S 1 R 
SIR * 
When the liquid, after these substances 
haVe been separated from it, is concentrated 
bv evaporation, it deposits crystals of acetat 
of' soda. Sinovia, therefore, contains soda. 
Margueron found that 100 parts of sinovia 
contained about 0.71 of soda. 
When strong sulphuric, muriatic, nitric, 
acetic, or sulphurous acid, is poured into si- 
novia, a number ot white flakes precipitate 
at first, but they are soon re-dissolved, and 
the viscidity of the liquid continues. When 
these acids are diluted with live times their 
weight of water, they diminish the transpa- 
rency ot sinovia, but not its viscidity ■, but 
when they are so much diluted that their 
acid taste is just perceptible, they precipitate 
the peculiar thready matter, and the visci- 
dity of the sinovia disappears. 
When sinovia is exposed to a dry atmo- 
sphere, it gradually evaporates, and a scaly 
residuum remains, in which cubic crystals 
and a white saline efflorescence are apparent. 
The cubic crystals are muriat of soda. One 
hundred parts of sinovia contain about 1.75 
of this salt. The saline efflorescence is car- 
bonat of soda. 
Sinovia soon putrefies in a moist atmo- 
sphere, and during the putrefaction ammonia 
is exhaled. When it is distilled in a retort, 
there comes over, first water, which soon 
putrefies ; then water containing ammonia; 
then empyreuinatic oil and carbonat of am- 
monia. From the residuum muriat and car- 
bonat of soda may be extracted by iixivia- 
tion. Sinovia is composed of 
1 1.36 fibrous matter 
4.52 albumen 
1.75 muriat of soda 
.71 soda 
.70 phosphat of lime 
80.13 water 
100.00 
SIN U ATE D leaf. See Botany. 
SINUS. See Anatomy. 
Sinus. See Surgery. 
SIPHON, or Syphon. See Hydro- 
STATIC S. 
SIPHONATHUS, a genus of the tetran- 
dria monogynia class and order. 1 he corolla 
is one-petalled, very long, funnel-form, in- 
ferior ; berries four, one-seeded. There are 
two species, herbs of South America. 
SIPHONIA, a genus of the class and order 
monoecia monadelphia. I lie calyx is one- 
leaved ; no corolla; male anthers five ; tern, 
style none; stigmas three ; caps, tricoccous ; 
seed one. There is one species, a tree of 
Guaiana. 
SIPUNCULUS, or tube-worm, a genus of 
insects of the order vermes intestinal the 
generic character is, body round, elongated ; 
mouth cylindrical at the end, and narrower 
than the body; aperture at the side' of the 
body, and veruciform. There are two spe- 
cies : the S. nudus, inhabits the European 
seas, under stones, and is eight inches long. 
The S. saccatus, body covered with a loose 
skin, and rounded at the lower end : in- 
habits the- American and Indian seas. 
SIREN, a genus of amphibia, of the order 
meantes, of which there are the following 
Species : 
1. Siren lacertina, or eel-shaped siren: 
This species stands eminently distinguished 
n the list' of animals by the ambiguity of its 
S. I R 
characters, which are such as to have induced 
the great Linnaeus to institute for it a new 
order of amphibia, under the title of mean- 
tes ; an order, however, which does not stand 
among the rest of the amphibia in the Sys- 
tem a Naturae, but is mentioned in a note at 
the end of the second part of the first volume 
of that work. 
The genus with which the siren has the 
greatest possible affinity, is the lacerta or 
lizard. It even very much resembles the 
larva, or first state, of a lacerta ; and it is still 
doubtful whether it may not really be such: 
yet it has never been observed in any other 
state, having two feet only, without any ap- 
pearance of a hind pair ; the teet are also 
furnished with claws, whereas the larvae of all 
the lacerta; are observed to be without claws ; 
or, in the Linnaean phrase, digitis niuticis ; the 
mouth has several rows of smallish teeth ; the 
body is eel-shaped, but slightly flattened be- 
neath, marked on the sides by several 
wrinkles, and slightly compressed towards 
the extremity of the tail, which is edged with 
a kind of soft skin or adipose fin ; on each 
side the neck are three ramified branchial 
processes, ■resembling, on a larger scale, 
those belonging to the larva of water-newts, 
and at the base are the openings into the 
gills : the eyes are very small and blue. The 
general colour of the animal is a deep or 
blackish brown, scattered ever, especially on 
the sides, with numerous minute whitish 
specks. Its size nearly equals that of an 
eel, being frequently found of the length of 
more than two feet. It is a native of North 
America, and more particularly of South 
Carolina, where it is not very uncommon in 
muddy and swampy places, living generally 
under water, but sometimes appearing on 
land. It has a kind of squeaking or singing 
voice, for which reason Linnaeus distinguishes 
it by the title of siren. See Plate Nat. Hist, 
fig. 367. 
