806 



SIMIOUS. Resembling an ape or monkey. 



SIMOUS. Having a very flat or snub nose 

 with the end turned up : Concave ; as, the 

 simo-us part of the liver. 



SIMPLE (ocidi). Eyes which do not consist 

 of an aggregate of hexagonal lenses. 



SIMULTANEOUS. Existing or happening at 

 the same time. 



SINEW. A tendon ; that which unites a 

 muscle to a bone. 



SINISTRAL (as opposed to dextral). When 

 a spiral shell has the aperture on the left 

 side. 



SINISTRORSAL. Rising from left to right as 

 a spiral line or helix. 



SINISTKOUS. Being on or inclined towards 

 the left side. 



SINUATE. Having huge curved breaks in the 

 margin resembling bays. 



SINUOUS. Wavy. 



SINUS. A groove, channel, or depression. 



SIPHON. A cylindrical tube ; the pipe by 

 which the chambers of a shell communi- 

 cate ; a fleshy sucker. 



SIPIIONOSTOMOUS. A term applied to Crus- 

 taceous and other animals furnished with 

 a suctorious mouth like a tube. 



SIPIIUNCULUS. A cylindrical canal perfo- 

 rating the partitions in polythalamous 

 shells, as in Nautilus Spintla. 



SIZY. Thick and glutinous ; as,sfey blood. 



SKELETON. The bones of an animal body 

 separated from the flesh and retained in 

 their natural position. When the bones 

 are connected by the natural ligaments, it 

 is called a natural skeleton ; when by wires 

 or other foreign substance, an artificial 

 skeleton. 



SMARAGDINE. The green splendour of the 

 emerald. 



SOCKET. Any cavity which receives and 

 holds something else ; as the sockets of the 

 teeth or of the eyes. 



SOLIDS. In anatomy, the bones, flesh, and 

 vessels of animal bodies, in distinction 

 from the blood, chyle, and other fluids. 



SOLIPED. An animal whose foot is not 

 cloven. 



SOLIPKDES. A family of mammalia, of the 

 order PacJ>ydermata, having only one ap- 

 parent toe and a single hoof on each foot. 

 One genus only is known Equus. 



SOLIVAGANT. Wandering alone. 



SOLUBLE. Susceptible of being dissolved in 

 a fluid. 



SOMNIFEROUS. Causing or inducing sleep. 



SOMNOLENT. Drowsy ; inclined to sleep. 



SOPORIFIC. SOPORIFEHOUS. Causing sleep, 

 or tending to produce it. 



SOUL. The spiritual, rational, and immortal 

 principle in Man, which distinguishes him 

 from, and elevates him infinitely above, 

 the brute creation. 



SPASMODIC. Affected with spasms or invo- 

 luntary contraction of muscular fibres in 

 animal bodies. 



SPATHACEOUS. Having a sheath-like calyx. 



SPATHIFORM. Resembling spar in form. 



SPATULATE. Rounded and broad at the top 

 and becoming narrow like a spatula. 



SPAWNEB. The female fish. 



SPAYED. Castrated, as a female beast. 



SPECIFIC. Designating the peculiar proper- 



ties of an animal, which constitute its spe- 

 cies, and distinguish it from others. The 

 specific name of an animal is appended to 

 the name of the genus, and constitutes the 

 distinctive name of the species. 



SPECIES. The lowest link in the chain of 

 scientific classification, and that which 

 admits of no further division. A species 

 comprehends all those animals which may 

 reasonably be supposed to be descended 

 from one common, original stock ; thus, 

 all horses compose but a single species j 

 and, in the same manner all oxen, sheep, 

 goats, dogs, &c. compose respective and ap- 

 propriate species ; and where a marked 

 difference in any of them exists, they are 

 said to be varieties of the species. 



SPECULUM. The bright spot on the wings 

 of Ducks, &c. 



SPERMATHECA. A receptacle attached to 

 the oviducts of insects. 



SPERMATOZOA. The peculiar microscopic 

 moving filament and essential parts of the 

 fertilizing fluid. 



SPERMATOPHERA. The cylindrical capsules 

 or sheaths in the Cephalopods which con- 

 vey the sperm. 



SPHACELUS. Mortification of the flesh of a 

 living animal : caries or decay of a bone. 



SPHENOIDAL. Resembling a wedge ; relating 

 to the sphetioid bone at the basis of the 

 skull. 



SPHERE. An orbicular body. 



SPHERICAL. Globular ; as drops of water 

 take a spherical form. 



SPHERULATE. Having one or more rows of 

 minute tubercles. 



SPHERULE. A little sphere or spherical 

 body. 



SPICULA. Fine pointed bodies like needles. 



SPICULAR. Having sharp points. 



SPINE. A fine, long, rigid, pointed process. 



SPINIGEROUS (elytra). When the Coleoptera 

 have a spine common to them both. 



SPINXARET. The articulated tubes with 

 which spiders fabricate their webs. 



SPINOUS. SPINOSE. Armed with spines. 



SPIRACLES. The external apertures of the 

 trachea in insects. 



SPIRAL. Twisted like a cork-screw. 



SPIRE (of a univalve shell). All the whorls 

 except the one in which the aperture is 

 situated, which is termed the body. 



SPISSITUDE. The deuseness or compactness 

 which belongs to substances not perfectly 

 liquid nor perfectly solid ; as, the spissituae 

 of coagulated blood, &c. 



SPONGIOSE. Pertaining to a soft elastic sub- 

 stance resembling sponge. 



SPONTANEOUS. Acting by its own impulse ; 

 as, spontaneous motion. 



SPORTSMAN. One who pursues the sports of 

 the field. 



SPUMOUS. Consisting of froth or scum. 



SPUR. A spine that is not a process of the 

 crust, but is implanted in it. 



SPURIOUS. Not genuine or legitimate. 



SPURIOUS or BASTARD WING. (Alula spuria.) 

 Three or five quill-like feathers, placed at 

 a small joint rising at the middle part of 

 the wing in birds. 



SQUAB. Unfledged ; young and unfeathered ; 

 as, a squab pigeon. 



