Skeat
WALTER WILLIAM, an English Anglo-Saxon scholar; born born in London, Nov. 21, Nov. 21, 1835. In 1883 he became Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge; was one of the founders of the English Dialect Society; and an authority on early English literature. He edited "The Vision of William Concerning Piers Plowman" (1867-1885); Barbour's "The Bruce" (1870-1889); "Specimens of English Literature, 1298-1579" (1871 and 1872; "The Works of Chaucer" (1894); numerous poems, metrical romances, etc.; compiled "An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language" (1879-1881; 1884); and wrote "A Student's Pastime" (1896); "Notes on English Etymology" (1901), etc. He died in 1912.
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Skeat, Walter William
Walter William (1835-), a noted British scholar. He was a native of London. He was graduated at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1858, and was connected with the university in some capacity for nearly half a century. Skeat was a noted student of languages. He edited several early English works and the Gospel of St. Mark in Gothic. His reputation rests chiefly on An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language in which he threw light on the origin and relationship of the words in daily use. Skeat tells us, for instance, that the Scotch bairn, an Anglo-Saxon word, is related to bear, birth, born, and burden; that road, another Anglo-Saxon word, is related to ride, raid, and ready; that ripe is akin to reap; suds to sodden; and wagon to wain, weigh, and weight.
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Skelligs
THE, three rocky islets off the the S. W. coast of Ireland, W. of Bolus Head, county Kerry. There are here two lighthouses, visible 18 miles.
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Skerryvore Lighthouse
a lighthouse built on a rock forming part extensive reef lying about an 12 miles S. W. from the wild isle of Tyree on the W. coast of Scotland. Lying in the fairway of vessels making for the Clyde and Mersey, it was long the terror of mari- The reef is exposed to the mighty ners. "fetch" of the Atlantic.
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Skimmer
A tool for preventing the dirt and slag from following the stream as the metal flows from the ladle-lip into the runner. They are simply of wood in some foundries; but generally they consist of a long piece of flat iron bent at one end, or a long light bar to which is welded a stronger piece of flat iron bent to fit the ladle-lip. The self-skimming ladle is intended to obviate the necessity for skimming. See LADLE; LIP.
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Skink
in zoology, a name attached to several species of lizards, mostly of warm countries. They vary considerably. Some have well formed legs and smooth scales, while in others the legs are reduced to mere rudiments. The slow-worm of Europe is a skink. There are several skinks in the United States . All are small, harmless animals a few inches long. See Lizard.
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Skinning-loam
Fine loam or slip which, by means of the spindle or guide and the requisite strickles, gives the final shape to and constitutes the surface of swept moulds. See LOAM; ROUGHING-UP.
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Skittles
an English game resembling ninepins. Nine skittles are set up at one end of an alley, as in the American game of "bowls." Instead, however, of rolling a spherical ball, the player aims to knock down the skittles with a wooden disk, rolled on edge. Unless delivered with precision, it wabbles about and runs off the track. See Bowling.
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Skive
A circular disc of soft iron charged with diamond upon its edge and is used for slicing the harder stones.
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Skobeleff
MIKHAIL DIMITRIE- VICH, a Russian military officer; born in 1843; entered the army as sub-lieutenant in 1861. He distinguished himself against the Poles in 1866, and afterward in Central Asia. In 1876 he was appointed military governor of the province of Ferghana. In the Russo-Turkish War Skobeleff distinguished himself at the second battle of Plevna, and also at Loftscha. In 1878 he was created adjutant-general to the emperor. In 1880 he successfully led an expedition against the Tekke Turcomans, and captured Geok Tepe, Jan. 12, 1881. He was then promoted to the rank of general. He died suddenly in Moscow, July 7, 1882.
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Skopelos
an island, one of the northern Sporades, in the Grecian Archipelago, about 11 miles long and 5 miles broad. The town of Skopelos, on its S. E. shore, is a Greek see and has a number of churches and convents.
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Skowhegan
a city of Maine, the county-seat of Somerset co. It is on the Kennebec river. Its manufactures include woolen and worsted goods, canned corn, foundry and machine shop products, etc. It is the center of an important dairying region. Its public buildings include a public library, a court house, and a hospital. Pop. (1910) 5,341; (1920) 5,981.
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Skunk Cabbage
a plant closely allied to the jack-in-the-pulpit, and the calla. In earliest spring a wide fleshy hood, corresponding to the green "pulpit," pushes up three to ten inches in springy places in bogs. These hoods or spathes are spotted with purple, brown, and green, intensifying into red and yellow. They shelter a fleshy globe or cylinder-shaped head of flowers. When bruised, this part of the plant gives off an offensive odor, suggestive of the animal for which the plant is named. Larger oval leaves one foot in width follow later. The fruit ripens in August. Nova Scotia to North Carolina and west to Minnesota.
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Skunk River
a Its whose source is in Hamilton co. course is S., crossing Jasper, Mohaska, Keokuk and Henry counties. It flows into the Mississippi about 11 miles below Burlington. The North Skunk, which rises in Marshall co., flows into the main river about 10 miles S. E. of Sigourney. The upper part is sometimes called the South Skunk. It is about 275 miles long.
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Skylark
. See Lark.
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Skyros
or SCYRO, an island of the Grecian Archipelago; the largest of the northern Sporades; 24 miles N. E. of Eubœa; length, 17 miles, area, 79 square miles. Skyros is very mountainous in the S., the mountains being covered with forests of oaks, firs, and beeches; but the N. part, though also hilly, has several ins, which produce fine wheat , fertile plains and grapes for wine. The only town is Skyro, or St. George on the E. coast. This island is associated with the legends of Achilles and Theseus. In 469 B. C., Cimon the Athenian conquered it and carried off to his native city the bones of the hero Theseus. It was likewise celebrated for its goats and its variegated marble. Pop. about 3,500. DOUGLAS BROOKE SLADEN, WHEELTON, an English poet; born in London, Feb. 5, 1856. He wrote "Frithjof and Ingebjorg, and Other Poems" (1882); "Edward the Black Prince," an epic drama (1886); "Australian Ballads and Rhymes" (1888); "The Spanish Armada" (1888), a ballad; "Australian Poets" (1888); "A Japanese Marriage" (1895); "The Admiral" (1898); "A Sicilian Marriage" (1905); "Tragedy of the Pyramids" (1909); "The Unholy Estate" (1912); "Germany's Great Lie" (1914); "Twenty Years of My Life" (1915); ; "Grace Lorraine" (1917); etc.
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