Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/760

* SCIPIO. 690 SCLATER. sent to Egypt and A-ia on a special embassy. Jlcanwhilc." Iiowcvor. alVairs had gone badly in Spain, iriatlins, tlic Lusitanian patriot, had npain and ajjain inliicted the most disgraceful defeats on the Roman armies, and his e.xample had roused the hopes of the Celtiherian tribes, who also rushed to war against the common foe. The contest continued with varying success; but the interest centred in the city of Xumantia, whose inhabitants displayed amazing courage in the struggle with Uome. For long it seemed as if the Numantines wen^ invincible, one consul after another finding their subjugation too hard a task: but at lengtli, in B.C. 134. Scipio, reelected consul, was sent over to Spain, and after a siege of eiglit months forced the citizens, who were dying of hunger, to surrender, and utterly de- stroyed their homes. He then returned to Rome, where lie took a prominent part in political af- fairs, appearing as the leader of the aristocratic party, in cnnsequence of which his popularity with the democratic party greatly declined. Al- though a brother-in-law of Tiberius Gracchus, whose sister, Sempronia, he had married, he dis- claimed any sympathy with his political aims, and when he heard of the murder of his kinsman, quoted his favorite Homer: "So perish all who do the like again." His attempts (B.C. 129) to rescind that portion of the agrarian law of Tibe- rius (iracehus relating to the lands of the allies e.xeited furious indignation. When he went home from the Senate he had to be accompanied by a guard. Next morning he was found dead in his bed, the prevailing suspicion being that he was murdered either by or at the instiga- tion of Papirius Carbo. his most rancorous polit- ical enemy. Scipio was neither a rigid aristocrat nor a flatterer of the people. Inferior in splendor of genius to his adoptive grandfather, he sur- passed him in purity of character, in simplicity of patriotism, and in liberality of culture. QuiNTVS C.ECiLii'S IMETELLrs Pius, a son of P. Cornelius Scipio Xasica, but adopted by Quintus C;rci!ius Metellus Pius; sometimes called Publius Scipio Nasiea and sometimes Quintus Metellus Scipio. He is first mentioned in history in B.C. G3, when he divulged to Cicero the conspir- acy of Catiline. He was elected tribune in 60, when he was accused of bribery by the disappoint- ed candidate, and defended by Cicero. In .53 he of- fered himself for the consulship, but the rivalry between the candidates and their factions led to such violence and bloodshed that no election was held. Then followed the murder of Clodius (q.v.), and during the ensuing anarchy Ponipeius was made consul without a colleague. Soon after he married Scipio's daughter. Cornelia, and made Scipio his fellow-consul. Thenceforth all of Scipio's efforts were directed toward the ag- grandizement of Pompeius and the overthrow of Ca-sar's power. At the expiration of his term of office he went as proconsul to Syria, where his rule was complained of as oppressive. He served with Pompeius in Greece, and after the battle of Pharsalia fled to Africa, where the remnants of the Pompeian forces had the support of King Juba (q.v.). Scipio held the chief command, but ■was defeated by Ca'sai* in the battle of Thapsus (B.C. 4G) and coramitted suicide. SCIPIOS, ToitB OF THE. The famous tomb on the Ajipian Way in Rome, which once con- tained the sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus (eon- ^ul B.C. 208), now in the ^■atican, and those of later Scipios. It was discovered in 1780, when it was rified and defaced. SCIRE FACIAS^ sl'r^ fa'shi-«s (Lat., that you make known). A writ commanding the de- fendant to appear in court and show cause, if pos- sible why some matter of record should not be enforced, vacated, or modified. The hearing or trial under this writ is usually called a .scire facias proceeding. Scire facias is employed for many pur- poses, and in general is merely supplemental to or a continuation of former proceedings, as to revive or continue the lien of a judgment: but in some cases it is practically an original action. A writ of scire facias must be founded upon some public record, either judicial or otherwise. The de- fendant may demur, plead, or answer, or make a motion to quash the writ. Substantially the same defenses are allowed as in an ordinary action (q.v.), except that where the scire facias proceedings are merely a continuation of a. former action the defendant cannot introduce any defense which would have been availalile in the latter. A judgment may be entered upon the determination of the proceeding, and from this an appeal will lie. Scire facias proceedings were practically rendered unnecessary and obsolete in England by the Judicature Acts (q.v.), although not expressly abolished. In many of the United States other actions or pi'oceedings have been suVistituted by practice acts and codes, and pro- ceedings by the writ of scire facias abolished. Consult Foster's Scire Facias ( Philadelphin, 1851) and the authorities referred to under Writ. SCIRPUS (Lat., rush, bulrush). A genus of about 200 species of plants of the natural order Cyperace;e, sometimes called club-rush, some of them verj' small in comparison with the bulrush {Scirpiis iactistris) . Deer's hair (Scirpiis cces- pitosus) is only 2 or 3 inches high. 'The root- stocks or tubers of certain species are eaten by the natives of Southern India. Several of the larger growing species are used for making mats, others cheek the drifting of sand upon beaches. See BuLRisir. SCIRRHTJS. See Tumor. SCISSORBILL. A bird, the skimmer (q.v.). SCISSORS and SHEARS. See Cutlery. SCISSOR TAILED FLYCATCHER. A beautiful flycatcher {Milrulus forfieatus) of the Soutliwestern United States, remarkable for its. long outer dark-tipped tail feathers, which in flight open and shut like a pair of scissors. The body is about 3V2 inches long: the tail about P'i inolies. The general color is light bluish gray, the back and wing-linings reddish, the lower parts white, washed along the flanks with salmon-pink. Females are paler than males. The nest is com- posed of sticks, lined with feathers and soft ma- terials; and the eggs are salmon-brown with darker, curiously scratched markings. A trop- ical relative of this exquisite and active bird is the fork-tailed flycatcher {Milvuhis tip-aniuis), whose tail-feathers are black. See Plates of FLYC.TcnERS and Eggs of Song Birds. SCLA'TER, Philip Lutley (1820—). An English zoologist. He .studied at Corpus Christi College. Oxford, was admitted a barrister of Lin- coln's Inn, and in 1850 became secretary of the Zoological Society of London, and in 1860 editor