SCO 
SCO 
SCO 
to the Romans by the title of garum, and 
made by salting the fish, and after a certain 
period straining the liquor from it. This 
preparation, once so famous, lias been long 
superseded by the introduction of the ap- 
chovy for similar purposes. 
2. Scomber thynnus, tunny. The tunny 
is a very large spec:es, growing to the length 
of eight, or even ten feet, but much more 
commonly seen of about the length of two 
feet. It is an inhabitant of the Mediter- 
ranean, Northern, Indian, and American 
seas, and is of a gregarious nature, frequently 
assembling in large shoals. It is an animal 
of great strength and tierceness, preying on 
all kinds of smaller fishes, and is said to be 
the peculiar persecutor of the tnackrel and 
the flying-fish. Its flesh, though rather 
coarse, was much esteemed by the antient 
Greeks, and Romans, who established their 
tunny-fisheries as in modern times, on many 
parts of the Mediterranean coasts, where this 
fish still continues to be taken in great plen- 
ty, more especially round the island of Si- 
cily. In the British seas it is rarely observed 
in shoals; the individuals which occur being 
rather considered as accidental stragglers. 
Mr. Pennant records an instance of one 
which he saw on the northern coasts of Scot- 
land, weighing 460 pounds, and measuring 
seven feet ten inches in length. Much larger 
specimens, however, are occasionally taken 
in the Sicilian sea. In the Indian ocean this 
species is said to be seen of an enormous size, 
and to assemble in vast shoals. 
The tunnv-fishery is of equal importance 
to the inhabitants of the Mediterranean 
coasts as the herring-fishery to those of the 
more northern parts of Europe, ft he smaller 
fishes are chiefly sold fresh, while the larger 
are cut in pieces and salted, and barrelled up 
for sale. 
The general colour of the tunny is a dark 
or dull blue on the upper parts, and silvery 
with a cast of flesh-colour on the sides and 
abdomen. 
3. Scomber trachurus, shad, horse -mackrel, 
inhabits the European, American, and Pacific 
seas. See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 356. 
SCOPARIA, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the tetrandria class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 40th 
order, pefsonatae. The calyx is quadripar- 
tite ; the corolla the same, and rotaeeous ; 
the capsule unilocular, bivalved, and poly- 
spermous. There are three species. 
SCOPOLIA, a genus of the octandria 
order, in the gynandria class of plants ; and 
in the natural method ranking under the 
11th class, sarmentaceas. r l he calyx is d;- 
phyllous ; the corolla quadrifid ; the anthe- 
rs coalesce in two columns, one placed above 
the other. There are two species. 
SCORE, in music, the original and en- 
tire draught, or its transcript, of any compo- 
sition. In the score all the parts of the piece 
are ranged perpendicularly under each other, 
so that the eve, catching the corresponding 
bars of the several staves, sees at a glance the 
whole construction and design of the har- 
mony. . . , .. , 
As in this disposition, one single line of 
music comprehends as many staves as there 
are parts ; these staves are held together by 
a brace drawn down the margin at the be- 
ginning of the line. 
1 The use of the score is indispensable in 
composition ; to the conductor of any per- 
formance it is also highly requisite, in order 
to his knowing whether each performer fol- 
lows his part, and to enable him to supply 
any accidental omission with the piano-forte, 
or organ, at which he presides. 
SCORIA, or dross, is that mass which is 
produced by melting metals and ores, and 
when cold is brittle, and not unsoluble in 
water ; being properly a kind of glass. 
SCORING, the art of forming a score 
by collecting and properly arranging under 
each other the several detached parts of any 
composition. 
SCORPiENA, a genus of fishes of the 
order thoracici : the generic character is, 
head large, uculeated, cirrhose, obtuse, with- 
out scales, subcompressed ; eyes placed near 
each other ; teeth in the jaw?, palate, and 
throat ; gill-membrane seven-rayed : body 
fleshy ; dorsal fin single, with the rays of the 
fore part spiny. There are nine species ; 
the most remarkable are : 
1. Scorpaena porcus, porcine scorpaena. 
The genus scorpaena is distinguished by a pe- 
culiar uncouthness of appearance; the head, 
in some species, being abruptly truncated in 
front, of vast size, and armed with various 
protuberances and spines. Among the most 
common of the European species is the scor- 
paena porcus, which is f equenlly seen in con- 
siderable numbers in various parts of the 
Mediterranean, where it chiefly frequents 
the shores, lying in ambush among stones, 
sea-weeds, &c. and preying on the smaller 
lishes and sea-insects ; the head is large ; the 
mouth wide, with many rows of small sharp 
teeth ; the eyes large; the gill-covers armed 
with strong spines intermixed with cirri ; the 
body covered with small rough scales, of a 
dusky colour, varied with black on the back, 
and beneath pale, with a reddish cast ; the 
dorsal lin is furnished with very strong spiny 
rays, which the fish, when caught, erects, and 
thus wounds its adversary ; its general length 
is about twelve or fifteen inches. 
