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superior; corolla five or six-cleft; stigmas 
two; berry one-seeded. There are two 
species, parasites of the West Indies. 
SCHREBERA, a genus of the digynia or- 
der, in the pentandria class of plants ; and in 
the natural method ranking with those of 
which the order is doubtful. The calyx is 
quinquepartite; the corolla funnel-shaped, 
with the filaments in the throat, and having 
each a scale at the base. There is one spe- 
cies, a tree of the East Indies. 
SCHWALBEA, a genus of the class and 
order didynamia angiospermia. The calyx is 
four-cleft; the upper lobe very small; the 
lowest very large and emarginate. There is 
one species, of North America. 
SCH WEN KFELDIA, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the pentandria class of 
plants; and in the natural method ranking 
with those that are doubtful. The calyx is 
quinquefid ; the corolla funnel-shaped; the 
.stigma parted into five; the berry quinquelo- 
.cular, with a number of seeds. Of this there 
are three species, viz. 1 . Cinerea; 2. Aspera ; 
3. Hirta. The two first are natives of Gui- 
ana, the other of Jamaica. The leaves of all 
of them are remarkably rough, and stick to 
the lingers or clothes. 
SCHWENKIA, a genus of the monogy- 
nia order, in the diandria class of plants, 'i he 
■corolla is almost equal, plaited at the throat, 
and glandulous ; there are three barren sta- 
mina; the capsule bilocular and polysperm- 
ous. There is one species. 
SCIiENA, a genus of fishes of the order 
thoracici. The generic character is, head 
scaly; dorsal tins two, seated in a furrow, into 
which they may occasionally withdraw ; 
gill-membrane six-rayed. There are two 
divisions in this genus, 1- with divided or lu- 
nated tail ; 2. with even or rounded tail. 
There are twenty species. The most re- 
markable are: l. Sciiena cirrosa, bearded 
sciiena. Habit that of a carp ; length from 
one to two feet; colour pale yellow, brown- 
ish on the back, and marked on each side by 
many obliquely longitudinal dusky-blue lines, 
which assume a slightly silvery qast towards 
the abdomen: upper lip obtuse, and longer 
than the lower; teeth small; first dorsal fin 
triangular, and pale brown ; the second 
white, with a brown stripe: pectoral, ventral, 
and caudal, dusky ; anal red ; tail slightly 
lunated: at the base of the gill-covers a black 
spot, and beneath the chin a short fleshy 
beard: native of the Mediterranean and other 
seas: known to the antient Greeks and Ro- 
mans, by whom it was held in considerable 
estimation as a food. 
2. Sciama labrax, Basse scisena. Habit of 
a salmon; size considerable, growing, ac- 
cording to some authors, to the length of se- 
veral feet: colour blueish silvery, with a 
dusky cast on the hack: scales rather small; 
eyes reddish ; mouth and gill-covers tinged 
with pale red; tail slightly forked; lateral line 
nearly straight: native of the Mediterranean 
and northern seas, and often entering rivers ; 
known to the antients by the names of labrax 
and topus, and' much esteemed as a food, 
particu'arly by the Romans. 
SCIATICA. See Medicine. 
SCILLA, the squill, in botany, a genus of 
the monogynia order, in the hexandria class 
of plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 10th order, coroiuriae. The co- 
rolla is hexapetalous and deciduous; the fila- 
ments filiform. There are 22 species. The 
most remarkable is the maritima, or sea- 
onion, whose roots are used in medicine. Of 
this there are two sorts, one with a red, and 
the other with a white root; which are sup- 
posed to be accidental varieties, but the white 
are generally preferred for medicinal use. 
The roots are large, somewhat oval-shaped, 
composed of many coats lying over each 
other like onions; and at the bottom come 
out several fibres. From the middle of the 
root rise several shining leaves, which conti- 
nue green all the winter, and decay in the 
spring. Then the flower-stalk comes out, 
which rises two feet high, and is naked half- 
way, terminating in a pyramidal thyrse of 
flowers, which are white, composed of six 
| petals, and spread open like the points of a 
| star. This grows naturally on the sea-shores, 
: and in the ditches where the salt water natu- 
J rally flows with the tide, in most of the warm 
i parts of Europe, so cannot be propagated in 
gardens ; the frost in winter always destroy- 
ing the roots, and for want of salt water they 
do not thrive in- summer. The root is very 
| nauseous to the taste, intensely bitter, and so 
\ acrimonious that it ulcerates the skin if much 
handled. Taken internally, it powerfully 
i stimulates the solids, and promotes urine, 
sweat, and expectoration. If the dose is 
considerable, it proves emetic, and sometimes 
purgative. The principal use of this niedh 
I cine is where the prims via: abound with mu- 
i cons matter, and the lungs are oppressed by 
tenacious phlegm. 
| SClOPTiC, a sphere, or globe of wood, 
; with a circular hole or perforation, wherein a 
lens is placed, it is so fitted that, like the 
eye of an animal, it may be turned round 
j every way, to be used in making experi- 
; merits in a darkened room. See Optics. 
