S E M


i  24 ]


S. EI 'N


it Mufic, viz, the fixing and limiting-the Sounds: We
fee the Reafon why the Niames of the Natural Scale are
continued  only making a Diffindion. of each into a
Greater and Lefs. Thus an Interval'of one Semi-tone
is called a Leffer Second; of two Semi-tones, a Greater Se-
cond; of three Semi.tones, a Lefs 'hird ;- of four, a
Greater Third, &c.
A fecond Kind of Semitonic.Scale *e-have frorn ano-
ther Divifion of the Ottave into Semi-tones; which is
performed by taking an Harmonical Mean between the
Extremes of the Greater and Lefs  fone of the Natural
Scale, which divides it into two Semi-tones nearly equal:6
Thus the Greater V'one 8  9 is divided into i6 . 17i
and 17 : i8 i where 1 7 is an Arithmetical Divifion, the
Numbers representing the Lengths of Chords; but if
they represent the Vibrations, the Lengths of the Chords
ate reciprocal, 'viz. As x:      : i , which puts the
Greater Semi-tone 4,   next 'the  lower Part of the
Stone, and the Leffer 1 7 next' the Upper, which is the
Property of the Harmonical Divifion. After the fame
Manner the Lepfer lone 9 : i1 is divided into the two
Sermi-tones 1i  19 and 19: 2o, and the whole Oclave
bands thus:
'C  8.d          eg . g.i               .       c
'6  x 7  T 3 I 9  I5 i I6  1  I7   1~9  6  1 7  T  
Y7 .iC   T) -    T6 T7   Tß {D  FSC  T7  X£  T6
This Scale, Mr. Salmon tells us, in the Philofoph
Tranfaf1. 'he made an Experiment' of, before the Royal
Society, on Chords, exacily in thefe Proportions, which
yielded a perfec&s Confort with other Infiruments, touch'd
by the beld Hands. Mr. Malcolm    adds, That having
calculated the Ratios thereof, for his, own Satisfadion,
he found more of them falfe than in the preceding Scale;
but their Errors were confiderably lets, which made
Amends.
SEMINAL, in Medicine, tec. Spermatic, or fome-
thing belonging to the Semen or Seed. See SEED.
SEMINALIS CAPSULA, or Seed-Bag, is the Husk,
that contains the Seed of any Plant.
SEMINALES Veficul. See VEst cuLe &Seminales.
SEMINAL Leaves: 'Much the greateft Part of all
Seeds, fown in the Earth, come up, Pr fhoot forth at
firA with little, plain, foft, and undivided Leaves;
which, becaufe they are ufually very different from the
Leaves of the fucceeding Plant in Magnitude, Figure,
Surface, and Pofition, are called Seminal Leaves: As the
little embrionated Plant, which lies in Miniature in every
Seed, is called the 7Plantzla Seminalis. See-PLANT and
LEAF.
SEMINARY, a Place appointed for the Infiru~lion of
young Perfons, defined for the Sacred Miniftry, in the
Duties, Ceremonies, and Offices thereof i firil inllituted,
as I-/omafi tells us, by St. ,Auggufin. Of thefe Semi-
Y!aries there are many abroad, furnifh'd with Halls for
the Afemblies of the Exercitants, and little Chambers, or
Cells, where each Perfon retires, fludies, and prays
apart: Such is the Seminary of St. Sulpitius at Paris.
The Council of Trent decrees, That Children exceed-
ing i2 Years of Age, be taken, brought up, and in-
ftruaed in common, to qualify them for the Ecclefiafli-
cal State; and that there be a Seminary of fuch belonging
to each Cathedral, under the Direflion of the Bifhop.
'In France, the Eflablilhment of Seminaries is fomewhat
different from the Decree of the Council. None are
taken in but young People ready to fiudy Theology, and
be ordained: So that the Seminaries are a Kind of
Houfes of Probation, where the Vocation of Clerks is
examined, and they prepared to receive Orders.' For
the Subfiance of thefe Seminaries, there are feveral Uni.
ons of Benefices, or elfe the Clergy *  the Diocefe are
obliged to contribute to maintain them. Pope Pius IV.
having efiabliffed a Seminary at Rome, in Confequence
of the Decree of the Council of '5irent; by Advice of
the Cardinals, it was given to the jefuits, who have made
good Ufe thereof-Among the Canons of S. fAgrfine,
seminary is ufed for a Kind of College, or School, where
Penfionaries are kept, and inftructed in the Claffical and
other Learning.
The Houles of the Society de propaganda Fide, efla.
blilhed for the preparing of Ecclefifficks for Mifflo.
ons among Infidels and Hereticks, are alfo called Semi-
vartes: The principal whereof is that at Rome, called,
The- pojolical College, Apoftolical Seminary, 'Pa]? oral
Seminary, Seminary of the Propaganda, &c.
SEMINATION, in Natural Hiflory, Eec. the MAa
of fowing or fhedding Seed; particularly, that of Vegeta-
bles. See SEED.
Afoon as the Seed is ripe, Dr. Grew obferves, Na.
irtr'takes feveral. Metho  or its being duly Some:


