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ular but distinct spots of pale brown. Their 
esh is rank and filthy, notwithstanding an 
old English proverb in its favour. Curlews 
differ much in weight and- size ; some weigh- 
ing 37 ounces, others not 22 ; the length of 
the largest to the tip of the tail; 25 inches; 
the breadth, three feet five incites ; the bill is 
seven inches long ; the head, neck, and co- 
verts of the wings are of a pale brown ; the 
middle of each feather black ; the breast and 
belly white, marked with narrow oblong 
black lines ; the back is white, spotted with a 
few black strokes ; the quill -feat hers are 
black, but the inner webs spotted with white; 
the tail is white, tinged with red, and beauti- 
fully barred with black ; the legs are iong, 
strong, and of a blueish grey colour; the 
bottoms of the toes Hat and broad, to enable 
it to walk on the soft mud, in search of food. 
2. 1 he phaiopus, or whimbrel, is much 
b->s frequent on our shores than the curlew; 
but its haunts, food, and general appearance, 
are much the same, it "is observed to visit 
the neighbourhood of Spalding (where it is 
called the curlew knot) in vast flocks in April, 
but continues there no longer than May, 
nor is it seen there any other time of the year ; 
it seems at that season to be on its passage to 
its breeding-place. The specific difference 
is the size, this never exceeding the weight 
of twelve ounces. 
3. The ruslicola, or woodcock, during 
summer inhabits the Alps of Norway, Swe- 
den, Polish Prussia, the march of Branden- 
burg, and the northern parts of Europe ; they 
all retire from those countries in the begin- 
ning of winter, as soon as the frosts com- 
mence, which force them into milder cli- 
mates, where the ground is open, and adapt- 
ed to their manner of feeding. They live on 
worms and insects, which they search for 
with their long bills in soft grounds and moist 
woods. Woodcocks generally arrive here 
in flocks, taking advantage of the night or a 
mist ; they soon separate ; but, before they 
return to their native haunts, they pair. They 
feed and fly by night, beginning their flight 
in the evening, and return the same way or 
through the same glades to their day retreat. 
They leave England the latter end of Febru- 
ary, or beginning of March ; not but they 
have been known to continue here accident- 
ally. 
. 4. The gallenago, or common snipe, is 
well known. Its usual weight is about four 
ounces. The jack snipe (which is by some 
thought a different species) does not weigh 
above half as much. 
5. The calidris, or red-shank. 
6. The glottis, or green-shank. 
7. The oegocephala, or godroit. 
SCOLGPENIIDA, Centipede, a genus 
of insects of the order aptera: the generic 
character is, antenna: setaceous ; body dep- 
ressed ; legs numerous, equalling the num- 
er of segments of the body on each side ; 
feelers two, setaceo-us. The larger species 
of the genus scolopendra, found only in the 
Jiotter regions of the globe, are insects of a 
formidable appearance, and possess the power 
«f inflicting severe pain and inflammation by 
their bite. Of these one of the most con- 
spicuous is the scolopendra morsitans, a na- 
tive of many parts of Asia, Africa, and South 
America, its length is sometimes not far 
short of ten inches; its colour is yellowish 
brown, the legs and under parts of the body 
being much paler ; the head is armed on 
each side with a very large curved fang, of 
the same strong or horny nature as those of 
the aranea avicularia, but placed in a differ- 
ent direction, the two fangs meeting hori- 
zontally when in action ; these fangs are fur- 
nished on the inside, near the tip, with an 
oblong slit, through which, during the act of 
wounding, an acrimonious or poisonous fluid 
is discharged ; the eyes are several in number 
on each side the head, and are placed in a 
small oval groupe ; the legs are twenty on 
each side the body, and the tail is terminated 
by a pair of processes, which perfectly re- 
semble the rest of the legs, except that they 
are larger, and have the first joints strongly 
spined or muricated on the inside. These 
horrible insects are said to be chiefly found 
in woods, but, like the small European spe- 
cies, they are occasionally seen in houses, 
and are said to be so common in some par- 
ticular districts that the inhabitants are ob- 
liged to place the feet of their beds in vessels 
of water, in order to prevent their attacks 
during tiie night. 
2. Scolopendra Plunder!, or Plunder’s 
scolopendra, is of much greater length than 
the former, sometimes measuring a foot and 
a half. According to the description and 
figure of Seba, the body consists of thirty- 
two joints, exclusive of the head and tail. 
3. Scolopendra forficata, is a very common 
insect, and is met with in similar situations 
with the oniscus asellus and armadillo ; it is 
an animal of swift motion, and is furnished 
with fifteen legs on each side ; its colour is 
a polished chesnut-brown, somewhat paler 
beneath, and its usual length an inch and a 
half. See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 355. 
