786 



thin plates, lying on each other, as in the 

 shell of the oyster. 



FOLIOL^E. Appendages of the telum of in- 

 sects. 



FOLLICLE. A minute gland, or little bag, 

 in animal bodies, serving the purposes of 

 secretion. 



FORAMINOUS. Perforated : full of holes. 



FORCEPS. An instrument formed somewhat 

 after the manner of a pair of pincers or 

 tongs, and used in surgery. 



FORCIPATED. Formed like a, forceps, to open 

 and inclose. 



FORE-LEGS. The first or anterior pair of 

 legs. 



FORMIC (acid.) The acid of ants. 



FORNICATE. Concave above and convex be- 

 neath. 



FOSSILIFEROUS. Having the quality of, or 

 tending to produce fossils : applied to the 

 strata which contain the remains of ani- 

 mals and plants. 



FOSSILIZE. To become or to be changed into 

 a fossil. 



FOSSILS. Bodies of animal or vegetable 

 origin, accidentally buried in the earth, as 

 shells, bones, and other substances, and 

 become petrified. 



FOSSOKIAL. A term applied to animals which 

 dig their retreats and seek their food in the 

 earth. 



FOSSORIUS. A term for the leg of an insect 

 when with either palmate or digitate tibiae. 



FOSSULATE. Having one or more long and 

 narrow depressions. 



FOVEOLATE. Having one or more roundish 

 and rather deep depressions. 



FRUGIVOROUS. Feeding on fruits, seeds, or 

 corn, as birds and other animals. 



FRUMENTARIOUS. Pertaining to wheat or 

 other grain. 



FRY. A swarm or crowd of little fish. 



FULCRANT. When the trochanter merely 

 props the thigh below at the base, but does 

 not at all intervene between it and the 

 coxa. 



FULGID. Of a bright fiery red colour. 



FULIGINOUS. Of the opaque black of soot. 



FULV ous. Of a tawny or dull yellow colour ; 

 the tawny colour of the lion. 



FUMOUS. Coloured as if tinged with smoke. 



FUNCTION. The peculiar or appropriate 

 action of a member or part of the body, by 

 which the animal economy is carried on ; 

 as the functions of the brain and nerves, &c. 



FUNGUS. A spongy excrescence in animal 

 bodies ; any morbid excrescence. 



FUNICULATE. When the post fraenum forms 

 a narrow ridge. 



FUNICULAR. Consisting of a small cord, li- 

 gature, or fibre. 



FURCATE. Divided at the end into two 

 prongs or branches. 



FURCULA. A forked bone in the upper part 

 of the breast of a bird, familiarly called 

 the merrythought, when speaking of the 

 joint of a fowl at table. 



FURFURACEOUS. Scurfy ; scaly. 



Fuscous. Of a dull dark brown colour. 



FUSIFORM. Spindle-shaped ; swelling iu the 

 middle, and rather tapering to each end : 

 whose vertical section is lanceolate or 

 lineari-lanceolate, and horizontal circular. 



GALEATEB. Having feathers on the head 

 which in shape appear like a helmet. 



GALLINACEOUS. Belonging to the order Gal- 

 lince, which includes domestic poultry, 

 pheasants, &c. 



GALLOWAY. A small-sized species of horse, 

 bred in Galloway in Scotland. 



GANGLION. A mass of nervous matter, form- 

 ing a centre from which nervous fibres 

 radiate. 



GANGRENE. Mortification of some part of a 

 living animal body. 



GANGRENESCENT. Tending to putrefaction, 

 as living flesh in a diseased state. 



GAPING. When the margins of bivalve shells 

 do not meet all round, they are said to 

 gape. 



GAROUS. Resembling pickle made offish. 



GASTEROPODOUS. Belonging to the Gastero- 

 poda, a class of molluscous animals dis- 

 tinguished by having the locomotive organ 

 attached to the under part of the body. 



GASTRIC. Belonging to the stomach ; as the 

 gastric juice, which is the principal agent 

 in digestion. 



GAZEHOUND. A hound that pursues by the 

 sight rather than by the scent. 



GELATINE. A concrete animal substance, 

 transparent, a_nd soluble slowly in cold 

 water, but rapidly in warm water. 



GELATINOUS. Composed of a jelly-like sub- 

 stance ; being moderately stiff and cohe- 

 sive. 



GEMILLIPAROUS. Producing twins. 



GEMINATED. Marked with a double elevated 

 stria connecting the wreaths, as in certain 

 shells. 



GEMINOUS. When there is a pair of spots, 

 tubercles, puncta, &c. 



GEMMIPAROUS. Endued with the power of 

 propagation from the growth of the young, 

 like a bud from the parent. 



GEMMULES. The embryos of the radiated 

 animals at that stage when they resemble 

 ciliated monads. 



GENERATE. To procreate; as, every animal 

 generates his own species. 



GENERIC. Pertaining to a genus or kind, as 

 distinct from species, or from another ge- 

 nus : thus, a generic name is the denomi- 

 nation which comprehends all the species ; 

 Canis, for example, is the generic name of 

 animals of the Dog kind ; Felis, of the Cat 

 kind ; Struthio is the generic name of birds 

 of the Ostrich kind ; Hirundo, that of Swal- 

 lows. 



GENICULATED, Having joints like the knee 

 bent so as to form a knee or angle. 



GENUS (plu. GENERA.) An assemblage of 

 species possessing certain characters in 

 common, by which they are distinguished 

 from all others. It is subordinate to class 

 and order, and in some arrangements to 

 tribe and family. A single species, pos- 

 sessing certain peculiar characters which 

 belong to no other species, may also con- 

 stitute a genus, as the Giraffe. 



GEOGNOSTIC. Pertaining to a knowledge of 

 the structure of the earth. 



GEOLOGICAL. Relating to the substances of 

 which the earth is composed, their forma- 

 tion, structure, &c. 



GESTATION. Pregnancy ; the act of carry- 