Not only by the Opening of the Utei
Make ot the Seed it felt. Thus, 'the
Plants, which affie& a peculiar Soil or
- Poppy, A;. are heavy and fmall enough,
Care, to fall direfly down to, the C
that are large, and light Cuough to be
Wind, are otten furnished with one oa
flay them from firaying too fir from the
Thus, the Seeds of Avens have a fingle
Aarirnnv and n   f&e;i.Kn,.wfa  mi-n  -,


loving a warm Bank4 and the lail a Hedge far its Sup;.,
port. On the contrary, many Seeds are turnifhed witi '
Wings, or Feathers; partly with the Help of thetWind '
to carry them, when ripe; ofF the Plant, as those of
Afh, -jc. and Partly, to enable them  to make their'
Flight more or leis abroad, that they may not, by fatl-.
ling together, come up too thick; and, that if -o
should mils a good Soil or Bed, another may hit So thel'i
Kernels of Pines have Wings, though fhorr ones,- where.
by they don't fly in the Air, but only flutter on the
Ground. But thofe of Typha, Dandelion, and moft.,o(
the pappous Kind, have numerous long Feathers,: by
which they are wafted every Way. Others'are faowzn b
being laid in fpringy elaffic Cales, which *hen they
crack and burft, dart their Seed at convenient Diflances '
Thus, Wood-Sorrel having a running Root, Nature fees '
fit to low the Seed at fome Diflance, the doing of which
is effedted by a white, iturdy, tendinous Cover, which
beginning to dry, burfis open on one Side in an Inflant,
and is violently turn'd Infide outwards. The Seed of
Harts-tongue, and codded Arfmart, is flung, or fhot away,
by means of a Spring, wound, or girt round the Seed.
cafe. When the Spring is become flark and tenfe enough
it fuddenly breaks the Cafe into two Halves, like little
Cups, and fo flings the Seed.
Other notable Means of Semination are obferved by
other Authors: A Quantity of Fern-Seed, Mr. Ray tells
us, laid in a Lump, on a Paper, the Seminal Veficule
are heard to crackle, burf', and, by a Microfcope, the
Seeds are feen to be projected to a confiderable Diflance
from each other. 'Dr. Slane obfcrves, That the Gentia-
nella fore Ceruleo, or Spirit Leaf, requiring wet Wea-
ther to be fown in, affoon as the leaf Drop of Rain
touches the End of the Seed-Veffels, with a fmart Noifei
and a fudden Leap,Ait opens it felf, and, With a Spring,
fcatters its Seed. The Plants of the Cardamine-Family-,
throw their Cods open, and dart out their Seed upon a
flight Touch of the Hand. Nay, Mr. Ray adds, That
the Pods of the Cardamine Impatiens not only burft upon
the flightell Touch, but even by an Approach of the
Hand to touch them, without any real Conta&.
' Other Plants low their Seeds by inviting Birds, by
their agreeable Talle and Smuell, to feed of them, fwal-
low them, and carry them about; thereby alfo ferti-
lizing them, by paffing through their Bodies. In fuch
Manner are Nutmegs, and Miffeltoe, fown and propa-
gated. See NUTMEG and MISSELTOE.
SEMITA LUMINOSA, is a Name given to a Kind
of Lucid Trad in the Heavens, which, a little before
the Vernal Equinox, may be feen about Six a Clock at
Night, extending from the Weflern Edge of the Hori-
zon, up towards the Pleiades. The Phenomenon bath
been taken Notice of by Caffli and Patio, who both
evince, That this Light comes difFufed from both Sides  ;
of the Sun: Its Brightnels is much the fame with that
of the Via Lagea, or the Tail of a Comet: It is feen
plaineft with us about the Beginning of 06ober, or the
latter End of February. Fatio conjectures, That the Bo-
dies, or rather the Congerics or Aggregate of thofe Bo-
dies, which occafion a Light, doth conform to the Sun,
like a Lens, and takes it to have ever been the fame ;
but, Ca/fni; thinks it arifes from a vail Number of fmall
Planets, which encompass the Sun, and give this Light
by Reflexion, effeeming it alfo not to have exiled long
before he obferved it.
'SENA, or Senna, in Medicine, a purgative Leaf,
much ufed in Compofitions of that Kind: The Shrub
which bears it, is cultivated in feveral Parts of the Ze-
vant, and grows five or fix Foot high. It puts forth
woody Branches, fiurniihed with Leaves on one Side:
Its Flowers are yellow, and yield a Fruit in Manner of a
greenifh flat Pod, containing feveral Lodges or Cells-of
Seeds, resembling Grape-fiones. Thefe Pods fome Phyfi-
cians prefer to the Leaves themselves. There is alfo a
Kind of Sena cultivated about Florence, but 'tis inferior
to that of the Levant, as is owned by the Italians thern-
felves. FatherTPlumier mentions a Third Kind growing in
theAntilles Iflands. M.Lemery diflinguifles threeKinds
of Sena of the Levant. The firfl brought from SeYda,
called Sena of -Appalto, that is Cuflom Sena, by reafon Otf
the Cuftom paid the Grand Seignior, for the Privilege
of


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