes. The mouth is wide, and fituated under 
the belly part, which is fmooth, flat, and irregu- 
larly marked with brown fpots. The legs are 
placed in two rows, the whole length of the body ; 
thofe neareft the mouth are the longeft, and the 
fhorteft" are near the tail. The whole number of 
legs is feventy-two, thirty-fix on each fide. A 
clufter of three or four prickles pafiTes from witliiii 
the body through the middle of each leg; and 
thefe are larger or fmaller according to the fizc of 
the leg. On each fide of the upper, or back part 
of the animal, there are a number of foft, flat, 
fmooth fins; which face the legs in fuch a man- 
ner, that each foot has it's correfponding fin : 
thefe afllft the creature in fwimming, as the legs 
are adapted for crawling. 
On opening the body of this infeft, amufcular 
organization prefents itfelf to view, elegantly con- 
trived for giving play to fuch a large number of 
legs and fins. This appears in form of one large 
and broad red mufcular congeries; and from ic 
thirty-fix pair of rays are propagated on each fide, 
every pair ferving for the motion of one leg and 
one fin : thefe are diftinftly vifible, and reprefcnt 
the fpine and ribs in fom.e fifh. 
SCOLOPENDRA MARINA. A remark- 
3 S able 
