USED IN NATURAL HISTORY. 



21 



A SAPHUS. fr. gr. asaphe$, obscure. 

 A name devised to express the 

 obscure nature of a genus of tri- 

 lobites, or fossil crustaceans, (p. 

 38, Book viii). 



ASBE'STUS, or ASBESTOS. fr. gr. as- 

 bestos, unconsumable. A fibrous 

 soft mineral, composed of easily 

 separable filaments of a silky 

 lustre. It consists essentially of 

 si'lica, magnesia and lime. 



ASCA'RIDES. A genus of worms. 



ASCI. fr. gr. askon, a leather bag. 

 Small tubes in which the sporules 

 of cryptogamic plants are placed. 



ASCI'DIA fr. gr. askos, a bottle or 

 pouch. Systematic name of cer- 

 tain mollusks. 



ASCI'DI*. Plur. of Ascidia. 



A.SCI'DIUM. fr. gr. askos, a bottle or 

 pitcher. A kind of leaf. 



ASCI'GEROUS. Having asci. 



ASCITI'TJOUS. Supplemental, addi- 

 tional. 



ASE'PTIC. fr. gr. a, priv. ; sepd, to 

 putrefy. Applied to substances 

 free from the putrefactive process. 



ASINUS. Lat. An ass. 



ABPARAGI'NEJE. fr. gr. sparasso, I 

 tear, or asparagos, a term applied 

 to the tender shoots of plants. 

 Systematic name of a family of 

 plants. 



ASPE'RGILLUM Lat. A watering- 

 pot. 



ASPERGI'LLIFORM. fr. lat. aspergil- 

 lus, a brush ; forma, form. Brush- 

 like; divided into minute ramifi- 

 cations, as the stigmas of grasses. 



ASPHA'LTUM. A black or brown 

 bitumen. 



ASPHODE'LEB. fr. gr. asphodelos, 

 name of a flower. Systematic 

 name of a family of plants. 



ASPHYX'IA. fr. gr. a, priv. ; sphuxis, 

 pulse. Suspended animation. 



ASPHYX'IATE. In a state of suspend- 

 ed animation. 



ASSIMILA'TIOX. The act by which 

 living bodies (plants or animals) 

 appropriate and transform into 

 their own substance, matters with 



which they may be placed in 

 contact. Assimilation is there- 

 fore a part of the function of nu- 

 trition. 



ASSO'LEMEWT. Fr. The art of ar- 

 ranging crops in proper succes- 

 sion, according to the soil, to se- 

 cure the greatest production. 



ASSU'RGEXT. Rising upward. 



ASTA'CUS. Lat. A lobster. 



ASTA'RTE'. Name of a Syrian Ve- 

 nus. A genus of fossil bivalve 

 shells, resembling the modern Ve- 

 nus. (Figs. 104, 105, Book viii.) 



A'STER. fr. gr. aster, a star. Name 

 of a genus of plants. 



ASTEROI'DA. fr. gr. aster, a star; 

 eidos, resemblance. AM order of 

 the polypi'pherous radiata. 



ASTRA'GALTJS. Name of the bone 

 of the foot which articulates with 

 the tibia in the ankle joint. 



ASTRE' A. fr. gr. aster, a star. A genus 

 of polypa'ria. (p. 141, Book viii.) 



ASTRE'.B. Plur. of Astrea. 



ASTRO'NOMY. fr. gr. astron, a star; 

 nomos, law. The natural history 

 of the heavenly bodies. 



AS'TUR. Systematic name of the 

 Goshawks. 



ATE'LES. fr. gr. aides, imperfect. A 

 genus of American monkeys, so 

 named because their fore hands 

 (anterior) have only four fingers. 

 Athenians, who were exempt 

 from certain taxes, were called 

 Aleles, or imperfect. 



ATEU'CHCS (a-tue-kus). fr. gr. ateu- 

 ches, without arms. A genus of 

 copro'phagous insects. 



ATHLE'TA. Specific name of a mol- 

 lusk. 



ATMOSPHERE. fr. gr. atmos, vapor ; 

 sphaira, a sphere or globe. The 

 air which surrounds the earth. 



ATOLL. A chap let or ring of coral, 

 enclosing a lagoon or portion of 

 the ocean in its centre. 



ATRA'CHIA. fr. gr. a, priv.; trad, to 

 perforate. A tribe of bivalve 

 mollusks, destitute of eifhons for 

 imbibing food. 



