j03O 
SCO 
s c u 
SCO 
3. The largest and by far the most fonni 
oable of the genus, is’ the scorpio Afer of 
Li one us, or great African scorpion. This 
species is of so large a size as often to mea- 
sure four inches from the head to the begin- 
ning of the tail, and ten inches if measured 
from the tip of the. claspers to that of the 
tail. Its colour is a dark brown, inclining to 
yellow beneath, and in the interstices of the 
joints ; and the claspers have often a reddish 
cast. I his species is found in many parts of 
Africa, where it is held in great dread ; the 
effect of its sting producing very severe 
Symptoms, and sometimes even proving 
fatal. 1 D 
i he poison of the scorpion is evacuated 
through two very small oblong foramina situ- 
ated on each side the tip of the sting. It 
is well known that a diversity of opinion has 
subsisted among authors relative to this par- 
ticular. 1 he celebrated Redi, assisted by 
the best microscopes he could procure, was 
not able to detect any orifice, though he was 
well convinced of the existence of such, from 
observing a minute drop of poison exsude 
from near the tip. Others have denied the 
existence of any foramen ; but Vallisneri and 
Lewenhoek have properly described two fo- 
ramina, viz. one on each side; so that the 
sting of the scorpion can with greater facility 
discharge its poisonous fluid than that of any 
other insect. A third foramen is said to 
have been sometimes observed. 
r I he^ part in scorpions which is situated 
beneath the breast, bearing the appearance 
of two minute combs, has been fixed upon 
by Linnaeus as a criterion of the species ; 
■the number of teeth, however, varying oc- 
casionally in the same species, renders this 
character uncertain. The use of these or- 
gans remains as yet uninvestigated. 
Scorpions are viviparous insects, produ- 
cing a very considerable number of young at 
once ; these are at first entirely wliile, but 
acquire their dusky colour in the space of 
a few days. I hey are observed to cast their 
skin from time to time, in the manner of 
spiders, There are iO species. 
Scorpio. See Astronomy. 
SCORPION, in the antient art of war, an 
engine chiefly used in the defence of the wal's 
of fortified places, by throwing arrows, fire- 
balls, or great stones. 
Marcellinus describes the scorpion as con- 
sisting of tw o beams bound together by ropes. 
From the middle of the two, rose a third 
beam, so disposed, as to be pulled up and let 
down at pleasure ; and on the top of this 
were fastened iron hooks, where a sling was 
hung, either of iron or hemp ; and under the 
third beam lay a piece Of hair cloth full "of 
chaff, tied with cords. It had its name 
scorpio, because when the long beam or tiller 
was erected, it had a sharp top in manner of 
a sting. 
To use the engine, a round stone was put 
into the sling ; and four persons on eacli side, 
loosening the beams bound by the ropes, 
drew back the erect beam to the hook ; then 
the engineer, standing on an eminence, gave 
a stroke- with a hammer on the cord to which 
the beam was fastened with its hook, which 
set it at liberty; so that hitting against the 
soft .hair-cloth, it struck out the stone with 
a great force. 
BCOlbPIURUS, Caterpillar, in bo- 
tany, a genus of the decandria order, in the 
diadelphia class of plants ; and in the natural 
method ranking under the 32d order, papilio- 
naceae. The legumen is contracted by inci- 
sions on the inside betwixt every two seeds, 
revoluted round. There arc four species ; 
the most remarkable of which is the vermicu- 
lata, a native of Italy and Spain. It is an 
annual plant, with trailing herbaceous stalks, 
which at each joint have a spat u la r -shaped 
leaf with a long footstalk. From the wings 
ot the Leaves come out the footstalks of the 
dowers, which sustain at the top one yellow 
butterfly-flower, succeeded by a thick twisted 
pod having the size and appearance of a 
large caterpillar, whence it had this title. 
This has long been preserved in the gardens 
of this country, more on account of Its odd 
shape than for any great beauty. 
SCORZA, a mineral of a green-coloured 
sand, the specific gravity of which is 3.35. 
It is found in I ransylvania, and is composed 
of 43.00 silica 
2 1 .00 alumina 
14.00 lime 
16.50 oxide of iron 
0.25 oxide of manganese 
94.75 
SCORZONERA, Viper’s grass; a ge- 
nus of the polygamia aiqualis order, in tine 
syngenesia class of plants ; and in the natural 
method ranking under the 49th order, com- 
posite. The receptacle is naked ; the pap- 
pus plumy ; the calyx imbricated, with scales 
membranaceous on their margins. There 
are 19 species; the most remarkable is the 
hispanicu, or common scorzonera, which is 
cultivated in the gardens of this country, both 
tor culinary and medicinal purposes The 
root is carrot-shaped, about the thickness of 
a finger, covered with a dark-brown skin, is 
"Lite within, and has a milky juice. The 
stalk rises three feet high, is smooth, and 
branching at the top. The flowers are of a 
bright yellow colour. 
