shire, and shire-gemote (Saxon, gemote, meeting), to the sheriff's tourn or county court. See Courts.) The English county members of the house of commons are called knights of the shire. In the U. States, the word is little used, except in composition; as shire-town, the capital of the county.

SHIRLEY, James, a poet and dramatic writer, was born in London about 1594, was educated at Merchant Tailors' school, and thence removed to St. John's college, Oxford. He became a favorite with doctor Laud, who discountenanced his entry into the church, on account of a large mole upon his cheek, which he deemed a disqualification by deformity, according to the canons. On removing to Cambridge, he met with no difficulty on this score, and obtained a curacy near St. Alban's. He soon after went over to the church of Rome, and, giving up his curacy, sought to establish a grammar-school in the same town. Failing in this endeavor, he removed to London, became a writer for the stage, and acquired a reputation which caused him to be taken into the service of queen Henrietta Maria. His first comedy is dated 1629, and he wrote nine or ten between that year and 1637, when he accompanied the earl of Kildare to Ireland. He returned the following year, and when the civil war broke out, he left London, with his wife and family; and, being invited by the earl of Newcastle, he accompanied that nobleinan to the wars. On the decline of the king's cause, he returned to London, and, the acting of plays being prohibited, resumed his school. In 1666, he was forced, with his wife, by the great fire, from his house in St. Giles's parish; and, being extremely affected by the loss and terror that the fire occasioned, they both died, Oct. 29, within twenty-four hours. Besides thirty-seven tragedies and comedies, he published a volume of poems, some specimens of which may be found in Ellis's Collection.

SHISHAC OF SESAC; an Egyptian king, mentioned by the Hebrew writers, who made an incursion into Judea in the reign of Jeroboam, and pillaged the temple (about B. C.791). He has been commonly supposed to be the same as Sesostris (q. v.); but Champollion has proved (Précis du Système hieroglyphique, pp. 255257) that he is the Sesonchis of the Greeks, or Sheshank; and an inscription at Karnac represents him as carrying into captivity the king of the Jews.

SHIUMLA. (See Choumla.)

SHOCK. (See Choc.)

SHORE, Jane; the wife of a rich goldsmith of London, in the fifteenth century, and mistress of Edward IV, whose favor, which she entirely possessed, she never abused to any man's hurt, but often employed to many a man's relief. After the death of Edward, in 1482, she seems to have been the paramour of lord Hastings. (See Edward IV.) Richard III (q. v.), partly to revive among the citizens the memory of his brother's licentiousness, and partly on account of her connexion with Hastings, whom he accused of being "the chief abettor of that witch Shore," determined to expose her to public ignominy. Laying bare his arm, all shrivelled and decayed from his birth, he declared before the council, that the incantations and witchcraft of Jane Shore and her associates had reduced him to that condition. He then had her summoned to answer against a charge of sorcery; but, unable to effect his purpose in this manner, he directed her to be tried for adultery and lewdness by the spiritual court, and she was obliged to do penance in a white sheet, at St. Paul's, before the whole people. She is supposed to have died at an advanced age in the reign of Henry VIII. Her story has been consecrated by the muse of Shakspeare (Richard III) and Rowe, and has been introduced upon the French stage, in the tragedies of Liadières (Jane Shore, 1824) and Lemercier (Richard III et Jane Shore). SHORT-HAND. (See Stenography.) SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS. (See Optics, head Vision.)

SHOT; a missive weapon, discharged by the force of ignited powder from a fire-arm in battle. Of these there are various kinds. Round-shot or bullets are balls or globes of iron, whose weight is in proportion to the bore of the cannon. Double-headed, or bar-shot, are formed of a bar, with a round head at each end, which fits the muzzle of the cannon. The middle is sometimes filled with a composition, and the whole covered with linen dipped in brimstone, so that the cannon, in firing, inflames the combustibles or composition of this ball, which sets fire to the sails of the enemy. One of the heads of this ball has a hole to receive a fuse, which, communicating with the charge of the cannon, sets fire to the bullet. Chain-shot consist of two balls chained together, being principally designed to annoy the enemy by cutting sails, rigging, &c. rupe-shot is a combination of balls strongly corded in

