Stub-nets are very useful in catching carp or trout, when they flee to
the banks. They should be made of very strong twine, inch and quarter
mesh, be nine feet long, with cork and lead line; upon which there
should be plenty of each: a few widenings should be thrown into the
middle, so that there may be a little appearance of a bag; the net is
then to be firmly fastened (so that it stands from lead to cork, three
or four feet deep) to two ash pitchfork handles, shod with iron spikes
at one end. In surrounding a stub, one spike is to remain fixed in the
ground, whilst the other is thrust underneath the stub: the fish, thus
annoyed, try to regain the deep water, and strike into the bosom of the
net, which is then hoisted up, the fish taken out, and the net put down
for other trials. If the stubs are very jagged, both spikes are to be
stuck in the ground as close as possible to the harbour, and the parties
grope with their hands, and those fish which escape their fingers are
caught in the stub-net.
STUD, _s._ A post, a stake; a nail with a large head driven for
ornament; a collection of breeding horses and mares.
STUMBLE, _v._ To make to trip or stop.
STUMBLE, _s._ A trip in walking.
STUMP, _s._ The part of any solid body remaining after the rest is
taken away.
STUNT, _v._ To hinder from growth.
STUPE, _s._ Cloth or flax dipped in warm medicaments, applied to a
hurt or sore.
STUPE, _v._ To foment, to dress with stupes.
STURGEON, _s._ A sea fish.
STURK, _s._ A young ox or heifer.
STURNIDÆ (VIGORS), _s._ Starlings, a family of perchers
(_Insessores_, VIGORS).
STURNUS (LINN.) _s._ Starling, a genus thus characterised.
Bill strait, depressed, rather obtuse, and slightly awl-shaped, the base
of the upper mandible advancing upon the front; the point depressed;
nostrils at the sides of the base, and partly closed by a prominent rim;
wings long, the first feather very short, the second and third the
longest in the wing, and of nearly equal length; feet with three toes
before and one behind, the middle toe being united to the outer one as
far as the first joint.—_Montagu._
STY, _s._ A cabin to keep hogs in; any place of low debauchery.
STY, _v._ To shut up in a sty.
STYPTIC, _a._ The same as astringent, but generally expresses the
most efficacious sort of astringents, or those which are applied
to stop hæmorrhages.
_Styptics_ are medicines which constringe the blood-vessels when
wounded, so as to stop an effusion of blood. Many preparations have been
recommended for this purpose: but when the size of the wounded vessel is
at all considerable, an adequate degree of pressure by means of bolsters
and bandages is alone to be depended upon; and when that cannot be done,
the vessel must be tied up above the wound and below, by which the
bleeding will be effectually suppressed. No danger is to be apprehended
from slight bleedings in the horse, as they always cease spontaneously.
The styptics commonly employed are oil of turpentine, diluted vitriolic
acid, muriate of iron, absorbent earths, and flour.—_White._
SUBLIMATE, _s._ Anything raised by fire in the retort; quicksilver
raised in the retort.
SUCK, _s._ The act of sucking; milk given by females.
SUDATORY, _s._ Sweating.
SUDORIFIC, _s._ A medicine provoking sweat.
SUET, _s._ A hard fat, particularly that about the kidneys.
SULPHUR, _s._ Brimstone.
SULPHUROUS, _a._ Made of brimstone, having the qualities of
brimstone; containing sulphur.
SUMMED, _s._ A term in falconry to describe the hawk’s condition
when fully feathered, and ready to leave the mew.
SUMMER, _s._ The season in which the sun arrives at the hither
solstice.
_Summering Hunters._—Lest it should be supposed that I am averse to
turning hunters out at all in the summer months, it will be better,
perhaps, not to proceed farther without explaining myself on that head.
So far from being averse to it, I would strongly recommend it, under
favourable circumstances. In case of having recourse to blistering, it
is most serviceable; and after firing, almost necessary; but then they
should be turned out only at night, and into a place where there is but
little grass, and have two, if not three feeds of corn a day, but
nothing else to eat till they go out, unless it be a few vetches, for
four or five days at a time, when they are young and tender, in the
months of May or June; but this should not be repeated more than three
or four times, as they tend to make horses very foul, and when in pod
are most injurious to them. It is not every one who keeps hunters that
has paddocks to turn them into; nor, indeed, do they fall to the lot of
many; but when they are to be had the advantage is great, as a horse is
safe in them, and the smaller they are, within reason, the better; for
it is not the grass that we want, but the exercise and the moisture of
the ground for their feet, and the bracing effects of the pure air. If
only one or two hunters are turned into a large paddock, and the grass
grows upon them, some sheep should be put in with them to keep it down.
