STR 
STR 
STR 
?12 
sabstances. It i* sometimes transparent and 
colourless, but generally has a tinge of yellow 
or green. Its specific gravity varies from 
3.4 to 3,726. Its texture i» generally fibrous; 
and sometimes it is found crystallized in 
slender prismatic columns of various lengths. 
Strontian is found abundantly in different 
places of the world, and always combined 
with carbonic acid or sulphuric acid. 
1 . The carbonic acid may be expelled from 
the carbonat, and the strontian obtained pure 
by mixing the mineral with charcoal powder, 
and exposing it to a heat of 140 1 Wedge- 
wood; or by dissolving the mineral in nitric 
acid, evaporating the solution till it crystal- 
lizes, and exposing the crystals in a crucible 
to a red heat till the nitric acid is driven off. 
2. Strontian thus obtained, is in porous 
masses, of a greyish white colour ; its taste is 
acrid and alkaline ; and it converts vegetable 
blues to green. Its specific gravity, accord- 
ing to Hassenfratz, is 1.647. It does not 
bet so strongly on animal bodies as barytes, 
noris it poisonous. 
It does not melt when healed like barytes ; 
but before the blowpipe it is penetrated witli 
light, and surrounded with a tlame so white 
and brilliant that the eye can scarcely be- 
hold it. 
3. Wheu water is sprinkled on strontian 
it is slacked, becomes hot, and falls to powder 
exactly like barytes ; but it is not so soluble 
in water as that earth. One hundred and 
sixty-two parts of water, at the temperature 
of 60°, dissolve nearly one part of strontian. 
The solution, known by the name of strontian 
water, is clear and transparent, and converts 
vegetable blues to a green. Hot water dis- 
solves it in much larger quantities ; and as it 
cools, the strontian is deposited in colourless 
transparent crystals. These are in the form 
of thin quadrangular plates, generally paral- 
lelograms, the largest of which seldom ex- 
ceeds one-fourth of an inch in length. Some- 
times their edges are plain, but they oftener 
consist of two facets, meeting together, and 
forming an angle like the roof of a house. 
These crystals generally adhere to each other 
in such a* manner as to form a thin plate of an 
incli or more in length, and half an inch in 
breadth. Sometimes they assume a cubic 
form. They contain about 68 parts in 100 
of water. They are soluble in 51.4 parts of 
water, at the temperature of 60'"'. Boiling 
water dissolves nearly half its weight of them. 
When exposed to the air, they lose their wa- 
ter, attract carbonic acid, and fall into 
powder. Their specific gravity is 1 .46. 
4. Strontian is not acted on by light ; nei- 
ther does it combine with oxygen. 
5. Sulphur and phosphorus are the only 
simple combustibles with which it unites. 
The sulphuret of strom ian may be made 
by fusing the two ingredients in a crucible. 
It is soluble in water by means of sulphureted 
hydrogen, which is evolved. When the 
solution is evaporated, hydrosulphuret of 
strontian is obtained in crystals, and hydro- 
genated sulphuret remains in solution. These 
compounds resemble almost exactly the snl- 
phuret, hydrosulphuret, and hydrogenated 
sulphuret of barytes; and, do not therefore 
require a particular description. The same 
remark applies to the-phosphuretof strontian, 
which may be prepared by the same process 
as the phosphuret of barytes. 
6. Strontian does not combine with azote ; 
but it unites readily with muriatic acid, and 
forms the substance called niuriat oi stron 
turn. 
7. Strontian lias no action upon metals ; 
but it combines with several of theii oxides, 
and forms compounds which have not hither- 
to been examined. 
8. It does not combine with alkalies nor 
with barytes. No precipitation takes place 
when barytes and strontian water are mixed 
together. 
9- Strontian has the property of tinging 
flame of a beautiful red, or rath* r purple co- 
lour ; a property discovered bv l)r. Ash in 
1787. The experiment may be made by 
putting a little of the salt composed of nitric 
acid and strontian into the wick of a lighted 
candle ; or by setting fire to alcohol, hold- 
ing muriat of strontian in solution. In both 
cases the tlame is of a lively purple. In this 
respect it differs from barytes, which when 
tried in the same way is found to communi- 
cate a blueish yellow tinge to fame. 
1 0. The affinities of strontian, as ascertain- 
ed by Dr. Hope and Mr. Vauquelin, are as 
follows : 
Sulphuric acid. 
Phosphoric, 
Oxal re. 
Tartaric, 
Fluoric, 
Nitric, 
Muriatic, 
Succinic, 
Acetic, 
Arsenic, 
Boracic, 
Carbonic. 
