astronomy, a bright star in the constellation Canis. See Astronomy, n° 403, &c.

Sirlet (Flavus), an eminent Roman engraver on precious stones: his Lacoön, and representations in miniature of antique statues at Rome, are very valuable and scarce. He died in 1737.

Sirrocco, a periodical wind which generally blows in Italy and Dalmatia every year about Easter. It blows from the south-east by south: it is attended with heat, but not rain; its ordinary period is twenty Fortis days, and it usually ceases at sunset. When the sirocco Travel does not blow in this manner, the summer is almost free from westerly winds, whirlwinds, and storms. This wind is prejudicial to plants, drying and burning up the buds; though it hurts not men any otherwise than by causing an extraordinary weakness and latitude; inconveniences that are fully compensated by a plentiful fishing, and a good crop of corn on the mountains. In the summer time, when the westerly wind ceases for a day, it is a sign that the sirocco will blow the day following, which usually begins with a sort of whirlwind.

Siskin. See Fringilla.

Sison, bastard-stone parsley, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the class of pentandra, and to the order of digynia; and in the natural system arranged under the 45th order, umbellate. The fruit is egg-shaped and streaked; the involucra are subtetraphyllous. There are seven species; the anomum, inundatum, fæzetum, verticillatum, salum, canadense, and ammi. The four first are natives of Great Britain.

1. The anomum, common bastard parsley, or field stone-wort, is a biennial plant about three feet high, growing wild in many places of Britain. Its seeds are small, striated, of an oval figure and brown colour. Their taste is warm and aromatic. Their whole flavour is extracted by spirit of wine, which elevates very little of it in distillation; and hence the spirituous extract has the flavour in great perfection, while the watery extract has very little. A tincture drawn with pure spirit is of a green colour. The seeds have been esteemed aperient, diuretic, and carminative; but are little regarded in the present practice.

2. The inundatum, least water-parsnip. The stem is about eight or ten inches high, branched, SIS

Sisyrion, and creeping; the leaves, below the water, are capillary; above it are pinnated; the umbels are bifid. It grows in ditches and ponds.

3. Segetum, corn parsley, or honeywort. The stems are numerous, slender, flatted, branched, and leaning; the leaves are pinnated; the pinnae are oval, pointed, and ferrated, six or eight pair, and one at the end; the umbels small and drooping; the flowers minute and white. It grows in corn-fields and hedges.

4. Verticillatum, verticillate fison, has small leaves in whirls, and capillary; the stem is two feet, with few leaves; the common umbel is composed of 8 or 10 rays, the partial of 18 or 20; both involucrea are composed of five or six oval acute foliola; the flowers are all hermaphrodite, and the petals white.