Their bite also sweetens the herbage, and makes it more nutritious; but
paddocks should never be mown. Paddocks, however, are always to be made,
and at a trifling expense. A small piece of ground—say thirty square
yards—is sufficient. Let it be hurdled round, and then lined with fagots
reared up from seven to eight feet high. A stallion may be kept in these
places with the greatest safety as to his breaking out of them, for he
will never attempt it so long as he cannot see through or over the
fence. The fagots, so far from being worse, are better for the use they
are put to; and they are within the reach of every one who resides in
the country, at five shillings a score, if he do not grow them himself.
The hurdle that lets the horse in and out should often be changed, and
then he will be still less inclined to attempt to break out.
However beneficial this turning out a horse in the summer may be, it is
comparatively trifling with the advantages that are reaped by a winter’s
run. I have seen horses, as it were, renovated in their constitution, by
being turned out for a winter; and, as far as relates to their legs and
feet, it is, I think, the only time when anything effectual can be done
for them, when the injury has been considerable.—
* * * * *
It is said that the Earl of Plymouth first tried the plan of summering
his hunters altogether within the stable, with little variation in their
treatment; by which it is asserted their condition was fully preserved,
and that, by this means, his horses entered on their hunting season in
full wind, speed, and bottom. Others, to avoid this extreme, have soiled
their hunters in the stable, or have given carrots; and some have gone a
step further, and have pursued the in-door summering, not in stables,
but in loose boxes. Still, in all these cases, regular exercise is
required, or the feet must suffer, or the horses are apt to become
pursy, thick-winded, roarers, or broken-winded. This exercise is apt to
be severe, and then the wear on the limbs continues the deterioration
which the hunting season had brought on. But if a sportsman had one,
two, or three hunters only, and would use them gently every day as
hacks, he might then summer them in this way without injury to the
horses, provided they had not suffered much from strains or foot
lamenesses; in which case absolute rest would of course be requisite. It
would therefore seem from all this, that a medium plan, which should
combine the renovating effects of air, mild exercise, moisture to the
feet, and the relaxent effects of grass, might be followed with much
more propriety and hope of general advantage than either total turning
out on grass, or total confining within on hay.
The box summering of hunters, in my opinion, is of this kind, and
consists in allowing each hunter his liberty in a loose box, having fly
wire casements and closed doors during the day, in which he is to be
moderately fed with corn and hay. At night, unless it be stormy or very
cold, he is to be turned out into a small sheltered paddock, which
affords only a short bite of upland grass, of which an acre is
sufficient for each horse; but not more than three should be together,
to avoid violent racing about amongst them, and other accidents. When
the field is eaten quite bare, a similar plot may be substituted; but,
in all cases, an open shed within each field, independent of the boxes,
should afford a refuge against accidental storms and rain. At an early
hour every morning the hunter should be taken to his box, from whence he
is not again to come out till the evening, unless a very favourable
gloomy day offers itself. Carrots may be substituted for part of the
corn and hay with advantage in stable summering; which variation, and
many others, will present themselves, and prove beneficial, when the
true principles on which the subject should be considered form the basis
of the determination. The treatment of the feet during this period must
be regulated by circumstances; one or two quiet horses, used to each
other, may be allowed to range together without removing the hinder
shoes; but it is always a safer plan to take them off, unless the ground
be very hard, or the box be paved. This latter circumstance can always
be obviated, by allowing these boxes to be covered over either with tan,
sod, or other soft matter; but boxes expressly built for this particular
purpose would be better altogether unpaved; in which case, to avoid
dust, and to keep the flooring cool, it might be moderately watered
every morning. The fore feet may be tipped, particularly if at all
inclined to contraction; or should they become hard, hot, and dry, such
means must be made use of as the medical parts of the work direct, under
diseases of the feet. The general state of the horse ought also be
attended to, as his bowels, that they do not become costive; and the
skin, that it do not become hide-bound or eruptive, or that a short dry
cough may not steal a march unobserved on him. The careful and
intelligent groom must watch over the health of his in-door summered
horses with vigilance, and alter his plan according to circumstances;
but the still more prudent owner would do well to have them inspected
weekly by a well-informed veterinary surgeon.—_Nimrod_—_Blaine._
SUPPLE, _a._ Pliant, flexible; fawning, bending.