!t remains to be added, that the siren, if 
thrown on the ground with any degree of 
violence, has been observed to break in two 
or three places ; in this particular resembling 
the unguis fragilis, or slow-worm. It is also 
pro; er to observe, that no lizard of which it 
may be supposed the larva, has eve" yet been 
discovered in those parts of Carolina where 
it is most frequent. The species to which it 
seems .most allied is the lacerta teguixmofj 
Linnaeus, which is a native of South Ame- 
j rica. 
2. Siren anguina, anguine siren. This sin- 
gular animal is found in as singular a situa- 
tion, being an inhabitant of the celebrated 
and romantic lake called Lake Zirknitz, 
about six German miles from Labac, in the 
duchy of Carolina, in Austria. From this 
lake,' which is somewhat more than a Ger- 
man mile in length, and half as much in 
breadth, the water regularly retires during 
the summer, by numerous subterraneous out- 
lets or holes at the bottom ; leaving the 
ground drv, and fit for pasture, the cultiva- 
tion of millet, &c. &c. as well as for various 
kinds of hunting and other amusements ; but 
in the month of October it again returns, 
with great force, springing out of the pas- 
sages before mentioned from a vast depth 
till the lake is completely tilled. It is situat- 
ed in a hollow or valley, surrounded by 
rocky and woody mountains, in which are 
vast caverns, and is princ pally supplied by 
eight rivulets running uuo it frofn the adjoin- 
ing mountainous region. 
The species of siren at present to be de- 
scribed is extremely rare; and is found in the 
spring, and towards the decline of summer, 
in some particular parts ot the above-men- 
tioned lake; and commonly measures, when 
full-grown, from about ten to twelve or 
thirteen inches in length ; the largest speci- 
mens being near three quarters ot an inch in 
diameter. It is entirely of a pale rose or 
flesh-colour, or even nearly white, except the 
three pair of ramified branchial tins on each 
side the neck, which are of a bright red or 
carmine-colour. Its general shape is that of 
an eel ; the body being -cylindrie, till to- 
wards the end of the tail, where it becomes 
fiat, and is attenuated both above and below 
into a kind of fatty fin, scarcely distinguish- 
able from the rest of the tail ; the skin L 
everv where smooth and even ; the head of 
a somewhat depressed form ; with a length- 
ened, obtuse, and widish snout, and has no 
external eyes ; the mouth is moderately 
wide, and furnished with a row of very mi- 
nute teeth ; the legs are about f of an inch 
in length, the fore legs being situated almost 
immediately behind the branchial fins, and 
the feet furnished with three toes, without 
any appearance of claws ; the hind legs are 
situated at a great distance backwards, to- 
wards the commencement of the tail, and 
are of the same appearance with the fore 
legs; but the feet have only two toes, which, 
like those of the fore feet, are destitute of 
claws. The motions of the animal, when 
taken out of the water, are, in general, ex- 
tremely slow and languid ; as is also the case 
when kept in a vessel of water ; but when in 
its native lake, it is sometimes observed to 
swim pretty briskly, waving its body in a 
seroentine direction in the manner of a 
leech. 
3. Siren pisciformis, fish-formed siren. This 
animal in its natural size is supposed to be a 
native of 'Mexico, and though perhaps no 
other than the larva or tadpole of some large 
American lizard, scarcely seems a less singu- 
lar and curious animal than the siren lacertina. 
In its general appearance it bears some re- 
semblance to the larva of the rana paradoxa, 
but is furnished with gills, opening externally 
in the manner of a fish ; the openings are 
very large, and the operculum or external 
flap* is continued from the sides of the head 
across the throat beneath, so as completely 
to insulate the head from the breast ; the 
gills themselves consist of four semicircular 
bony or cartilaginous arches, which are den- 
ticulated or serrated on their internal or con- 
cave part, like those of fishes ; on the eper- 
cula or external ft ps are situated ti.ree very 
large and elegant branchial fins or ramified 
parts, divided or subdivided into a vast num- 
ber of slender or capillary processes. In 
these particulars it resembles the siren lacer- 
tina, except that in that animal the external 
opening to the gills is very small ; the mouth 
is furnished in •front with a row ot extremely 
minute teeth ; the tongue is large, smooth, 
and rounded at the tip : the rictus, or gape, 
when the mouth is closed, appears consider- 
ably wider than it really is, owing to a lateral 
sulcus proceeding from each corner to some 
distance ; the feet are entirely destitute of 
webs, and the toes are furnished with, weak- 
