SKUNK CABBAGE, sometimes called dracontium, and by the stinkende dracheatourzel. It is the symplompus fatklus, a plant belonging to the arum family, growing in bogs and moist ground in many parts of North America. It blossoms in April and May. • The spathe, which precedes the leaves, is hooded, shell form, pointed, rather fleshy, of a variegated purplish brown and yellow color, inclosing a short oval spadix, which is densely tessellated with fleshy flowers, and enlarges to a spongy mass, superficially covers the globular seeds. The leaves arc radical, 18 to 24 in. long, on short leaf-stalks, smooth, ovate, heart-shaped. All parts of the plant emit a fetid odor, especially when bruised, which has sonic resemblance to the fetid secretion of the skunk. The fruit is ripe in September, forming a roughened, globular mass 2 or 3 in. in diameter. containing many round seeds nearly half an inch in diam eter, filled with a solid fleshy embryo. Skunk cabbage, or dracontium, taken internally produces vertigo, nausea, and frequently vomiting. It has been used in hysteria, chorea, and spasmodic asthma, but it is probably much less efficient than many other medicines, and is not often used by the profession. The root is the part used, and should be col lected early in the spring.
SK,YE (Gaelic skiamek, winged), the largest of the Scottish islands after Lewis, and the most northerly of the group known as the inner Hebrides, forms part of the county of Inverness, from the mainland of which it is separated by a channel scarcely half a mile in. breadth at its narrowest point, Kyle Rhea:. Its extreme length, from s.e. to is 47 m.; breadth, from 7 to 23 m.: but on account of the extraordinary number of inlets at all parts of the island, no point is above 4 in. from the sea. Area, 547 sq.m.; pop. '71, 17,330. Skye is for the most part mountainous and moory,.but it contains sonic pleasant tracts of arable and pasture land, and one plain, formerly the bed of a lake, in the parish of Kilmuir. The principal mountains are the Coolin Hills, which stretch irregularly chiefly from s.w. to n.e., culminating in the sharp peak of Scoor-nan Gillean (3,183 ft.) above Slig.acham The singularly jagged outline of these remarkable hills arrests the eve at a great distance, and forms the dominant feature in the view at almost every point around the island, and far out at sea. The most famous scene in this region is -loch Coiruisg, a small fresh-water lake near tire head of the bay of Scavaig, all but encircled by frowning ridges of rock, shooting up at some points to the height of It has been, powerfully depleted by sir W. Scott in The _Lord of the Islek. Glen
Sligachan, extending from the head of the loch of that name about 9m. to Caumsunary, is by many as the grandest glen in the highlands. The scenery of Cuiraing, near the n. of the island, has been truly styled " unique." The coast-scenery of Skye is for'the most part highly picturesque. and in many places very grand. Between Rhu-tram-Brarin and loch Statfin. the coastline presents magnificent basaltic formations, on a scale of magni tude considerably exceeding the giants' causeway or Staffs. Over these cliffs descend many remarkable waterfalls, and their bases are frequently worn into deep caves, some of which are of historical interest. One near Portree afforded a refuge to prince Charles; another, on the w. coast, was the temporary prison of lady Grange. The largest arms of the sea arc loch Braeadale, loch Dunvegan, and loch Snizort and tire chief harbors are those of Portree. Uig. Grishernish, Lochbay, Dunvegan, Pooltiel; Harport.
The coasts abound in fish, the most important being- herring, cod, ling, and saithe. Good oysters arc found in several places. herring fishery is prosecuted in tire season in all the bays: the cod and ling fishery is chiefly confined to loch Dunvegan and loch Snizort ; and the salmon fishery to Portree and the e. coast. Lobste•fishing isalso car ried on to a considerable extent. There are no rivers of any magnitude; butt salmon and sea-trout are got in some of the principal streams, at Skeabost, Portree, Ose, Hammer, &c. The fresh-water lakes are also small, and few in number. Deer are not numerous, nor are grouse. An excellent breed of hardy ponies used to he extensively reared, but the cultivation of sheep now engrosses almost exclusive attention from farmers. The climate of Skye is exceedingly moist, the days throughout the year during which no rain falls twing generally few in number. A register kept at Pcrtree shows the rainfall in the WM'S 1860-65 to have been respectively 87.99. 139.04, 111.19, 148.89. and 89.54 inches. The climate is, however, mild and healthy. and the average standard of longevity un commonly high. Agriculture in Skye is comparatively tinprofitable. owing to the mois ture of the climate, and is. in fact, falling into entire neglect on some of the chief-sheep farms. The soil, however, is in many place excellent. and capable, in dry seasons, of yielding good cereal crops, while for turnips it is peculiarly suited.