SUPPURATE, _v._ To grow to pus.
SUPPURATION, _s._ The ripening of the matter of a tumour into pus.
SURCINGLE, _s._ A girth with which the saddle or sheet is secured.
SUREFOOTED, _a._ Treading firmly, not stumbling.
SURFEIT, _v._ To feed with meat or drink to satiety and sickness.
SURFEIT, _s._ A disease incident to horses and dogs.
Large pimples or lumps often suddenly appear on the skin of the horse,
and especially in the spring; and occasionally they disappear as quickly
as they come. Sometimes they seem to be attended with great itching, but
in others they appear not in the least to annoy the animal. When they
have remained a few days, the cuticle frequently peels off, and a small
scaly spot, though rarely a sore, is left. This is called a surfeit,
from its resemblance to some eruptions on the skin of the human being,
when indigestible or unwholesome food has been taken. These lumps are,
in some cases, confined to the neck; but they oftener spread over the
sides, back, loins, and quarters.
Bleeding will always be beneficial—from three to five quarts may be
taken, according to the strength of the horse, the extent of the
eruption, and the degree of fever. Physic never does good. Alteratives
will be found useful—and particularly the alterative which was
recommended for hide-bound, and in the same doses. These should be given
on several successive nights. The night is better than the morning,
because the warmth of the stable will cause the antimony and sulphur to
act more powerfully on the skin. The horse should be warmly clothed—half
an hour’s walking exercise should be given, an additional rug having
been thrown over him—such green meat as can be procured should be used
in moderate quantities, and the chill should be taken from the water.
* * * * *
A cuticular eruption, called surfeit, is a fourth appearance that mange
frequently assumes. It seems, in many cases, the consequence of some
active inflammatory state of the constitution, frequently of some great
local internal inflammation; in which cases it puts on something of an
acute form. It sometimes breaks out suddenly in bitches after pupping;
and in dogs newly recovered from distemper; in fact, any great vascular
excitement may produce it; thus, when a dog travels during a great part
of a very hot day, and becomes afterwards exposed to cold, a surfeit is
oftentimes the consequence. It is usually seen in the form of partial
blotches, it being seldom that it extends universally over the body. In
some cases there is little appearance of elevated scab; but large
patches show themselves, from which the hair has fallen, and left the
skin bare and rough from the branny scaly eruption, which itches with
more or less violence. Some sportsmen allege that a surfeit is sometimes
occasioned by giving food in a hot state. Salt provisions have certainly
brought it on; and long-continued feeding on oat or barley meal has done
the same.—_The Horse_—_Blaine._
SURGERY, _s._ The art of curing by manual operations.
SUTURE, _s._ A manner of sewing or stitching, particularly wounds.
SWALLOW (_Hirundo_, AUCTORES), _s._ A genus of perchers
(_Insessores_, VIGORS), of which we have three species
natives—the bank, the chimney, and the window swallow.
SWALLOW, _s._ A small bird of passage, or, as some say, a bird that
lies hid and sleeps in winter.
Swallows are found in every country of the known world, but seldom
remain the whole year in the same climate; the times of their appearance
and departure in this country are well known: they are the constant
harbingers of Spring, and on their arrival all nature assumes a more
cheerful aspect. The bill of this genus is short, very broad at the
base, and a little bent: the head is flat, and the neck scarcely
visible; the tongue is short, broad, and cloven; tail mostly forked;
wings, legs short.
Of all the various families of birds, which resort to this island for
food and shelter, there is none which has occasioned so many conjectures
respecting its appearance and departure as the swallow tribe. The habits
and modes of living of this tribe are perhaps more conspicuous than
those of any other. From the time of their arrival to that of their
departure they seem continually before our eyes.
The swallow lives habitually in the air, and performs its various
functions in that element; and whether it pursues its fluttering prey,
and follows the devious windings of the insects on which it feeds, or
endeavours to escape the birds of prey by the quickness of its motion,
it describes lines so mutable, so varied, so interwoven, and so
confused, that they hardly can be pictured by words.