1

canvass upon an iron bottom, so as to form a sort of cylinder, whose diameter is equal to that of the ball which is adapted to the cannon. Case-shot, or canister-shot, are composed of a great number of small bullets, put into a cylindrical tin box. They are principally used, when very near, to clear the decks of the enemy. Besides these, there are others of a more pernicious kind, used by privateers, pirates, &c.; such are langrageshot, star-shot, fire-arrows, &c. Star-shot consist of four pieces of iron, whose bases, when separate, form the quadrant of a circle; so that the whole, being joined, forms a cylinder equal to the shot of the cannon. Each of these pieces is furnished with an iron bar, the extremity of which is attached to a sort of link, as keys are strung upon a ring. Being discharged from the gun, the four branches or arms extend every way from the link in the centre. These are chiefly intended to destroy the sails or rigging; but their flight and execution are very precarious at any considerable distance.

SHREW-MOLE (Scalops, Cuv.); head elongated and terminating in an extended and cartilaginous snout, which is very flexible; eyes exceedingly small, and entirely concealed by the hair, requiring the closest attention for their detection. The auricle is entirely wanting, and the integument of the head nearly covers the tube leading to the internal ear. The feet are very short, and five-toed; the fore feet terminate in a remarkably large hand, of which the fingers are armed with long, flat and linear nails. The hind feet are very delicate, and the toes are provided with small hooked nails. When at rest, the shrew-mole resembles a small stuffed sack. This animal is found abundantly in North America, from Canada to Virginia. He burrows with great quickness. His soft and polished tur, preventing friction, tends to facilitate his subterranean march. Numerous galleries, communicating with each other, enable the animal to travel in various directions without coming to the surface. Under ordinary circumstances, the burrows are simply oval-arched galleries, running forward, either straight or in gentle curvatures; sometimes only one to three inches deep, at other times much deeper. His favorite food is the earthworm; and he destroys grubs and insects of various kinds in great quantities. In the winter, he burrows near streams, where the ground is not so deeply frozen. The shrew-mole is not only able to make his way rapidly under ground, but can run

quite fast when on the surface. If you attempt to draw him, by his posterior extremities, out of his hole, he clings by his fore paws with great force; and, when finally dragged out, frequently inflicts a severe bite on his disturber. Shrew-moles are most active early in the morning and at mid-day. The precision with which these creatures daily come to the surface at twelve o'clock, is remarkable. The shrew-mole is covered with a bright glossy fur, about half an inch in length, and of a bright plumbeous color, very closely set, and in all parts directed backward. The whole fore arm is concealed by the skin, leaving the broadly expanded palm, with its fore nails, projecting from the fore part of the body in an awkward manner, if compared with the anterior extremity of other animals. The snout is composed of a cartilage, articulated with the premaxillary bones, and is moved in various directions, by muscles situated on the side of the head; it is naked, and of a very light flesh-color. The mouth is large, and the size of the tongue considerable. The eyes are difficult to be discovered externally, without a good glass. The eyeballs are less in size than a grain of mustard seed. The aperture of the eye-lids will about allow the passage of an ordinary sized human hair. The vision of this animal seems to be barely sufficient to give him an intimation of light, without allowing him to distinguish the figures of bodies. His whole structure seems to be studied with a view to facilitate his progress under the earth. The total length, from the point of the snout to the beginning of. the tail, is five inches, and the tail is one inch long; the longest fur on the body, half an inch in length. A living specimen, kept for many weeks in a room, spent the greater part of the day in sleep, and was very active at night. He could not see in any light, as he uniformly ran his nose with some violence against every obstacle several times, before he learned to avoid those that were permanent. (See Godman's American Natural History, from which the above account is abridged.)

