Prolegomena to Vigfflsson's edition of the 8tur- liiitga Saga (Oxford, 1878) discusses the classical literature, and the same author's Corpus Poeti- eum Boreale ( ih., 1883) contains a complete col- lection of the iK>etrj' down to the thirteenth cen- tury, with English translations, notes, etc. The value of this work is impaired by the arbitrary arrangement of many of the poems, especially those of the Older Fd<Ia. Extracts from the literature will be found in Vigfusson and Powell, Icelandic Prose Reader (London. 18G8), and in other similar works. Consult also the introduc- tions to the translations of individual sagas in the Saga Librar;/, edited by Morris and ilagnfis- son (London, 1S84).
ICELAND MOSS (Cetraria Islandica). A lichen found in cold climates, especially in Iceland and Norway, in which places it forms an important article of commerce. It is also met with on the higher mountains to the south, but is neglected. It is used largely as a food by the Icelanders and the Laplanders, who either powder the dried plant and make it into bread, or boil it with milk. .s food also it has been used in other countries to which it is exported. Before it be- comes edible, however, it must be steeped in water to remove a bitter principle. Other use3 are in the manufacture of sizing-paper and in dressing the warp in weaving. Formerly it was used as a remedy in pulmonary troubles, but is now regarded as a bland mucilaginous diet in such cases.
ICELAND SPAR. A transparent variety of calcite that is found chiefly in Iceland. Owing to its transparency and double refracting prop- erty, it is used for polarizing prisms and in other optical instnmients. See Calcite.
ICE-NEEDLES. See Fbost.
ICE'NI. A tribe of ancient Britain, occupying, as is supposed, the present counties of Xorfolk and Suffolk. The Iceni joined the ranks of Aulus Plautius in a.d. 43, and secured the defeat of the sons of Cymbeline (q.v. ). Some years later (a.d. 61 ) , when the Romans endeavored to estab- lish their authority more firmly in the country, the Iceni rebelled imder their Queen, Boadicea, but were subdued. See Boadicea.
ICE-PACK. See Ice.
ICE-PETREL. A brown and white petrel (PulJiiitis rirlidux) of the Antarctic seas.
ICE - PLANT {Maembrtianthemum cn/sfal- liiiuni ) . A tender greenliouse annual herb, native o:' Africa and of the south of Europe, remarkalile for the glistening bladder-shaped hairs with which its whole surface is covered, and which sparkle in the sun like granules of ice. The seeds are used for food in the Madeir.T Islands. The ashes supply barilla, which is extensively used as a source of carbonate of soda in soap and glass making, and for which the plant is burned in -countries where it abounds. There are in all about four hundred species of this genus, most of which are natives of the south of Africa. The ice-plant is introduced and spreading in southern California. }fesembrganthemum (rqui- latrralc. a trailing plant, is also common in Cali- fornia, where its purple flowers, one and a half inches across, are very striking, ^(esembn|anthe■ mum edtile bears edible fruits called Hottentot figs.
ICE POLO. A game on skates, which should not be confounded with ice hockey, nor with the equestrian game of polo, though it is related to both these games. Whether ice polo is derived directly from them is uncertain, and of little con- sequence. It is sufficient to point out the main differences m these two games. The words hockey and polo have been loosely applied to a number of games, but there should be little dif- ficulty in placing them properly. While ice polo is similar in object to ice hockey, it is verj' different in methods of play. A ball is used in- stead of a puck, the construction of the stick and tha method of handling it are different, and there is a more open manner of play. This open play is brought about through the permission to indulge, in an ice-jiolo game, in what would in ice hockey be off-side play, that is, getting be- tween the ball and the opponents' goal. Five men make up a team, two less than in ice hockey. There are two rushers, one centre, one halfback, and one goal-tend. The goals are four feet wide and the distance from goal to goal is 130 feet. There are two playing periods of twenty minutes each, with ten minutes' inten-al. A goal counts three points. The game never had much vogue outside of New England. See Hockey.
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ICE-PLANT.
ICE YACHTING. Excepting Russia, no country in the world shares with America the sport of ice yachting, and Kussia is only a sharer in the sense that a few of its boats, such as those of "the Russian River Club.' are sailed over a portion of the Gulf of Finland, near Saint Peters- burg. As early as the year 1790 there were ice boats, and contests at Poughkeepsie on the Hud- son, the runners of one of the boats being still preserved. It was built by Oliver Booth, and was little more than a square box on three run- ner skates : one on each side of the box. and the rudder one set in an oak post with an oar-tiller. It was sailed with a small flat-headed spritsail. More than half a century passed before there was much improvement in this primitive design. The first real innovation was that of Allaire of Red P.ank.X. .J.. on the Shrewsbury River, who in 185ft mounted his three runners on a triangular frame.
