Sardis

(sar'dis.) (Anc. Geog.) A great city of Asia Minor, abt. 60 m. E.N.E. of Smyrna, on the river Pactolus, and anciently the capital of Lydia. It was the seat of one of the Christian churches addre ed in the Book of Revelation. Its ruins are very extensive. Sardon'ic Laugh, (-laf.) (Med.) See RISUS SARDONIC US. Sardonyx, (sar'do-niks.) [Gr., the Sardian onyx.] (Min.) A genus of semi-pellucid gems, of the onyx structure, zoned or tabulated; and composed of the matter of the onyx, variegated with that of the red or yellow carnelian. It is often blood-red,by transmitted light. Sarga o Sea, (The,) (sar-gas'so.) (Phys. Geog.) The name given to a large tract of water many hundred miles in extent, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and W. of the Canary and Cape Verd Islands. It is habitually calm, and covered with floating sea-weed (Sarga um bacciferum) - whence its name. This vast oceanic meadow -the home of myriads of small crustaceans, and minute organisms-is avoided by navigators, Columbus was the first to sail acro it, and he imagined himself to be near land, upon viewing such evidences of vegetation. Sarga um, (-gas's um.) (Bot.) Agen. of dark-spored Algæ, characterized by the fruit-bearing receptacles being collected in little bundles in the axils of the leaves. See SARGASSO SEA. Sari, (sah're,) a town of Persia, C. of p. Mazanderan, near the S. shore of the Caspian Sea, and 115 m. N.E. of Teheran. Pop. 15,000. Sark, (sa hrt,) the smallest of the Channel Islands,belonging to Great Britain; Lat. 49° 30′ N., Lon. 2° 52′ W. It is 2 m. in length and greatest breadth. Sarmatia, (sar-ma's he-ah.) (Anc. Geog.) The ancient name of the great eastern steppe of Europe, including Poland and part of Ru ia, and extending to the north of the Euxine as far as Scythia. Sarmentous, (sār-měn'tūs.) [From Lat. sar mentos us, full of twigs.] (Bot.) An epithet for a stem that is filiform and almost naked; or has leaves only in branches at the joints or knots, where it strikes root. Sarnia, (sar'ne-ah,) a river-port of Canada W., C. Lambton co., on St. Clair River, near its junction with Lake Huron. Pop. 4,500. [s. 798]