660 SAY SCALA been twice translated into English. His son HORACE EMILE (1794-1860) and his grandson LEON (born 1826) also hold a prominent place among political economists. The latter is now (1875)"minister of finance. SAY, Thomas, an American naturalist, born in Philadelphia, July 27, 1787, died at New Harmony, Ind., Oct. 10, 1834. In 1815 he in- vestigated the natural history of E. Florida ; in 1818 he explored the islands and coast of Georgia; in 1819 he was appointed chief zool- ogist in Long's expedition to the Rocky moun- tains; and in 1823 he accompanied that to St. Peter's river in the same capacity. He re- moved to New Harmony in 1825. His com- plete writings on entomology were edited by Dr. J. L. Le Conte, with a memoir by George Ord (New York, 1859), and his work on con- chology by W. G. Birney (New York, 1858). SCABBARD FISH, a fish generally placed with the mackerel family, and in the genus lepido- pus (Cuv.). The only species described is the L. argyreut (Cuv. and Val.), inhabiting the European seas from Great Britain to the Medi- terranean, and met with even as far south as the capo of Good Hope. The body is very elongated, compressed, and ribbon-shaped, and without scales ; the head is pointed ; the dor- sal, anal, and caudal fins are distinct from each other, the first extending the whole length of the body ; the law teeth are in a single row, those on the palate and pharyngeal bones and branchial arches very small ; six branchioste- gal rays, a long csocal stomach, numerous pan- creatic caeca, and a narrow air bladder. In a specimen taken on the coast of England, be- tween 5 and 6 ft. long, the body was only 4-J in. deep at the gills, 2 in. at the beginning of the anal and at the tail, with a weight of 6 Ibs. without the intestines ; the pectorals were rath- er small, and the ventrals a mere squamous appendage, the styloid pubic bone being felt through the skin. Though not uncommon in European seas, this fish was not known to nat- uralists until the end of the 18th century; it was described by Montagu as xipotheca tetra- den. According to Risso, its flesh is eaten in Mediterranean ports, and is firm and delicate. It swims with great velocity, waving like a long and wide ribbon of silver. The silvery hair-tail (trichiurus leptunu, Linn. ; T. argen- teut, Mitch.) differs from the preceding genus in having no vestige of ventrals, in the anal Silvery Hair-Tail (Trichlurus lepturns). being a series of spines scarcely protruding through the skin, and in the tail ending in a filiform point without a caudal fin, whence the name ; it attains a length of 4 ft. It is found on the American coast from New England to South America. The whole armature of the jaws indicates carnivorous habits. Other spe- cies are described in the Indian ocean. Both of these genera are occasionally called ribbon fish. SC.EYOLA, the cognomen of several Romans. I. Cains Matins, a legendary hero, who flourished at the close of the 6th century B. 0. Por- sena of Clusium, the protector of the expelled Tarquins, having besieged Rome and reduced the city to great distress, Mucius went to the hostile camp, where, mistaking the chief secre- tary for the monarch, he struck him a fatal blow. On being dragged before Porsena, he declared that his purpose was to assassinate the king, a deed which other Romans would still achieve ; whereupon Porsena ordered him to be burned alive, unless he betrayed his fel- low conspirators. Mucius, to show how little the threat affected him, thrust his right hand into a fire, and held it there while it was be- ing consumed. Porsena, astonished at his for- titude, commanded him to bo liberated; and Mucius informed him that 300 Roman youths had sworn to free Rome from so dangerous an enemy, or to perish in the attempt. Por- sena thereupon made peace with the Romans ; and Mucius, in consequence of the loss of his right hand, was ever after distinguished by the cognomen of Scsevola, or the left-handed. II. Quint us Modus called the augur, tribune of the people in 128 B. C., plebeian tedile in 125, praetor in 121, and consul with L. Cfficilius Metellus in 117. He was distinguished for his legal erudition and his modesty. He died soon after the outbreak of the civil war between Marius and Sulla. Cicero in his youth was a pupil of this Mucius, whom he makes an inter- locutor in several of his dialogues. III. Quln- tns Mnrlns, the pontifex, was tribune of the people in 106 B. C., cnrulo redile in 104, consul with L. Licinius Crassus in 95, and afterward pontifex maxitnus. After his consulship he obtained the province of Asia, where a festi- val was instituted in commemoration of his virtues. He fell a victim to the Marian fac- tion in 82, and was slain in the temple of Vesta. He was still more celebrated as a law- yer than his contemporary and namesake. He was the first to compose a scientific treatise on the Jv Civile, now lost ; and he wrote also Tlepi "Opwv, a work on legal definitions. SCALA (Lat. SCALIOEBI), an Italian family whose power in Verona was established in 1260 by Mastino I. della Scala, who was assas- sinated in 1279, and whose most celebrated successor was Cangrande, the friend of Dante. (See CANE I. DELLA SOALA.) After receiving in fief from the emperor Henry VII. Verona, which they greatly embellished, and other im- portant cities, their power was extended un- der Cangrande's successors, the joint rulers Alberto II. and Mastino II., as far as Lucca ; but they became involved in war with Ven- ice and Florence. The power of the Scalas greatly declined after Mastino's death in 1351, and still more under Cangrande II. and other worthless rulers, and it was finally overthrown in 1387 by Giovanni Galeazzo Visconti.