Not many attempts have been made to preserve swallows alive during the
winter, and of these few have succeeded. The following experiments, by
Mr. James Pearson of London, we shall give nearly in his own words.
Five or six of these birds were taken about the latter end of August,
1784, in a bat fowling-net, at night; they were put separately into
small cages, and fed with nightingales’ food; in about a week or ten
days they took food of themselves; they were then put altogether into a
deep cage, four feet long, with gravel at the bottom; a broad shallow
pan with water was placed in it, in which they sometimes washed
themselves, and seemed much strengthened by it. One day Mr. Pearson
observed that they went into the water with unusual eagerness, hurrying
in and out again repeatedly, with such swiftness as if they had been
suddenly seized with a frenzy. Being anxious to see the result, he left
them to themselves about half an hour, and on going to the cage again,
found them all huddled together in a corner, apparently dead; the cage
was then placed at a proper distance from the fire, when only two of
them recovered, and were as healthy as before; the rest died. The two
remaining ones were allowed to wash themselves occasionally for a short
time only; but their feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, which
Mr. P. attributed to their perching, and they died about Christmas; thus
the first year’s experiment was in some measure lost. Not discouraged by
the failure of this, Mr. P. determined to make a second trial the
succeeding year, from a strong desire of being convinced of the truth
respecting their going into a state of torpidity. Accordingly, the next
season, having taken some more birds, he put them into the cage, and in
every respect pursued the same methods as with the last; but to guard
their feet from the bad effects of damp and cold, he covered the perches
with flannel, and had the pleasure to observe that the birds throve
extremely well; they sung their song through the winter, and soon after
Christmas began to moult, which they got through without any difficulty,
and lived three or four years, regularly moulting every year at the
usual time. On the renewal of their feathers, it appeared that their
tails were forked exactly the same as in those birds which return hither
in the spring, and in every respect their appearance was the same. These
birds, says Mr. Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for promoting
Natural History, on the 14th day of February, 1786, at the time they
were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when the snow was on the
ground. Minutes of this circumstance was entered in the books of the
society. These birds died at last from neglect, during a long illness
which Mr. Pearson had; they died in the summer. Mr. Pearson concludes
his very interesting account in these words:—January 20, 1797. I have
now in my house, No. 21, Great Newport-street, Long Acre, four swallows
in moult, in as perfect health as any birds ever appeared to be when
moulting.—_Bewick._
SWALLOW, _v._ To take down the throat; to ingulf.
SWAMP, _s._ A marsh, a bog, a fen.
SWAMPY, _a._ Boggy, fenny.
SWAN, _s._ A large waterfowl.
[Illustration]
_Mute Swan._ (_Anas Cygnus Mansuetus_, LINN.; _Le Cygne_, BUFF.)—The
plumage of this species is of the same snowy whiteness as that of the
wild swan, and the bird is covered next the body with the same kind of
fine close down; but it greatly exceeds the wild swan in size, weighing
about twenty-five pounds, and measuring more in the length of the body
and extent of the wings. This also differs in being furnished with a
projecting callous black tubercle, or knob, on the base of the upper
mandible, and in the colour of the bill, which in this is red, with
black edges and tips: the naked skin between the bill and the eyes is
also of the latter colour: in the wild swan this bare space is yellow.
The manners and habits are much the same in both kinds, particularly
when they are in a wild state; for indeed this species cannot properly
be called domesticated; they are only as it were partly reclaimed from a
state of nature, and invited by the friendly and protecting hand of man
to decorate and embellish the artificial lakes and pools which beautify
his pleasure grounds. On these the swan cannot be accounted a captive,
for he enjoys all the sweets of liberty. Placed there, as they are the
largest of all the British birds, so are they to the eye the most
pleasing and elegant.
The swan, although possessed of the power to rule, yet molests none of
the other water birds, and is singularly social and attentive to those
of his own family, which he protects from every insult. While they are
employed with the cares of the young brood, it is not safe to approach
near them, for they will fly upon any stranger, whom they often beat to
the ground by repeated blows, and they have been known by a stroke of
the wing to break a man’s leg. But, however powerful they are with their
wings, yet a slight blow on the head will kill them.