SCO ! I j.iN 1). By 5 Anne c. 8, the union 
of England and Scotland was effected, and 
the twenty-five articles of union agreed to bv 
the parliaments of both nations, were ratified 
and confirmed as follows ; viz. the succession 
to the monarchy of Great Britain, shall be 
the same as was before settled with regard 
to that ot England. The united kingdoms 
shall be represented by one parliament. 
1 here shall be a communication of all rights 
and privileges between the subjects of both 
kingdoms, except where it is otherwise agreed. 
When England raises 2,000,000/. bv° land- 
tax, Scotland shall raise 48,000/. ; the stan- 
dards ot the coin, of weights and measures, 
shall be reduced to those of England’ 
throughout the united kingdoms. The laws 
relating to the trade, customs, and the excise, 
shall be the same in Scotland as in England ; 
but all the other laws of Scotland shall remain 
in force, though alterable by the parliament 
ot Great Britain ; and particularly laws re- 
lating to public policy, are alterable at the 
discretion of parliament; laws relating to 
private right are not to be altered, but for 
the evident utility of the people of Scotland. 
Sixteen peers are to be chosen to represent 
the peerage of Scotland in parliament, and 
fort) -five members to sit in the house of com- 
mons. 6 
The sixteen peers of Scotland shall have 
all privileges of parliament, and 'all peers of 
Scotland , shall be peers of Great Britain, 
ranking next after those of the same degree 
at the time of the union, and shall have all 
privileges of peers, except sitting in the 
house ol lords, and voting on the trial of a 
peer. 
It was formerly resolved by the house of 
lords, that a peer of Scotland, claiming and 
having a right to sit in the British house of 
peers had no right to vote in the election of 
tiie sixteen Scotch peers ; but it seems now 
settled, that a Scotch peer, made a peer of 
Great Britain, has a right to vote in the elec- 
tion of the sixteen Scotch peers ; and that 
it any of the sixteen Scotch peers are created 
peers of Great Britain, they thereby cease to 
sit as representatives of the Scotch peerage, 
and new Scotch peers must be elected in 
their room. 
SCREW. See Mechanics. 
Screw, Archimedes’ . See Hydrau- 
lics. 
SCRIBING, in joinery, &c. is a term used 
when one side of a piece of stuff is to be lif- 
ted to another that is irregular. In order to 
make these join close all die way they scribe 
it, that is, they lay the piece to be scribed 
close to the other they intend to scribe it to, 
and opening their compasses to the widest 
distance these two pieces stand from each 
other, they bear the point of one of the legs 
against the side they intend to scribe to, and 
with the other point draw a line on the stuff 
to be scribed. Thus they form a line on the 
irregular piece parallel to the edge of the 
regular one ; audit the stuff is cut exactly 
to the line, when these pieces are put toge- 
ther they will seem a joint. 
SCRIPTURE. All profane scoffing at the 
holy scripture, or exposing any part thereof 
to contempt or ridicule, is punishable by line 
and imprisonment. 1 Ilaw. 7. 
SCROPHl'LA. See Medicine. 
SCROPHULARIA, Figwort ; a genus 
of (he angiospermia order, in the didvnamia 
class of plants ; and in the natural method 
, ranking under the 4()th order, personatae. 
: The calyx is quinquefid ; the corolla almost 
I globose, and resupinated ; the capsule bilocu- 
| lar. 1 here are 22 species, of which the most 
I remarkable are: 1. Nodosa, or llte common 
i figwort, which grows in woods and hedges, 
j '1 lie leaves have a fetid smell and bitter taste. 
A decoction of them is said to cure hogs of 
the measles. An ointment made of the root 
wins formerly used to cure the piles and scro- 
p lml ops sores, but is at present out of prac- 
; tire. 2. Aquatica, water-figwqrt, or betpiiy. 
| It grows on the sides of rivulets and other wet 
i places, and has a fetid smell, though not so 
, strong as. the preceding. The leaves are 
! used iu medicine as a corrector of senna, and 
in powder to promote sneezing. 3. Scoro- 
- donia, or balm-leaved figwort. It grows on 
I the banks’ of rivulets, &c. iu Cornwall. 4. 
! Yernalis, or yejipw ligwovt. It grows in 
hedges in Surry. 
SCROTUM, See Anatomy. 
SCRUPLE, a weight equal to the third 
part of a drachm, or to twenty grains. See 
Weight. 
SCULPTURE. Sculpture is an art, in 
which, by means of taking away, or add.ng to, 
matter, ail sorts of figures are’ formed, either 
