390 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



Supraoccipital process. A dorsally situated bony crest at the hinder end of the skull in fish. 



Supraoral lamina. The toothed plate or ridge anterior to the mouth of a lamprey. 



Supraorbital. Above the eye. 



Symphysis. The firm union of two bones. 



Tail. The postanal portion of the body. 



Teleost. A representative of the Teleostei; a bony fish. 



Temporal. Pertaining to the temples or the side of the head. 



Terminal. At or toward the end. 



Terrestrial. Living on or near the surface of the ground. 



Tessellated. Marked with a checkered, mosaic-like arrangement. 



Tetrapodous. Four-footed. 



Thoracic. Pertaining to the thorax, or the anterior portion of the trunk; applied to the 



ventral fins of a fish when they are just beneath the pectorals. 

 Thorax. The anterior portion of the trunk. 

 Trachea. The wind-pipe. 



Tragus. A projection in the external ear of bats. 

 Transverse. In a plane at right-angles to the longitudinal plane. 

 Tricuspid. With three terminal points. 

 Truncate. Ending abruptly, as if cut squarely across. 

 Tubercle. A small elevation. 

 Tympanum. The ear-drum. 



Typical. Of a character usual to a particular group. 

 Ultimate. The last or terminal member of a number of structures. 

 Unguiculate. Having claws. 

 Ungulate. Hoofed. 

 Unicolor. Of a single color. 

 Unicuspid. With a single terminal point. 



Urosteges. The ventral plates of a snake's tail; the subcaudals. 

 Urostyle. A bone extending back from the pelvis in frogs and toads. 

 Ventral. Pertaining to the under side. 

 Ventral fins. The posterior paired fins of a fish. 



Ventral plates. The tranverse plates on the belly of a snake; the gastrosteges. 

 Ventricle. The posterior portion of the heart. 

 Vermiform. Shaped like a worm. 

 Vertebrae. The bones which form the spinal column. 

 Vertical. A dorso-ventral position. 

 Vertical fins. The median fins. 



Vertical plate. The central plate on the snake's head. 

 Vesicle. A small or minute cavity. 

 Vesicular. Composed of vesicles. 



Villiform teeth. Teeth of certain fishes which are small, slender and crowded together. 

 Villose. More or less covered with short, finger-shaped projections. 

 Viperine snakes. Snakes which have a pair of long movable fangs in the front of the 



upper jaw. 

 Viscera. The internal organs of an animal. 

 Visceral arches. The bony or cartilaginous arches which support the mouth and gills of 



fishes. 

 Visceral skeleton. The portion of the skull which forms the frame-work of the jaws, 



tongue and gill arches. 

 Viscous. Slimy. 



Viviparous. Bringing forth the young alive. 

 Vomer bones. The membrane bones forming the roof of the anterior portion of the 



mouth. 