Barytes and strontian resemble each other 
in their properties as closely as potass and 
soda: hence, like these two alkalies, they 
were.for some time confounded. It is iu their 
combination with acids that the most striking 
differences between these two earths are to be 
observed. 
STRUMPFIA a genus of plants belonging 
to the class of syngenesia, and to tire order of 
llronogamia. The calyx is quinquedentate 
and superior ; the coraila is pentape r alous ; 
and the berry monospermous. There is 
only one species, the maritima, a shrub of 
Curacoa. 
S I RUTHIO, in natural history, a genus 
of birds belonging to the order of grata of 
Lirinams. It includes, 1. The ostrich, has a 
bill somewhat conical ; the wings are so 
short as to be unfit for flying; the thighs 
and sides of the body are naked ; the feet 
are formed for running, having two toes, 
one only of which is furnished with a nail. 
r J he head and bill somewhat resemble those of 
a duck ; and the neck may be likened to 
that of a swan, but that it is much longer; the 
legs and thighs resemble those of a hen, 
though the whole appearnce bears a strong 
resemblance to that of a camel. But though 
usually seven feet high from the top of the 
head to the ground, from the back it is only 
four ; so that the head and neck are above 
three feet long. From the top of the head 
to the rump, when the neck is stretched 
out in a right line, it is six feet long, and the 
tail is about a foot more. One of the wings 
without the feathers, is a foot and a half; 
and being stretched out, with the feathers, is 
three feet. 
The plumage is much alike in all; that is, 
generally black and white ; though some of 
them are said to be grey. There are no fea- 
thers on the sides, nor yet on the thighs,, nor 
under the wings. The lower partof the neck, 
about half-way, is covered with still smaller 
feathers than those on the belly and back ; j 
and those also are of different colours. 
At the end of each wing there is a kind of 
spur almost like the quill of a porcupine, it 
is an inch long, being hollow and ot a horny I 
substance. There are two of these on each 
wing; the largest ot which is at the ex- 
tremity of the bone of the wing, and the! 
other a foot lower. The neck seems to! 
be mone slender in proportion to that off 
other birds, irom its not being furnished I 
with feathers. The skin in this part is of a 
livid flesh-colour, which some improperly 
would have to be blue. The bill is short and 
pointed, and two inches and a half at the 
beginning. The external form of the eye is 
like that of a man, the upper eye-lid being 
adorned with eye-lashes which are longer 
than those on the lid below. The tongue isj 
small, very short, and composed of cartilages, ! 
ligaments, and membranes, intermixed with 
fleshy fibres. In some it is about an inch 1 
long, and very thick at the bottom ; in others 
it is but half an inch, being a little forked at 
the end. 
The ostrich is a native only of the torrid | 
regions of Africa, and has long been cele- 
brated by those who have had occasion to 
mention the animals of that region. Its flesh 
is proscribed in scripture as unfit to be eaten ; 
and most of the antient writers describe it 
as well known in their times. Like the race 
ot the elephant, it is transmitter! down with- 
out mixture ; and has never been known to 
breed out of that country which first produced 
it. It seems formed to live among the sandy 
and burning deserts of the torrid zone; and, as 
in some measure it owes its birth to their ge- 
nial influence, so it seldom migrates into trac ts 
more mild or more fertile. The Arabians 
assert that the ostrich never drinks ; and the 
place of its habitation seems to confirm the 
assertion. In these formidable regions os- 
triches are seen in large flocks, which to the 
distant spectator appear like a regiment of 
cavalry, and have often alarmed a whole ca- 
ravan. There is no desert, how barren so- 
ever, but what is capable of supplying these ■ 
animals with provision ; they eat almost every 
thing ; and these barren tracts are thus doubly 
grateful, as they afford both food and se- 
curity. The ostrich is very voracious. It 
will devour leather, grass, ha'ir, iron, stones, 
or any thing that is given. Those substances 
which the coats of the stomach cannot soften, 
pass whole ; so that glass, stones, or iron, are- 
excluded in the form in which they were de- 
voured. 
In their native deserts, however, it is pro- 
bable they live chiefly upon vegetables, where 
they lead an inoff’ensiye and social life ; the 
male, as Thevenot assures us, assorting with 
the female. with connubial fidelity. They are 
said to be very much inclined to venery ; 
and the make of the parts in both sexes seems- 
to confirm the report. ft is probable also 
they copulate like other birds, by compres- 
sion. They lay very large eggs, some of 
them being above five inches in diameter, and 
weighing above fifteen pounds. These eggs 
have a very hard shell, somewhat resembbng 
those of the crocodile, except that those of the 
latter are less and rounder. 
The season for laying depends on the cli- 
mate where the animal is bred. In the nortb- 