The swan for ages past has been protected on the Thames as royal
property, and it continues at this day to be accounted felony to steal
their eggs. By this means their increase is secured, and they prove a
delightful ornament to that noble river. Latham says, in the reign of
Edward IV. the estimation they were held in was such, that no one who
possessed a freehold of less than the clear yearly value of five marks,
was permitted even to keep any. In those times hardly a piece of water
was left unoccupied by these birds, as well on account of the
gratification they gave to the eye of their lordly owners, as that which
they also afforded when they graced the sumptuous board at the splendid
feasts of that period; but the fashion of those days is passed away, and
swans are not nearly so common now as they were formerly, being by most
people accounted a coarse kind of food, and consequently held in little
estimation; but the cygnets (so the young swans are called) are still
fattened for the table, and are sold very high, commonly for a guinea
each, and sometimes for more: hence it may be presumed they are better
food than is generally imagined.
The female makes her nest, concealed among the rough herbage, near the
water’s edge; she lays from six to eight large white eggs, and sits on
them about six weeks (some say eight weeks) before they are hatched. The
young do not acquire their full plumage till the second year.
It is found by experience that the swan will not thrive if kept out of
the water; confined in a court-yard he makes an awkward figure, and soon
becomes dirty, tawdry, dull, and spiritless.
At the setting in of frosty weather the wild swans are said to associate
in prodigious multitudes, and thus united, to use every effort to
prevent the water from freezing: this they accomplish by the continual
stir kept up amongst them; and by constantly dashing it with their
extended wings, they are enabled to remain as long as it suits their
convenience, in some favourite part of a lake or river which abounds
with their food.
The swan is very properly entitled the peaceful monarch of the lake:
conscious of his superior strength, he fears no enemy, nor suffers any
bird, however powerful, to molest him; neither does he prey upon any
one. His vigorous wing is as a shield against the attacks even of the
eagle, and the blows of it are said to be so powerful as to stun or kill
the fiercest of his foes. The wolf or the fox may surprise him in the
dark, but their efforts are vain in the day. His food consists of the
grasses and weeds, and the seeds and roots of plants which grow on the
margin of the water, and of the myriads of insects which skim over, or
float on its surface; also occasionally of the slimy inhabitants within
its bosom.
The female makes her nest of the withered leaves and stalks of reeds and
rushes, and lays commonly six or seven thick-shelled white eggs: she is
said to sit upon them six weeks before they are hatched. Both male and
female are very attentive to their young, and will suffer no enemy to
approach them.
[Illustration]
_Wild Swan._ (_Anas Cygnus ferus_, LINN.; _Le Cygne Sauvage_,
BUFF.)—Measures five feet in length, and above seven in breadth, and
weighs from thirteen to sixteen pounds. The bill is three inches long,
of a yellowish white from the case to the middle, and thence to the tip,
black; the bare space from the bill over the eye and eyelids is yellow;
the whole plumage in adult birds is of a pure white, and, next to the
skin, they are clothed with a thick fine down; the legs are black.
This species generally keep together in small flocks, or families,
except in the pairing season, and in the setting in of winter. At the
latter period they assemble in immense multitudes, particularly on the
large rivers and lakes of the thinly inhabited northern parts of Europe,
Asia, and America: but when the extremity of the weather threatens to
become insupportable, in order to shun the gathering storm, they shape
their course high in air, in divided and diminished numbers, in search
of milder climates. In such seasons they are not uncommonly seen in
various parts of the British isles, and in other more southern countries
of Europe. The same is observed of them in the North American states.
They do not, however, remain longer than till the approaching of the
spring, when they again retire northward to the arctic regions to breed.
A few, indeed, drop short, and perform that office by the way, for they
are known to breed in some of the Hebrides, the Orkney, Shetland, and
other solitary isles; but these are hardly worth notice: the great
bodies of them are met with in the large rivers and lakes near Hudson’s
Bay, and those of Kamtschatka, Lapland, and Iceland. They are said to
return to the latter place in flocks of about a hundred at a time in the
spring, and also to pour in upon that island from the north, in nearly
the same manner, on their way southward in the autumn.
