Spe´cular iron. A kind of iron ore of granular structure, and metallic lustre, sometimes shining.

Specta´bilis. Lat. Visible, remarkable, noteable.

Spica´ta. Lat. Having spikes; eared like corn.

Spine´lle, or Spine´l. French. A sub-species of ruby.

Spiræ´a. A genus of plants of the family of Rosáceæ.

Spores. The seeds of lichens, and crytógamous plants.

Sporu´les. The diminutive of spores.

Spuma´ceous. From the Lat. spuma, foam. Foamy.

Stagma´ria. From the Gr. stagma, a drop. A genus of plants of the family of Anacardiáceæ. Stagma´ria verniciflua, a tree of Sumatra, from the bark of which exudes an extremely acrid juice. This juice quickly dries in the air, becomes black, and is sold at a high price; it is employed in the preparation of a varnish. The Sumatrans consider it dangerous to sit or sleep in the shade of this tree.

Sta´men. Lat. The male apparatus of a flower.

Stape´lia. Proper name. A genus of plants of the family of Asclepiádeæ.

Starch. A vegetable substance which exists in many tuberous roots, the stalks of palms, and in the seeds of the cereal grasses.

Step´pe. Fr., from the Lat. stipes, a landmark. A term applied to the Savanahs of Tartary, of the Crimea, &c., and salt deserts of Northern Asia.

Sti´gma. The superior, terminating part of the pistil of a flower.

Stillin´gia. After Dr. Stillingfleet. A genus of plants of the family of Euphorbiáceæ. Stillingia sebifera. The tallow tree of China.

Stra´ta. Lat. Plural of stratum, a layer, a bed.

Stratifica´tion. An arrangement in beds or layers.

Stra´tified. Arranged in strata.

Stra´tus. A kind of cloud: it consists of horizontal layers, and includes fogs and mists; its under surface usually rests upon the land or sea, and it is therefore the lowest of the clouds.

Strelit´zia. After Queen Charlotte, of the family of Mecklenburgh Strelitz. A genus of plants of the family of Musáceæ.

Stri´æ. Lat. Diminutive channels or creases.

Stria´ta. Lat. Striated; marked with striæ.

Stron´tium. A metalloid found in the earth called strontia.

Stru´thio. Lat. An ostrich. A genus of birds.

Stru´theous. Of the nature of an ostrich.

Strych´nos. A genus of plants of the family of Apocy´neæ. Strych´nos toxica´ria. The poison strychnos.

Style´dium. From the Gr. stulos, a column. A genus of plants of the family of Stylideæ, found in New Holland.

Sublima´tion. The process by which volatile substances are raised by heat, and again condensed into the solid form. The substances so obtained are called sublimates.

Sub soil. An under soil.

Sub stra´ta. Lat. Plural of substratum, an under layer or bed.

Sul´phuret. A compound of sulphur with another solid, as with iron, forming sulphuret of iron.

Sul´phuretted. Containing sulphur; as hydrogen, containing sulphur, is called sulphuretted hydrogen.

Supe´rba. Lat. Superb, elegant.

Suria´na. A genus of plants of the family of Suriáneæ; it was formerly of the Rosáceæ.

Sycomo´rus. Lat. The Sycamore; applied also as a specific name.

Sy´enite and SI´ENITE. A granite rock from Syene or Siena in Egypt. It consists of quartz, feldspar, and hornblende. It is tougher than granite.

Syl´via. Name of a genus of birds.

Syngene´sia. From the Gr. sun, together, and geinomai, to grow. Linnean name of a class of plants.

Tac´ca. Malay. A genus of plants of the family of Aroïdeæ. Tac´ca pinnatifida. The Salep tree.

Tang´hinia. From the Madagascar name, Tanghing. A genus of plants of the family of Apocy´neæ. Tang´hinia vene´niflua yields an active poison which is used to cause death, under judicial sentence, by the natives of Madagascar.

Tanta´lium. A metal, remarkable for its insolubility in acids.

Tan´talus. A genus of birds of the family of Herons.

Tata´rica. Lat. Belonging or relating to Tartary.