I SCIRE FACIAS, is a judicial writ, and 
properly lies after a year and a day after 
judgment given; whereby the sheriff is com- 
manded to summon or give notice to the de- 
fendant, that he appear and shew cause why 
; the plaintiff should not have execution. 1 
i Inst. 290. A scire facias is deemed a jucli- 
| cial writ, and founded on some matter of 
record, as judgments, recognizances, and let- 
, ters patent, on which it lies to enforce the 
! execution of them, or to vacate or set them 
j aside; and though it is a judicial writ of exe- 
| cation, yet it is so far in nature of an origi- 
i nal, that the defendant may plead to it, and 
| is in that respect considered as an action ; 
| and therefore it is held, that a release of ail 
actions, or a release of all executions, is a good 
bar to a scire facias. Sec Rol. Abr. 
SCIRPUS, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the triandria class of plants, and in 
the natural method ranking under the third 
order, calamariaR. The glumes are paleace- 
ous, and imbricated all round. There is no 
corolla, and only one beardless seed. There 
are 69 species, rushes of the East Indies. 
SCIRRHUS. See Surgery. 
SCIURUS, Squirrel, a genus of quadru- 
peds of the order glires : the generic charac- 
ter is, upper front-teeth cuneated, lower 
sharp ; grinders in the upper jaw five on each 
side, in the lower four; clavicles in the ske- 
leton ; tail (in most species) spreading to- 
wards each side. The animals composing 
tins elegant genus are remarkable lor the 
liveliness of their disposition, the celerity of 
their motions, and the general beauty and 
neatness of their appearance. They inhabit 
woods, live entirely on vegetable food, and 
take up their residence in the hollows of 
trees, where they prepare their nests. Some 
species are furnished with an expansile lateral 
skin, reaching from the fore legs to the hind ; 
by the help of which they are enabled to 
spring to a greater distance than the rest of 
the genus, and to transport themselves oc- 
casionally from tree to tree ; but this mo- 
mentary support in air is all that they are 
capable of ; and though called, from this cir- 
cumstance, flying squirrels, they are unable 
to continue that action in the manner of bats. 
The species of squirrels enumerated in the 
twelfth edition of the Systema Naturae of 
Liima-us amounted to no more than eleven ; 
but such has been the spirit of research among 
modern naturalists, that the number is now 
increased to near thirty. The most noted 
are, 
1. Sciurus tnaximus, great squirrel. Of 
all the species yet discovered, this is the lar- 
gest, being, equal in size to a cat. It is a na- 
tive of India, and was first described by 
Mens. Sonnerat, who informs us that it Is 
found in the Malabar country, anci especi- 
ally about the mountains of Cardamom:-, 
where it feeds on fruits, and is particularly 
fond of the milk of tire cocoa-nut, which it 
pierces, when ripe, in order to obtain the 
liquor. The fur on the whole animal is long 
and full ; the top of the head, ears, back, and 
sides, are ferruginous, and a small band of a 
similar colour commences beneath each ear, 
passing along the neck towards the sides. 
This animal, according to Sonnerat, is easily 
tamed, and is called about the coasts of Ma- 
labar by the name of the great wood-rat. 
See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 354. 
2. Sciurus vulgaris, common squirrel. 
The general appearance and manners of this 
species are so well known that it is unneces- 
sary to particularize them. It is a native of 
almost all parts of Europe as well as of the 
northern and temperate parts of Asia, but is 
observed to vary in the cast of its colours in 
different climates, and in the northern re- 
gions becomes grey in winter ; it also varies 
occasionally in size. The general measure 
of the European squirrel seems to be about 
eight inches from nose to tail, and of the tail \ 
about seven. In the spring these animals 
seem peculiarly active, pursuing each other > 
among the trees, and exerting various efforts 
of agility. During the warm summer nights 
they may he also observed in a similar exer- ■ 
cise. 1 hey seem, as Buifon observes, to 
dread the heat of the sun ; for during the day 
they commonly remain in their nests, making ' 
their principal excursions by night. Their 
habitation is so contrived as to be perfectly 
clean, warm, and impenetrable by rain, and 
is composed of moss, dried leaves, &c. and 
situated between the fork of two branches ; ! 
it has only a small aperture near the (op, 
which is of a conical form, so as to throw off 
the rain. The young are generally three or 
four in number, and are produced about the 
middle of summer, or sometimes earlier. 
The squirrel feeds on the buds and young 
shoots ol trees, and is said to be particularly 
fond of those of the fir and pine ; it also col- 
lects great quantities of nuts, which it de- 
posits in the hollows of trees for its winter 