SHREWSBURY; a market town and borough of England, in the county of Salop, and the chief town in the county, situated on the Severn. There is a very fine public walk, called the Quarry, along the banks of the Severn. The streets are, many of them, steep and narrow, and all indifferently paved. The public buildings deserve attention, both for their architecture and antiquity. The ruins of the castle consist of two round towers and a

curtain, the work of Edward I; the walls of the inner court; and the great arch of the interior gateway. There are six churches, a Roman Catholic chapel, and meeting-houses for Presbyterians, Unitarians, Baptists, Methodists and Quakers. The charitable institutions of Shrewsbury are the infirmary, the house of industry, an hospital, &c. In the suburb called the abbey Foregate are the remains of the abbey dedicated to St. Peter, at one time a great resort of people from all parts of the kingdom, to the shrine of St. Winefrid. Besides the abbey, Shrewsbury had formerly three convents and five chapels. Shrewsbury is a place of considerable trade. Flannels used to be the staple articles, and a coarse kind of woollen cloth, made in Montgomeryshire, called Welsh webs. Some manufactures are also carried on in the town, viz. of linen yarn, porter, &c. It is famous for its excellent bran, which is sent to various parts of the kingdom. It sends two members to parliament. Its origin is referred to the fifth century, when the Britons are thought to have established themselves here. It was often visited by the English monarchs, and became the scene of many military events. About two miles from the town was fought the battle of Shrewsbury, in which Henry V, then prince of Wales, first distinguished himself in the field, and Hotspur was slain. At the entrance of the town is a column of freestone, to commemorate the military achievements of lord Hill. Population in 1831, 16,055. Forty miles west of Lichfield.

SHRIMP (crangon); a small, crustaceous animal, allied to the lobster and craw-fish, which frequents shallow waters along the sea-coast. In shape, it resembles these animals, but is more elongated in proportion,and is destitute of the large anterior claws; and it is distinguished from the prawn by the absence of the long, anterior, serrated spine. The term is sometimes, but improperly, applied to the species of gammarus, which are much more abundant along our coasts; but these are readily distinguished by the compressed form of their bodies. The shrimp has ten feet; the tail is as long as the body, and terminated at the extremity with scale-like appendages, which unfold somewhat in the manner of a fan. During life, the body is semi-transparent, and so much resembles sea-water that the animal is distinguished with difficulty. Its ordinary motion consists of leaps. It is abundant in sandy places, and furnishes nutriment to great numbers of fishes, aquatic birds,

&c.

The European species is in great request for the table, and, in the summer season, is carried in vast quantities to the principal towns, even at a considerable distance in the interior. We have a species common along our Atlantic coast, from Maine to Florida, which might be usefully employed, like the European; but it is entirely neglected.

SHROUDS; a range of large ropes extended from the mast-heads to both sides of a ship, to support the masts, and enable them to carry sail, &c.

SHROVETIDE, or SHROVE TUESDAY; the day before the first of Lent or AshWednesday, so called because on that day it was customary for all persons to confess their sins. (See Carnival, and Lent.) After confession, at least in England, it was usual to eat pancakes. Shrove Tuesday is called in German Fastnacht (fast-eve), and in French Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday).

SHUKOWSSKIJ, Wassily Andrejewitsch, a Russian poet, was born in 1784, educated at Moscow, took part in the campaign of 1812, and subsequently began his poetical career with his Liudmilla, a translation of Bürger's Lenore. He has formed himself on the model of Göthe, Goldsmith, Byron, sir Walter Scott, and Thomas Moore. His ballads, epistles and elegies are particularly esteemed. In 1824, he published the third edition of his poetical works, in four volumes. In 1824, he was made reader to the present empress, and at present directs the education of the grand prince Alexander, heir-apparent to the throne. Shukowsskij must not be confounded with prince Shakowss kij, who is considered the first comic pret of Russia.

SHUMLA. (See Choumla.)