Telesco´pic. Relating to the telescope; telescopic objects are those which may be seen by the aid of a telescope.

Tellu´rium. A rare metal, found in the gold mines of Transylvania.

Tempera´ture. A definite degree of sensible heat.

Tempora´ria. Lat. Temporary; relating to time.

Te´nax. Lat. Tenacious.

Ter´mes. A genus of insects of the order of Neuroptera, and family of Termitidæ. White ants.

Terra japo´nica. An astringent medicinal gum, obtained from the Acácia catechu.

Tertiary formation. A series of sedimentary rocks which are superior to the primary and secondary, and distinguished by the fossil remains found in them.

Testa´ceæ. From testa, a shell. Testáceans; animals provided with an external shelly cover, composed chiefly of carbonate of lime.

Testa´ceous. Consisting of carbonate of lime and animal matter.

Testu´do. Lat. Tortoise. A genus of reptiles of the order of Chelonians.

Tetrace´ra. From the Gr. tettaras, four, and keras, a horn. A genus of plants of the family of Dillenáceæ.

Te´trago´na. From the Gr. tetra, four, and gonos, angle. Having four angles; applied as a specific name. A genus of plants of the family of Portuláceæ.

The´a. A genus of plants of the tribe of Camelleæ. The´a bohea, Bohea tea; Thea viridis, Green tea.

The´ine. The proximate principle of tea.

Ther´mal. From the Gr. thermos, heat. Warm; belonging or relating to heat.

Tho´rium. A metal obtained from Thorina, an earthy substance.

Thu´ia, also Thu´ja. A genus of plants of the family of Coni´feræ. Thuia articulata. Jointed arbor vitæ. T. orientalis; Chinese arbor vitæ. T. sandarach, Shittim wood.

Tidal. Relating to tides. Tidal wave is the elevation of the water of the ocean, produced by the attraction of the moon.

Tilland´sia. A genus of plants of the family of Bromeliáceæ.

Tita´nium. A metal discovered in 1781, by W. Gregor, in a ferruginous sand.

To´dus. A genus of birds of the order of Passerinæ.

To´paz. A crystalized mineral, harder than quartz, of a yellow wine color.

Torsion balance. See, Balance.

Tou´rmaline. A mineral substance consisting of a Boro-silicate of alumine, harder than quartz, but not as hard as topaz.

Tournfo´rtia. After Tournefort. A genus of plants of the family of Borragi´neæ.

Tra´chyte. From the Gr. trachus, rough. A variety of lava. A feldspathic rock, which often contains glassy feldspar and hornblende. When the feldspar crystals are thickly and uniformly disseminated, it is called trachytic porphyry.

Trap. From the Swedish trappa, a flight of stairs, because trap rocks frequently occur in large tabular masses rising one above another like the successive steps of a stair-case. Applied to certain igneous rocks composed of feldspar, angite, and hornblende.

Tra´ppean. Belonging to trap rocks.

Trema´ndra. A genus of plants of the family of Tremándrea.

Trias. From the Lat. tres, three. Synonym of the triássic system of rocks, consisting of the Bunter sandstein, the Muschelkalk, and Keuper, a group of sandy marls of variegated colors.

Tricho´manes. From the Gr. trichos, hair, and mania, madness, excess. A genus of plants of the class of Crytoga´mia. Tricho´manes brevise´tum. Short-styled trichómanes.

Tricy´rtis. From the Gr. treis, three, and kurtis, a sack or pouch. A genus of plants of the family of Melantháceæ.

Tridenta´ta. Lat. Three-toothed; having three teeth.

Tri´gonoce´phalus. From the Gr. treis, three, gonos, an angle, and kephale, head. A genus of very venemous serpents. Tri´gonoce´phalus lanceola´tus. Lance-head viper.

Tri´lobite. From the Lat. tres, three, and lobus, lobe. A genus of fossil crustáceans.

Trio´nyx. From the Gr. treis, three, and onux, a nail. A genus of Chelonians.

Trio´steum. From the Gr. treis, three, and osteon, a bone, a nut. A genus of plants of the family of Caprifoliáceæ.