126 EXPLANATION OF TERMS 



Sonif action: the production of sound: ^ stridulation ; q. v. 



Sonoran faunal areas: see upper and lozver Sonoran. 



Sonorific: sound producing: applied to stridulating organs. 



Sordid: dirty : dull. 



Spadiceous: bay brown [dragon's blood + brown ochre]. 



Spado: the worker or neuter in bees and ants. 



Sparse: scattered: single hairs, scales or sculptures set well apart. 



Spatha: a median piece in male genitalia of aculeate Hyineiwptera, covering 

 the bases of the sagittje. 



Spatula: the breast bone (q. v.) of cecidomyid larvae. 



Spatulate: rounded and broad at top, attenuate at base. 



Specialization: the adaptation of an organ to a definite purpose, or of an or- 

 ganism to fit a determinate environment. 



Species: an aggregation of individuals alike in appearance and structure, mating 

 freely and producing young that themselves mate freely and bear fertile 

 offspring resembling each other and their parents : a species includes all its 

 varieties and races. 



Specific character: a feature common to all individuals of a species, by means 

 of which they may be distinguished from all other individuals of other spe- 

 cies : = essential character. 



Specular: mirror-like; transparent. 



Specular membrane: in male Cicada, the inner or posterior mirror-like mem- 

 brane of the sound-organ : ^= mirror. 



Speculum: a transparent area or spot on wings of some Lepidoptera ; the 

 glassy areas at base of tegmina in male Orthoptera that serve as sounding 

 boards : a spot on the neck of some caterpillars. 



Sperm: the seminal fluid: in plural form is sometimes used as ^= spermatozoa; 

 q. V. 



Spermatheca : = spermatotheca ; q. v. 



Spermatid: the final cells which are converted without further division into 

 spermatozoa; they arise by division of the second spermatocytes (Wilson). 



Spermatocytes: the cells arising from the spermatogonia. The primary 

 spermatocyte arises by growth of one of the last generation of spermatogonia. 

 By its division are formed two secondary spermatocytes, each of which give 

 rise to two spermatids (Wilson). 



Spermatogenesis: the development of spermatozoa. 



Spermatogonia: the descendants of the primordial germ cells in the male. 

 Each ultimate spermatogonium typically gives rise to four spermatozoa. 



Spermatophora: a sac or case containing spermatozoa. 



Spermatotheca: the sac or reservoir in the female, that receives the sperm 

 during coition: ^spermatheca and receptaculum seminis. 



Spermatozoon -zoa: the male cell or cells which, by uniting with the ova, 

 fertilize Iheni. 



Spherical: in the form of a sphere: a body in which all diameters are equal. 



Spherule: a minute sphere or globule. 



Spicula: a slender needle-like process; e. g., the sting in bees; also employed 

 as =^ ovipositor ; q. v. 