SIAM; a country in the peninsula of Farther India, or Chin-India, which is but imperfectly known to us. The Siamese empire is composed of Siam Proper, a large portion of Lao, a portion of Cambodia, and some tributary Malay states, extending from about lat. 5° to 21° N., and from lon. 97° 50' to 105° E. Its area may be estimated at 190,000 geographical square miles, with a population of not more than 2,790,500, of which 1,260,000 are Siamese, 840,000 Laos, 195,000 Malays, 440,000 Chinese, &c. The greater proportion of the territory, although it contains some rich alluvial plains, appears to be mountainous: the soil is, much of it, fertile, the climate favorable, and the communication easy, so that the thinness of the population must be ascribed to the

varbarism and bad government of the country. The capital of the empire is Bangkok (lat. 13° 50° N.), near the mouth of the Menam, the great river of Siam, the population of which Crawfurd estimates not to exceed 50,000. Ayuthia, the old capital, eighty miles from the mouth of the same river, which here becomes navigable, is the next_considerable city of the empire. Siam Proper is the valley of the Menam, which, at its southern extremity, does not exceed 60 miles in breadth: its length is stated at about 360 miles, and its superficial area may amount to 20,000 square miles. The country of the Laos-a people speaking a dialect of the Siamese language-appears to be divided between the Siamese, the Chinese, and the Birmans, with which latter empires that of Siam is thus brought into contact. Subsequently to the civil war which broke out in Cambodia in 1809, that kingdom was divided between the Siamese and the Cochin-Chinese governments. The Malay states tributary to Siam are Queda, on the western coast of the peninsula, with Patani, Kalantan and Tringano on the east. The Siamese are one of the most considerable and civilized of the group of nations inhabiting the tropical regions beyond Hindoostan and China. In stature they are shorter than Europeans, averaging about five feet three inches in height. Their complexion is a light brown, rather darker than that of the Chinese. In the useful arts they have made little progress, and, in this respect, are much behind the Hindoos and Chinese. Their alphabet consists of thirty-eight consonants, and numerous vowels and diphthongs, and the characters are written from left to right. The language is destitute of inflections, and its construction depends, therefore, like the English, on juxtaposition. The literature is very meagre, consisting merely of some songs, romances and chronicles. Their sacred literature, like that of all other Buddhist countries, is in the Bali or Pali language. The Siamese are represented by travellers as servile, rapacious, slothful, disingenuous, pusillanimous and vain. The religion is Buddhism, resembling, in its morality and doctrines, that which prevails in Ceylon, but differing considerably from the Buddhism of Tartary, China and Japan. (See Buddha, and Fo.) The priests, or talapoins, live in monasteries, and are bound to celibacy. The earliest event of which we have any information in Siamese history, is the introduction of the religion of Buddha from Ceylon in the

In

seventh century of the Christian era. 1511 began the first intercourse of Europeans with this country, through the Portuguese. In 1684, the celebrated Siamese embassy was sent to Louis XIV, through the influence of Constantine Phaulcon or Falcon, a Greek adventurer, who, by a singular destiny, had become phraklang or foreign minister of Siam. In the middle of the last century, the country was conquered by the Birman prince Alompra (see Birman Empire); but it has since recovered its independence, and, during the reign of the late king (1809-1824), considerable acquisitions of territory were made.-See Crawfurd's Journal of an Embassy to Siam and Cochin-China (London, 1828).

not a

SIAMESE TWINS, two youths born in the kingdom of Siam, with bodies singularly united by a strong band at the lowest part of the sternum of each, were carried from Siam, April 1, 1829, by captain Coffin, of the American ship Sachem, and extensively exhibited in Europe and the U. States during that and the three subsequent years. "The substance by which they are connected," says doctor Warren, of Boston, who examined them, " is a mass two inches long at its upper edge, and about five at the lower. Its breadth, from above downwards, may be four inches, and its thickness, in a horizontal direction, two inches. Of course it rounded cord, but thicker in the perpendicular than in the horizontal direction. At its lower edge is perceived a single umbilicus, through which passed a single umbilical cord to nourish both children in the fetal state. Placing my hand on this substance, which I will denominate the cord, I was surprised to find it extremely hard. On further examination, this hardness was found to exist at the upper part of the cord only, and to be prolonged into the breast of each boy. Tracing it upwards, I found it to be con stituted by a prolongation of the ensiform cartilage of the sternum, or extremity of the breast bone. The breadth of this cartilage is an inch and a half; its thickness may be about the eighth of an inch. The cartilages proceeding from each sternum meet at an angle, and then seem to be connected by a ligament, so as to form a joint. This joint has a motion upwards and downwards, and also a lateral motion, the latter opening in such way that, when the boys turn in either direction, tho edges of the cartilage are found to open and shut. The lower face of this carti lage is concave and w20 t is felt a