_Swan-Goose._ (_Anas Cygnoides_, LINN.; _L’Oie de Guinée_, BUFF.)—This
species is more than a yard in length, and is of a size between the swan
and the common-goose; it is distinguished from others of the goose tribe
by its upright and stately deportment, by having a large knob on the
root of the upper mandible, and a skin, almost bare of feathers, hanging
down like a pouch, or a wattle, under the throat; a white line or fillet
is extended from the corners of the mouth over the front of the brow;
the base of the bill is orange; irides reddish-brown; a dark-brown or
black stripe runs down the hinder part of the neck, from the head to the
back; the fore part of the neck, and the breast, are yellowish-brown;
the back, and all the upper parts, brownish-grey, edged with a lighter
colour; the sides, and the feathers which cover the thighs, are clouded
with nearly the same colours as the back, and edged with white; belly
white; legs orange.
It is said that these birds originally were found in Guinea only; the
breed has, however, now become pretty common, and they are widely
dispersed, in a wild as well as a domesticated state, over various parts
of the world, both in warm and in cold climates.
They are found wild about the lake Baikal, in the east of Siberia, and
in Kamtschatka; and they are kept tame in most parts of the Russian
empire.
These geese, like others of the tame kind, vary much both in colour of
the bill, legs, and plumage, as well as in size; but they all retain the
knob on the base of the upper mandible, and the pouch or wattle under
the gullet.
They are kept by the curious in various parts of England, and are more
noisy than the common goose; nothing can stir either in the night or in
the day, without their sounding the alarm, by their hoarse cacklings,
and loud shrill cries. They breed with the common goose, and their
offspring are as prolific as those of any other kind. The female is of a
smaller size than the male; the head, neck, and breast are fulvous;
paler on the upper part; the back, wings, and tail, dull brown, with
pale edges; belly white; in other respects they are like the male, but
the knob over the bill is smaller.—_Bewick._
SWARD, _s._ The skin of bacon; the surface of the ground.
SWARM, _s._ A great body or number of bees or other small animals; a
multitude, a crowd.
SWART or SWARTH, _a._ Black, darkly brown, tawny.
SWEEPNET, _s._ A net that takes in a great compass.
SWEEPSTAKE, _s._ A man that wins all; a prize at a race.
SWIFT, _a._ Moving far in a short time, quick, fleet, speedy.
SWIFT, (_Cypselus murarius_, TEMMINCK,) _s._ A bird like a swallow.
This species is nearly an ounce in weight: length near eight inches:
breadth about eighteen; the bill is black; irides dusky; the whole
plumage is black, except the chin, which is whitish; the wings are
extremely long in proportion, and the legs so short that it rises from
the ground with difficulty; the tail is forked; legs and toes black. It
has four toes, all placed forward. In this particular it deviates from
one of the characters of the swallow genus.
In very warm weather these birds soar to a great height, but in cold or
moist weather fly low in search of flies and other winged insects, which
at that time cannot ascend.—_Montagu._
SWIFTNESS, _s._ Speed, rapidity, velocity.
SWIM, _v._ To float on the water, not to sink; to move progressively
in the water by the motion of the limbs; to be conveyed by the
stream; to glide along with a smooth or dizzy motion; to be
dizzy.
An accidental fall into water may be most dangerous to those ignorant of
the art of swimming, by observing the directions here given, a person
may save himself from drowning. If he falls into deep water, he will
rise to the surface by floating, and will continue there if he does not
elevate his hands, and the keeping them down is essential to his safety.
If he moves his hands under the water, in any way he pleases, his head
will rise so high as to allow him free liberty to breathe. And if, in
addition, he moves his legs exactly as in the action of walking up
stairs, his shoulders will rise above the water, so that he may use less
exertion with his hands, or apply them to other purposes.
_Swimming of Birds._—The superior velocity with which aquatic birds swim
under water has not wholly escaped notice; but it is not entirely
produced by the action of the wings, which are sometimes used as fins to
accelerate the motion, but is occasioned by the pressure of the water
above. In swimming on the surface a bird has two motions; one upward,
the other forward, at every stroke of the feet; so that when covered
with water, that force which was lost by the upward motion is all
directed to the progressive, by which it is enabled to pursue its prey,
or to escape an enemy with incredible speed. The otter and water rat
swim much faster under water than they do upon the surface.—_Montagu._
SWINE, _s._ A hog, a pig, a sow.
SWOOP, _v._ To fall at once as a hawk upon its prey; to prey upon;
to catch up.
SWOOP, _s._ Fall of a bird of prey upon his quarry.
SYCAMORE, _s._ A tree.
SYLVAN, _a._ Woody, shady.