GLOSSARY. 



549 



in the revei'se direction (i. e. inner border of 

 one overlapping outer border of the next one) 

 from tlie others, wlience tliey are sometimes 

 called tcclriccs perversiT. (94.) 



Mior.4.'tion, ?!.. Periodical (but sometimes ir- 

 regular) joiirneyings, or change of abode, of 

 birds at certain seasons, to secure food, cli- 

 mate, or other physical conditions of environ- 

 ment best suited to their wants. Wigi-ation 

 is generally meridional (north-.south), and 

 believed by some to be mainly acconiplisheil 

 along a magnetic nieridian ; but it is often 

 quite otherwise, intluenced by topography, 

 etc., or altogether capricious. In the North- 

 ern Hemisphere, the vernal migration is 

 northward, the autumnal in the opposite di- 

 rection. 



Mime'sis, n. Mimicry ; mocking ; simulated 

 resemblance in voice, shape, color, etc. 



Mimet'ic, a. Imitative ; given to mimicry. 

 Mimetic analotjij, simulated resemblance in 

 superficial respects, such as many insects 

 be.n r to the twigs or leaves they rest upon. 



Mir'ror, 11. See Speculum. (S-2.) 



Moi/ecule, n. Embryo part of the impreg- 

 nated ovum. See Cicatp.icui.um. 



Mol'lipilose, a. Softly downy. 



Mon-og'.\mous, a. Pairing ; mating with a 

 single one of the opposite sex. Birds of which 

 the male assists in incubation and care of the 

 young are called doubly monngammis. 



Mdnog'amy, n. The paired state. 



Moxomor'phic, a. Of the same or essentially 

 similar type of structure. Opposed to poly- 

 mnrphic. 



Monoto'kous, a. Uniparous ; laying a single 



Mon'stek, n. Any malformed animal. 



Morphol'ogy, n. Tlie science of form. The 

 doctrine of the laws of form. Structure it- 

 self, considered as to its principles ; e. g. the 

 tnorpfwlotjy of the odontoid jirocess of the axis 

 is centrum of the atlas, the morpholorjiaU 

 interpretation of the tibial condyles is tarsal 

 ossicles. The segment called metatarsus is, 

 morpholorjiccdly, tarso-metatarsus. Homology 

 rests upon morphology ; analogy is generally 

 predicable u|)on teleology. 



MoR'sus Di.ibol'icus, n. An epithet of the in- 

 fundibuliform orifice of the oviduct which 

 takes in the ova. 



Mucip'arou.s, a. Producing mucus. 



Mu'cous Mem'erane, n. Lining of the ali- 

 mentary and other interior tracts of the body, 

 secreting mucus. 



Mu'cro, 11. A sharp spine. 



Mu'cp.onate, a. S|iine-tipped, as the tail of a 

 swift. 



Mu'cu.s, n. Peculiar secretion of the mucous 

 membrane. 



Multif'iuus, a. forn. A certain spinal muscle. 



MuLTip'.\ROUS, a. Producing many young. 



Mus'cLE, n. {musculiis, pi. mitsciili). Organ of 

 animal motion, consisting of contractile fibre, 

 the shortening of which draws upon attached 

 parts. With the muscular tissue is usually 

 associated a fibrous ligament, the tendon or 

 "leader." Voluntary muscles have striped 

 fibre, contracting at will of the animal ; such 

 are all those of the general system, moving 



the bones, effecting locomotion, mastication, 

 etc. Involuntary muscles mostly have plain 

 fibre contractile under special stimuli without 

 obedience to the will ; such are those of the 

 intestines, etc. 



Mus'cuLAR, a. Pertaining to muscle ; having 

 muscle or composed of muscle ; ifsulting from 

 muscle : as, muscular fibre, muscular organ, 

 muscular exertion. Also, strong, vigorous : 

 the falcon is a muscular bird. 



Mu'tr'Us, a. Unarmed ; as, a toe without a 

 claw, an un.spurred tarsus. (1.33.) 



Myelenceph'alon, 11. Whole cerebi-o-spinal 

 column. 



My'elon, n. The spinal cord. 



Myoi.em'ma, n. Sheath of muscidar fibre. 



My'ol'ogy-, n. Doctrine or description of the 

 muscles. 



My'x'.a, n. End of the mandible, as far as the 

 .symphysis, corresponding to the dertrum of 

 the maxilla. (25). 



N. 



Nan'us, a. or n. Dwarf ; pigmy. 



Nape, n. (49.) See Nucha. 



Nar'is, n.; pi. narcs. Nostril (always paired). 

 (28 J.) The external narcs open upon the bill, 

 or its cere, in very various shape and position; 

 the intci-nal narcs open slit-wise upon the 

 back part of the palate. 



Na'sai., n. Pertaining to the nostrils. Nasal 

 bones, a pair at the root of the upper mandi- 

 ble. 



Nas'cext, a. About being born ; beginning to 

 grow or exist. 



N.ata'tion, 11. Act of swimming. 



NATATO'itES, 11. pi. A group of swimming- 

 birds. 



Natato'rial, a. Capable of swimming ; be- 

 longing to swimming- birds. 



Ne.arc'tic, a. Indigenous to the northern por- 

 tion of the Western Hemispbere. 



Nebula'ted, a. Clouded with various indis- 

 tinct colors. 



Neck, n. (47.) See Collum. 



NEoGiE'AN, n. Indigenous to the Western Hemi- 

 sphere or "New World." 



Neo.s'sine, n. Substance of the "edible birds'- 

 nests." 



Neossol'ogy, n. Study of young birds. 



Neotrop'icat., a. Indigenous to the tropical 

 portion of the Western Hemisphere. 



Nep.'vixe, n. Nerve .substance. 



Neu'r..\.l, a. Pertaining to nerves. Neural 

 canal, the tube of the backbone. Neural 

 spine, the so-called s)iinous process of a verte- 

 bra. Neural axis, cerebro-spinal axis. Neu- 

 ral arch, see Neiirapophysis. 



Neurapoph'y.sis, n. The laminate process of 

 a vertebra, which, meeting its fellow at the 

 neural spine, closes the canal for transmission 

 of the spinal cord. 



Neurilkm'.ma, n. Sheath of nerve fibre. 



Neurol'ogy, 7!. Study of the nerves. 



Nic'TTTATiNG Mem'erane, ?!. Tile third or 

 inner eyelid of birds. 



Nidifica'tiox, n. Nest-builJing ; mode of 

 nesting. 