4. Scolopendra electrica is, like the former, 
an inhabitant of damp situations, and not un- 
frequently makes its appearance in houses ; 
its general length is about an inch and a 
half, and its diameter scarcely more than the 
tenth of an inch, being of an extremely long 
and slender form ; its colour is a dusky 
brown, with the legs yellowish ; these arc 
about seventy on each side. The motions 
of this insect are tortuous and undulatory, 
seldom continuing long in the same direction ; 
it is possessed of a High degree of phosphoric 
splendour, which however seems to be only 
exerted when the animal is pressed or sud- 
denly disturbed, when it diffuses a beautiful 
smaragdine light, so powerful as not to be 
obliterated by two candles on the same table. 
It is also tenacious of life, remaining seemingly 
uninjured for a great many days in the closest 
confinement. ^ 
5. Scolopendra subterranea so much re- 
sembles the former, that it might be easily 
confounded with it ; it is however of a still 
more slender form, and of a much paler co- 
lour, viz. a light yellow brown ; it is found 
in damp places, and often under ground ; 
is not possessed of any phosphoric splendour, 
nor is it capable of surviving many hours in 
a state of confinement, unless placed in a 
very moist situation. 
The scolopendra: are oviparous animals, 
and the young, at their first exclusion, are 
furnished only with a few feet on each side ; 
acquiring after a certain period, the legiti- 
mate number peculiar to their species, of 
which there are eleven. 
SCOLOPIA, a genus ®f the tetrandria 
monogynia class and order. The calyx is 
inferior, three or four-parted ; corolla three 
or four-petalled ; berry one-celied, six-seed- 
ed ; seeds arilled. There is one species, 
the thorny cinnamon of Ceylon. 
SCGLOSANTHUS, a genus of the class 
and order tetrandria monogynia. 'The 
calyx is foifr-elelt ; corolla tubular; drupe 
one-seeded. There is one species, a shrub 
of Santa Cruz. 
SCOLYMUS, a genus of the polygamia 
aequalis order, in the syngenesia class of 
plants, and in the natural method -ranking 
under the 49th order, composite. The re- 
ceptacle is paleaceous ; the calyx imbricated 
and prickly, without any pappus. There 
are three species. 
SCOMBER, Mackrel, a genus of fishes 
of the order thoracici ; the generic character 
is, body oblong, smooth, sometimes cari- 
nated by the lateral line ; finlets (in most 
species) above ami below, towards the tail. 
There are 22 species, of which the most re* 
markable are : 
1. Scomber scomber, common mackrel. 
This beautiful fish is a native of the Euro- 
pean and American seas, generally appearing 
at stated seasons, and swarming, in vast 
shoals, round particular coasts. Its great 
resort, however, seems to be within the 
Arctic circle, where it resides in innumerable 
troops, grows to a larger size than elsewhere, 
and is supposed to find its favourite food, 
consisting chiefly of marine insects, in far 
greater plenty than in wanner latitudes. 
During the severity of the northern winter 
it is said to lie imbedded in the soil mud, be- 
neath the vast crusts of ice surrounding the 
polar coasts, being thus sufficiently protected 
from the effects of frost ; and, on the return 
of spring, is generally believed to migrate in 
enormous shoals, of many miles in length and 
breadth, and to visit the coasts of more tem- 
perate climates in order to deposit its spawn. 
Its route has been supposed nearly similar 
to that of the herring, passing between Ice- 
land and Norway, and proceeding towards 
tire northern part of our own island, where a 
part throws itself off into the Baltic, while the 
grand column passes downwards, and enters 
the Mediterranean through the straits of 
Gibraltar. 
This long migration of the mackrel, as well 
as of the herring, seems at present to be 
greatly called in question; and it is thought 
more probable that the shoals which appear 
m such abundance round the more temperate 
European coasts, in reality reside during the 
winter at no very great distance ; immersing 
themselves in the soft bottom, and remaining 
in a state of torpidity ; from which they are 
awakened by the warmth of the returning 
spring, and gradually recover their former 
activity. At their first appearance their eyes 
are observed to appear remarkably dim, as 
covered with a kind of film, w hich passes off 
as the season advances, when they appear 
in their full perfection of colour and vigour. 
The shape of the mackrel is highly ele- 
gant, and it is justly considered as one of the 
most beautiful of the European species. Its 
merit as an article of food is universally es- 
tablished, and it is one of those fishes which 
have maintained their reputation through a 
long succession ol ages ; having been highly 
esteemed by the anlients, who prepared from 
it the particular condiment or sauce knowa 
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