286 Glossary of a few Pitlceontological Terms. 



Strophomena. — Sig., a bent crescent. Ety., Greek ffrpofi, a turning, 

 and /j-i'^i, a crescent, in allusion to the bending of the valves to one 

 side or the other, as the shells reach full size. This term has al* 

 most completely superseded Dalman's Leptoena (finely striated), 

 though, in some respects, with doubtful advantage in point of 

 etymology. 



Crania. — Sig. , like a shull. Ety. , Greek -/.pfvAm, the upper part of a skull, 

 from its resemblance. The pronunciation, cra'nia, is sometimes de- 

 fended on the ground that the Greek word for a skull is xpwAo-^, 

 and that the usual adjective form derived from it does not exist. 

 But it is not unusual to form an adjective in coining new scien" 

 tific terms from the Greek, if such adjective be not already in 

 existence, and then to use it as a generic or specific name. Ret- 

 zius, the Swedish naturalist, in giving the name, would have used 

 cranion, or cranium (the Latin form), itself, and not the plural 

 crania, had he iutended to employ the noun. Moreover, it is the 

 rule to employ adjectives in the feminine gender, when they are 

 used as generic names in conchology, as they are understood to 

 agree with the word concha. 



Calceola. — Sig., a little shoe. Ety., Latin calceolus, diminutive of 

 (calceus) a shoe; alluding to the form of Cdlctdla sandalincC) the 

 type of the genus. 



DisciNA. — Sig., disclike. Ety., discus, a flat round plate, and the adjec- 

 tive termination, inus, implying resemblance or affinity. 



Obolus. — Sig., a small round disc. Ety., Greek ofju/.uq, a small coin. 



Delthyris. — Sig., ivith triangular foramen. Ety., Greek osXza* aletter 

 in the form of a triangle, and ^'^optq, a dooricay. Dalman's synonym 

 for the genus Spirifera of Sowerby. 



Trigonotreta. — Sig., with pierced deltidium. Ety., Greek rptyovov, a 

 triangle, and rpsro';, pierced. Kunig's synonym for Spirifera. 



Uncites. — Sig., hooked. Ety., Latin uncus, a hook, and Greek affix 

 £rc<j, implying possession or resemblance. This term, like many 

 others, is a hybrid, but takes in common with others similarly 

 formed the accent and quantity of its Greek termination. 

 . Chonetes. — Sig'., like a funnel. Ety., Greek xove, a small funnel. 



The numerous compounds of the Greek word d^upiq, a small doorway, 



should all be pronounced with the "y" short, and the accent on the 



preceding syllable, as Hypothyris, "having a foramen below,'" (i.e.) 



the beak. Hemethyris, "having half a foramen." Acanthothyris, 



" havyig a foramen beset with spines." 



On the other hand all compounds of the Greek word zpuza, a foramen, 



should be pronounced with the "y ' long, and accented as atrypa. 