2. Scorpaena scrota, rufou-s scorpaena, in 
general appearance so nearly allied to the 
preceding, that at lirst view it might be mis- 
taken for the same species ; but differs in its 
superior size, as well as in its larger scales; 
and particularly in having several cirri or 
processes disposed along the lateral line ; 
the colour also is rather rufous than brown 
as in the former kind. Of this species it is 
reported that it preys not only on the smaller 
fishes, but even occasionally seizes on such 
of the marine birds as happen to swim in its 
way. It grows, to a very considerable size, 
and is said to nave been seen of the length of 
four feet; it must consequently prove a very 
formidable enemy to the smaller marine ani- 
mals. Notwithstanding its forbidding ap- 
pearance, it is considered as an edible hsh. 
3. Scorpama horrida, horrid scorpaena. 
Of all the species yet discovered, the present 
exhibits the most uncouth and forbidding ap- 
pearance, resembling rath r some imaginary 
monster of deformity than any regular pro- 
duction of nature. The head is very large, 
perfectly abrupt in front, and marked by nu- 
merous tubercles, depressions, and spines ; 
on the top is a semilunar cavity ; the mouth 
opens from the upper part, and is large and 
of a shape somewhat resembling a horse- 
shoe, and when closed the iower jaw is in a 
029 
perpendicular direction ; both jaws are arm- 
ed with numerous small teeth ; and the upper 
is furnished with three cirri, viz. one on each 
side, and one in the middle. 1 he general 
colour of this hideous fish is a ferruginous 
brown, deepest on the upper parts ; the ab- 
domen being much paler. It is a native of 
the Indian seas, and measures twelve or fif- 
teen inches in length. See Plate Nat, Hist, 
lig. 357. 
4. Scorpaena volitanS, flying scorpaena, a 
fish of a highly singular appearance ; general, 
length ten or twelve inches ; colour brownish- 
yellow, variegated by very numerous, deep 
brown, transverse stripes; native of the ri- 
vers of Japan, Amboina, &c. and considered 
as an excellent food ; it probably uses its 
pectoral fins for the purposes of occasional 
flight, like the fishes of the genus exocoetus 
and some of the trigla?. 
5. Scorpaena didactyla, didactyle scor- 
paena. General length about a foot ; form ex- 
tremely grotesque ; general colour dusky 
brown, varied above by transverse yellow 
streaks, and beneath by roundish spots of the 
same colour ; skin destitute of scales ; head 
depressed, and furnished on different parts 
with several abrupt fleshy cirri ; eyes large, 
and situated on two approximated protuber- 
ances; snout truncated, and marked on the 
sides by several angular wrinkles, as are also 
the lower parts of the gill-covers ; lower jaw 
longer than the upper ; tongue prominent, 
and marked with yellow granules and black 
streaks; on the lower mandible are strong 
fleshy beards ; lateral line near the back ; 
fins furnished with many far-projecting radii, 
as in the volitans and antennata : it preys on 
the smaller fishes, sea-insects, &c. and, not- 
withstanding its forbidding appearance, is 
considered as an excellent fish for the table. 
SCORPIO, Scorpion, a genus of insects 
of the order aptera; the generic character 
is, body ovate-elongated ; legs eight, besides 
two frontal claspers ; eyes eight, three on 
each side the thorax, and two on the back : 
tail elongated, jointed, and terminated by a 
curved piercer ; combs or toothed processes 
two, situated beneath, between the thorax and 
abdomen. The malignant genus Scorpio 
(about six), so proverbially remarkable for 
the effect of its poisonous sting, seems chiefly 
confined to the warmer parts of the globe* 
and may be considered as a stranger to the 
northern regions. 1. The common Italian 
scorpion usually measures something more 
than an inch in length from the head to the 
setting on of the tail ; but, if measured from 
the tips of the claspers to the tip of the tail, 
about three inches ; its colour is brown, with 
considerable variation in different individu- 
als, some inclining to a reddish, and some to 
a yellowish cast. This animal is found in 
neglected places, beneath boards, stones, 
&c. and frequently makes its appearance in 
houses : its sting is painful, but seldom pro- 
ductive of any very serious consequences, 
and the usual remedy is sweet oil, well rub- 
bed on the punctured part. Like the rest of 
the genus, this insect preys on other insects, 
and particularly on spiders. 
2. Scorpio AmeHcaous or the Americau 
scorpion, is of somewhat smaller size than the 
preceding, and of a more slender or lengthen- 
ed form ; its colour is a yellowish brown. It- . 
is a native of many parts of America. 
