people are the Fulahs, exercising sway over various native
tribes; is a country capable of much agricultural development, and has
large deposits of iron. Wurno (15), the capital, is on the Gandi, 18 m.
E. of the town of Sokoto.

SOLANO, name given to a hot oppressive wind in the Mediterranean.

SOLAR CYCLE, a period of 28 years, within which the first day of the
year passes successively through the same sequence of week-days.

SOLAR MYTH, a myth, the subject of which is a deified
personification of the sun or phenomena connected with it.

SOLAR YEAR, the period of 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 52 seconds
which the earth takes to complete a revolution of the sun.

SOLDAN, a corruption of Sultan, and denoting in mediaeval romance the
Saracen king.

SOLECISM, the name given to a violation of the syntax or idiom of a
language, as well as to an incarnate absurdity of any kind, whether in
mind or morals.

SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. See COVENANT.

SOLENT, the western portion, SPITHEAD (q. v.) being the
eastern, of the strait which separates the Isle of Wight from the
mainland of Hants, 17 m. long, with an average breadth of 3 m., but at
its W. entrance, opposite Hurst Castle, contracts to 3/4 m.

SOLEURE (86), a canton of North-West Switzerland, between Bern (W.
and S.) and Aargau (E); is hilly, but fertile and well cultivated,
especially in the valley of the Aar; inhabitants are mainly Catholics and
German-speaking. Soleure, the capital (8), situated on the Aar, 18 m. NE.
of Berne, has a fine cathedral, and manufactures of cottons, clocks, and
cement.

SOLFATA`RA, a fissure or crevice in the earth which emits sulphurous
and other vapours, and in regions where volcanoes have ceased to be
active; they are met with in South Italy, the Antilles, Mexico, and Java.

SOLFERINO, a village in North Italy, 20 m. NW. of Mantua, where the
Austrians were defeated by the French and Piedmontese in 1859.

SOLIDARITY, community of interest or responsibility; also that
community of being which binds humanity into one whole, so that each
affects and is affected by all.

SOLIDUS, a Roman gold coin adopted by the Franks, and first coined
by them in gold, but subsequently in silver, when it was equivalent to
one-twentieth of the libra, or pound; as the "sol" or "sou" it
depreciated greatly in value; was minted in copper, and on the
introduction of the decimal system its place was taken by a five-centime