Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/89

 SKRZYNECKI SKULLCAP 81 SKRZYNECKI, Jan Boncza, a Polish soldier, born in Galicia in February, 1786, died in Cra- cow, Jan. 12, 1860. His military career began in 1806, and he distinguished himself in the Napoleonic wars, and after the Polish revolu- tion of 1830 as brigadier general, especially at Dobre, "Wawer, and Grochow (February and March, 1831). He then succeeded Kad- ziwill as commander-in- chief; but waiting in vain for assistance from foreign powers, he failed to follow up his great advantages, and lost the battle of Ostrolenka, May 26. On Lug. 10 he was deposed, and after the fall of Warsaw (Sept. 8) he fled to Austria and next Belgium. In the latter country he was >pointed to a high command in the army, which however, owing to the protests of the jrn powers and the peace of 1839 with [olland, was of short duration. He remained Brussels until shortly before his death, rhen he was permitted to return to Poland. SKUA, the common name of the web-footed irds of the gull family, subfamily lestridina, id genus stercorarius (Briss.). The bill is rong, the basal half with a membranous or }rneous cere distinct from the tip, the nostrils >pening under it in advance of the middle of bill; the tip is abruptly and strongly irved; the wings very long, the first quill > longest ; the tail wedge-shaped, the two itral featbers projecting; tarsi strong, with rominent scales ; claws sharp and curved, and feet fully webbed, with the hind toe short and >ut little elevated ; body full and stout. They ihabit the high latitudes of both the north- rn and southern hemispheres; they chase alls and other marine birds, even the alba- tross, forcing them to disgorge a part of their food, and are hence called jagers or yagers; they feed also on the carcasses of cetaceans, eggs and young of sea birds, and the ler petrels. Their flight is elevated, rapid, sustained, and generally in circles, as in Is of prey, which they represent among the ttatores ; the nests are made in company, of irse grass, and are placed on rocks or sand, in desolate heaths ; the eggs are one or two. The common skua (S. catarractes, Temrn.), largest species, is about 2 ft. long, with an extent of about 4| ft. ; the bill is 2| in. ; color above is dark brown, the feathers ipped with gray ; wings chocolate brown with shafts and basal parts white ; tail dark rown, white at the base ; lower parts dark lyish brown ; legs, feet, and bill black, the ter with a tinge of bluish ; the central tail feathers project only an inch beyond the )thers. The favorite haunts of this species the seas of northern Europe, especially rat the Orkney and Shetland islands, where great numbers are killed for their feathers ; it has been obtained on the California coast, and either this or a nearly allied species occurs about Cape Horn, the cape of Good Hope, and in the antarctic seas. The arctic skua (<S1 [lestris] parasiticus, Temm.) is 21 in. long and 44 in. in extent of wings; the central tail feathers extend about 3 in. beyond the others, and are pointed at the end. This spe- cies breeds in arctic America, coming down as Common Skua (Stercorarius catarractes). far as New York in summer and to the gulf of Mexico in winter ; it breeds also in the Ork- ney and Shetland islands. SKULL. See COMPARATIVE ANATOMY, and SKELETON. SKULLCAP, the common name for plants of the labiate family of the genus scutellaria, the botanical name being derived from Lat. scu- tella, a dish, as the fruiting calyx has an ap- pendage which closes it ; this appendage has also suggested the popular name skullcap. The skullcaps are perennial^ herbs, destitute of the aromatic qualities usually found in the order ; they are widely distributed over the temperate and subtropical countries, and some of the Mexi- can and South American spe- cies are some- times met with as greenhouse plants. Eight or ten species are found in our northern states. The common skullcap (S. gale- riculata), com- mon also in Europe, is very frequent in wet and shady pla- ces, and is quite showy; it has had a medicinal reputation, as has a Still more Common Skullcap (Scutellaria common species, gaiericuiata). S. laterifiora, which under the name of mad-dog skullcap was some years ago used as a pretended reme- dy for hydrophobia. The plants are of inter- est to the botanist, but of no medicinal value.