rounded cord, which may be the remains of the umbilical cord. Besides this there is nothing remarkable felt in the connecting substance. I could distinguish no pulsating vessel. The whole of this cord is covered by the skin. It is remarkably strong, and has no great sensibility; for they allow themselves to be pulled by a rope fastened to it without exhibiting uneasiness." To this we add, from the report of G. B. Bolton, esquire, read before the London royal society, April 1, 1830: "Under the cartilage, while they stand in their ordinary posture, are large hernial sacs opening into each abdomen, and into which, on coughing, congenital herniæ are forced, probably in each boy, formed by a portion of the transverse arch of the colon. Generally, however, and under ordinary circumstances, these herniæ are not apparent. Whether there is a communication between the two abdominal cavities, or a distinct peritoneal sac belonging to each hernia, is by no means obvious. When these hernia protrude, their respective contents are pushed forwards as far as the middle of the band." If the connecting link be touched in the centre, the touch is equally felt by both; but, at half an inch from the centre, it is felt by but one. These two young persons, Eng and Chang by name, are natives of a small village, called Maklong, on the sea-coast of Siam. They were born in May, 1811, of Chinese parents. Their mother observed that she suffered no greater inconvenience at their birth than at that of her former children, as they were very small, and the head of one was presented between the legs of the other. Their parents were of the poorer class, and, until the youths left their home, they were engaged in fishing, manufacturing cocoa-nut oil, keeping poultry, &c., for the support of the family. They are about five feet two inches in height, are well made and muscular. They have been known to carry a person weighing 280 pounds a hundred feet. They are agile, can walk or run with swiftness, and can swim well. Their intellectual powers are acute: they play at chess and draughts remarkably well. Their feelings are warm and affectionate, and their conduct amiable and well regulated. They never enter into conversation with each other beyond a simple remark made by one to the other, which seems to be rationally accounted for by the fact that, their experience being all in common, they have nothing to communi

cate.

The attempt has frequently been

made to engage them in separate conversations with different individuals, but al ways without success, as they are invariably inclined to direct their attention to the same thing at the same time. In their movements perfect equanimity is observed, the one always concurring with the other, so that they appear as if actuated by a common mind. In their employments and amusements, they have never been known to utter an angry word towards each other. Whatever pleases or displeases one has the same effect on the other. They feel hunger and thirst at the same time, and the quantity of food taken by them is as nearly alike as possible. Both feel the desire to sleep simultaneously, and they always awake at the same moment. Upon the possibility of separating them with safety there is some difference of opinion among medical men. The majority believe it impossible. (See the Historical Account of the Siamese Twin Brothers, by Mr. Hale, who has the charge of them, from which the above remarks are mostly taken.)

SIBERIA; a vast country of the north of Asia, with the Altai and Caucasus mountains on the south, and the Ural mountains on the west, the Pacific on the east, and the Frozen ocean on the north. It is one of the most desolate regions on the globe. A great portion of it is included within the limits of the frozen zone; and even the southern parts, from their physical structure, are exposed to a high degree of cold. Its situation also nearly excludes it from communication with the civilized parts of the world. The rivers generally have a northern direction, flowing into the Frozen ocean, the shores of which are barred by almost perpetual ice. Of the rivers, the Oby, Enisei and Lena are among the largest on the globe; others are the Irtisch, Angara, Selinga, &c. The Ural mountains on the west, and the Altaian range in the south, form striking features of Siberia. Another characteristic feature consists in the immense steppes (q. v.), or elevated plains, covered with long rank grass and aquatic shrubs, and filled with saline lakes. The natural productions of Siberia are gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, zinc, arsenic, sulphur, plumbago, &c. In the northern districts, the prevailing animal is the rein-deer The chief fur animals are the sable, black fox, ermine, martin, &c. The ferocious animals are the bear, wolf, lynx, and wild hog. In various parts of Siberia there are found remains of extinct species of animals. (See Organic Remains.) The mass