S M E 
jfiighteft variegation. Thus it remains till it goes 
into the nymph ftate; and from that, after an in- 
terval of about fixteen days, it appears in the 
lhape of a four-winged fly. 
SLOTH. See Sloath. 
SLOW-WORM. An Englifh appellation 
for the CsEcilia, or Anguis Fragilis of Linnaeus; 
tailed alfo the blind-worm; and by fome authors 
the deaf-adder. In the Linnasan fyftem it is a 
fpecies of the anguis, or fnake; the term Cascilia 
being appropriated to a diftindt genus of ferpents. 
The Slow- Worm is diftinguifhed from all other 
fnakes of this country by it's fmallnefs; and the 
lhape of it's tail, which runs out a great way be- 
yond the anus, and yet is blunted, and pretty 
thick at the extremity. The back is cinereous, 
marked with fmall lines compofed of minute black 
fpecks. The fides are of a reddifli caft; and the 
belly is dufky; both marked like the back. The 
tongue is broad and forky; the teeth are nume- 
rous, but minute; and the fcales are fmall. It is 
flow in it's motion; and perfectly inoffenfive in 
it's nature. 
Thefe creatures lie torpid during the winter; 
and are fometimes found in vafb numbers twined 
together. The female brings forth her young 
alive, like the viper. 
SLUG. See Limax. 
SM ARIS. A fmall Mediterranean fifli ; a fpe- 
cies of the fparus in the Linnaean fyftem. It is 
feldom more than four inches long. The back 
and fides are of a dufky blackifh green colour, 
without any variegations; but on each fide, near 
the middle of the body, there is a large black 
fpot. The gill-fins and tail are of a faint red 
hue; the irides are of a brownifh white; and the 
tail is bifid. 
SMATCH. A provincial appellation for the 
common cenanthe. 
SMEAR-DAB. A fpecies of the Dab fome- 
times caught in Cornwall. It is about eighteen 
inches long, and twelve broad between fin and 
fin on the wideft part. The head is fmall; the 
dorfal fin rifes near the mouth, and extends to the 
tail; the eyes are placed pretty near each other; 
and the mouth is replete with fmall teeth. The 
lateral line is much incurvated for the two firft 
inches from it's origin, and then continues ftraight 
to the tail. The back is covered with fmall 
fmooth fcales, of a light brown colour, obfcurely 
fpotted with yellow; and the belly is white, and 
marked with five large duflcy fpots. The flefh 
is reckoned as delicate as that of the common 
Dab. 
SMELT; the Salmo Eperlaus of Linnsus. 
This filh has been generally referred by ichthyo- 
logifts to the truttaceous tribe; and it is univer- 
fally allowed to have a general external refem- 
blance to the falmon. According to Pennant, 
it inhabits the feas of the northern parts of Eu- 
rope: and he apprehends it is never found fo far 
fouth as the Mediterranean; though, if we may 
depend on the obfervations of navigators, it has 
fometimes been caught in the Straits of Magel- 
lan, where it ufually meafures twenty inches in 
length, and eight in circumference. 
Thefe fifh frequent fuch feas as wafh the Bri- 
tifh ides the whole year; never migrating far from 
the Ihore, except when they afcend the rivers. 
It is remarkable, that in certain rivers they ap- 
pear a long time before they fpawn ; being caught 
in great abundance, during the months of No- 
SMC 
vember, iDecen^, ber, and Janliary, in the Thames 
and Dee; but in others, not till February : and in 
March and April they fpaWn after which they 
revifit the fait waterj where they continue till tht 
time of their annual migration^ 
Smelts vary much in fize; but the largefl: which 
have come to our knowledge weighed half a 
pound. They have a particular fcent; from 
whence their Englifh appellation. Smelt (i. e. 
Smell it) feems to be derived. However, diffe- 
rent nations are much divided in their opinion a§ 
to the flavour of this fifli : fome afl^ert that it 
fmells of the violet; and the Germans, for a very 
different reafon, difl:inguifh it by the degrading 
title of the ftinckfifch. 
The head of the Smelt is of a very beautiful 
fliape and colour; fo extremely tranfparent, and 
the fkin in general fo thin, that, with the aflift- 
ance of a good microfcope, the blood may be ob- 
ferved to circulate. The irides are fil very ; and the 
pupil is of a full black colour. The under jav/ 
is the longefl:: the front of the upper jaw is armed 
with four large teeth, thofe in the fides of both 
being fmalL In the roof of the mouth there are 
two rows of teeth ; and on the tongue are two 
more rows of pretty large teeth. The firfl: dorfal 
fin has eleven rays; the pedoral fins have the fame 
number; the ventral eight; and the anal fourteen. 
The fcales are fmall, and eafily deciduous. The 
tail, which is bifid, confifl:s of nineteen rays. The 
back is of a whitifla colour with a caft of green, 
beneath which it is varied with blue ; and to this 
fucceeds a beautiful glofs of a filvery hue. 
Smelts are frequently fold in the ftreets of Lon- 
don fplit and dried. They fometimes receive 
the appellation of fparlings in this flrate; and are 
recommended as excellent in the morning, ac- 
companied with a glafs of wine. 
Smelt is alfo a name by which the fifliermen 
of Yorkfliire, and fome other counties, denomi^ 
nate the falmon in it's firft year. 
SMEW. An Englifli appellation for the com- 
mon mergus; ufaally known among naturalifts 
by the names albellus, and mergus cirratus. 
This bird weighs about' thirty-four ounces $ 
it's length is eighteen inches ; and the expanfion 
of it's wings is twenty-fix. The bill is near two 
inches long, and of a lead colour; the head is 
adorned with a long creft, white above, and black 
beneath ; and a large oval fpot, glofl^ed with 
green, extends from a little beyond the eye to the 
bill. The head, neck, and whole under-fide of 
the body, are of a pure white colour ; and on the 
lower part of the neck there are two femilunar 
lines, pointing forward. The inner fcapulars, 
the back, the coverts on the ridge of the wing, 
and the greater quill-feathers, are black; the 
middle rows of coverts are white, the next being 
black, tipt with white ; the leflTer quill-feathers 
are the fame; the fcapulars next the wings are 
white; the tail is of a deep afli-colour; and the 
legs are of a blueilh grey. 
The female is lefs than the male. The marks 
on the wings are the fame in both fexes : the back, 
fcapulars, and tail, are duflcy ; the head, together 
with the hind part of the neck, are ferruginous ; 
the chin, and the fore-part of the neck, are white ; 
the breaft is clouded wth grey; the belly is 
white; and the legs are duflcy. 
SMOOTH-SHAN. A provincial appella- 
tion for the fmooth blenny ; the Blennius Pholis 
ofLinnteus. See Blenny. 
SMYRUS, 
