A GLOSSARY OF TERMS 



is constant: the ovarium of the 

 cocoa palm is three-celled ; the 

 fruit has only one cell, the other 

 two becoming constantly abor- 

 tive. 



ABUA'MIS. The generic name of 

 fishes, called Breams. 



ABRAN'CHIA (a-bran'-kea}. In the 

 plural abran'chi(K fr. gr. o, with- 

 out, and bragchia, gills. Abran'- 

 chians. An order of annelidans, 

 so called, because the species 

 composing it have no external 

 organs of respiration. 



ABRAN'CHIATE. - Relating to, or of 

 the nature of abranchiae. 



ABSORP'TIOW. fr. lat. absorbere, to 

 drink, to suck up. The function 

 of absorbent vessels, by virtue of 

 which they take up substances 

 from without or within the body. 



AC'ACIA. fr. gr. ake, a point, akios, 

 not subject to worms : a thorny 

 tree. A genus of the family Le- 

 gumino'sse and order Mimo'sae. 

 About 300 species are enume- 

 rated ; many of them yield gum. 



ACALE'PHA. fr.gr. akalephe, a nettle. 

 Class of radiate animals, so called, 

 on account of the singular pro- 

 perty possessed by most of the 

 species, of irritating and inflam- 

 ing the skin, when touched. 



ACALE'PHA. Plural of acale'pha. 



ACALE'PHANS. Animalsof the class 

 Acale'pha. 



ACA'NTHA. fr. gr. akantha, a thorn. 

 A prickly fin of a fish. A spine 

 or prickle of a plant. 



ACA'WTHOPTERT'GIAIT. fr.gr. akan- 

 tha, a spine, pteron, wing. Ap- 

 plied to fishes that have bony fin- 

 rays. 



ACA'NTHOPTEHT'GII. Lat. Plural 

 of acanthopterygius. Same deri- 

 vation. Na*ne of the first order 

 of the class of fishes given to 

 them because they have bony 

 fins. 



A'CA'NTHURI Lat. Plur. of acan- 

 thu'rus. fr. gr. akantha, a spine, 

 oura, tail. Generic name of a 



kind of fishes popularly called 

 Surgeon, because they have 

 sharp, lancet-like spines on the 

 tail. (p. 98, Book iv.) 



A'CAUIDJB. ) A family of Arachni- 



A'CARIDES. dans, which includes 

 the mite, the tick, the water rriite, 

 and flesh-worm. 



A'cAHi. Lat. Plur. of Acarus. 



A'CARUS. fr. gr. akari, a mite. A 

 genus of arachnidans. 



ACAULOUS. ) fr. gr. a, priv. ; 



ACAULE'SCEWT. kaulos, a stalk. 

 Stem less: applied to plants in 

 which the stern is seemingly ab- 

 sent, the leaves appearing to arise 

 from the root. 



A'CCESSORT. Joined to another 

 thing so as to increase it; addi- 

 tional. 



ACCI'PITHES. fr. lat. accipere, to 

 seize hold of. Systematic name 

 of the order of birds of prey. 



AC'CLIMATE. fr. gr. klima, a region : 

 to habituate to a climate. 



ACCRE'TIOW. fr. lat. accresco, to 

 grow to. Minerals grow by ac- 

 cretion, that is, they increase in 

 size by the deposit of new mat- 

 ter around a central nucleus. 



AC'CUMBENT. Prostrate, supine, ly- 

 ing upon. 



A'CEOUS An affix or termination 

 which denotes resemblance; as, 



membrantt'eeotts ; resembling 



membrane: but the affix CMS, de- 

 notes the substance itself; as, 

 membranous; of the nature of 

 membrane, relating to mem- 

 brane. 



ACE'PHALA (a-ke'f-ala) fr. gr. a, 

 without, kephale, head : without 

 a head. Applied to animals 

 without a head. 



ACE'PHAISC (a-ke'f-alay). Lat. Plur. 

 of acephala. 



ACE'PHALOUS (a-ke'f-alous). Head- 

 less ; relating to acephalte. 



ACERO'SE fr. lat. acer, a needle. 

 In form of a needle. 



ACETA'BULUM. fr. lat. acetum. vin- 

 egar, from its resemblance to 



