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The quillback.

especially H. tubicola of Europe, which inhabits a transparent movable tube resembling a quill in color and texture.

e found in many plants, as in the root of soapwort (Saponaria), in the bark of soap bark (Quillaia), etc. It is extracted as a white amorphus powder, which occasions a soapy lather in solution, and produces a local anæstesia. Formerly called also struthiin, quilaiin, senegin, polygalic acid, etc. By extension, any one…

An extinct order of birds having a long vertebrated tail with quills along each side of it. Archæopteryx is the type. See Archæopteryx, and Odontornithes.

A glucoside extracted from squill (Scilla) as a light porous substance.

A bitter principle extracted from the bulbs of the squill (Scilla), and probably consisting of a complex mixture of several substances.

A squilla.

The officinal squill. See Squill.

upon an ill seat committeth himself to prison. Bacon. A seat of plenty, content, and tranquillity. Macaulay.

condary coverts (Zoöl.), the longer coverts which overlie the basal part of the secondary quills of a bird. See Illust. under Bird. -- Secondary crystal (Min.), a crystal derived from one of the primary forms. -- Secondary current (Elec.), a momentary current induced in a closed circuit by a current of electricity pa…

Composed or tranquill in mind, manner, etc.; undisturbed.

A mucilaginous carbohydrate, resembling achroödextrin, extracted from squill as a colorless amorphous substance; -- so called because it is levorotatory.

ds the conditions and circumstances of the case. A situation of the greatest ease and tranquillity. Rogers.

The quillback. [Local, U.S.]

snow goose (C. coerulescens) is varied with grayish brown and bluish gray, with the wing quills black and the head and upper part of the neck white. Called also white head, white-headed goose, and bald brant. -- Snow leopard (Zool.), the ounce. -- Snow line, lowest limit of perpetual snow. In the Alps this is at an…

ucks and some other birds. It is usually situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and is much more brilliant in the adult male than in the female. Speculum metal, a hard, brittle alloy used for making the reflectors of telescopes and other instruments, usually consisting of copper and tin in various pro…

Having the tail quills ending in sharp, naked tips. Spine- tailed swift. (Zoöl.) See Spinetail (a).

ller, with one string of brass or steel wire to each note, sounded by means of leather or quill plectrums or jacks. It was formerly much used. Dumb spinet. (Mus.) See Manichordon.

tard; as, spurious issue. "Her spurious firstborn." Milton. Spurious primary, or Spurious quill (Zoöl.), the first, or outer, primary quill when rudimentary or much reduced in size, as in certain singing birds. -- Spurious wing (Zoöl.), the bastard wing, or alula.

figure of an animal squatting. "The round, squat turret." R. Browning. The head [of the squill insect] is broad and squat. Grew.