HERPETOLOGY AND ICHTHYOLOGY: GLOSSARY. 143 



r From the Greek, skig- 



SCINCOIDKA. kos, a sort of crocodile, 

 < and eidos, resemblance. 



SCINCOJDES. 1 Systematic name of a 

 (^family of saurians. 



SCINQUE. French. A kind of saurian. 



ScLERODERMi.-skler-ro-dur-mi. Latin. 

 Plural of sclerodermus. From the 

 Greek, skleros^ hard, and dp.rma, 

 skin. Hard-skinned. Systematic 

 name of a family of fishes. 



SCLEROPS. skle-rops. From tlie 

 Greek, skleros, hard, and ops, eye. 

 Specific name of a kind of croco- 

 dile. 



SCOMBER. Latin. A mackerel. 



SCOMBER OI'DES. From the Greek, 

 skombros, mackerel, and eidos, re- 

 semblance. Systematic name of a 

 family of fishes. 



SCYLLIUM From the Greek, skullo, 

 1 tear in pieces. Systematic name 

 of the shark. 



SKCRE'TION, From the Latin, secer 

 nere, to separate. The organic 

 functions of the several glands, by 

 which they separate from the blood 

 the materials which they respec- 

 tively demand for their several 

 purposes : each organ according 

 to its peculiar structure, differs 

 from the rest, and hence we have 

 the formation of the different fluids, 

 as bile, saliva, milk, &c. &c. The 

 fluids thus elaborated, or separated 

 from the blood are also termed 

 secretions. 



SELACHII. se-lak-e-i. Plural of 

 eelachus. In the Greek, selachos. 

 An order of cartilaginous fishes. 



SERPENTIA. Systematic name of a 

 family of ophidians. 



SERPENTINA. Latin. Belonging or 

 relating to a serpent. 



SERRATED. From the Latin, serra, a 

 saw. Notched or toothed like a 

 saw. 



SiLURoiPES.-From the Greek, silouros, 

 name of a particular fish, and eidos, 

 resemblance. Systematic name of 

 a family of fishes. 



SILURI. Latin. Plural of silurus* 



SILURUS. Latin. Name of a fish. 



SINUS. Any cavity, the interior of 

 which is more expanded than the 

 entrance ; in this respect, being 

 the reverse of fossa. Venous sinus 

 is a venous canal into which a 

 number of vessels empty. 



SIREN, or SYREN. From the Greek, 

 seira, a chain, from the supposed 

 strength of its charms. A fabu- 

 lous monster. Name of a kind of 

 batrachian. 



SOLEA. Latin. A sole. 



SPAROIDES. From the Latin, sparug, 

 a kind of fish, and the Greek, eidos, 

 resemblance. Systematic name of 

 a family of fishes. 



SPARUS. Latin. Name of a kind 

 of fish ; a dart. 



SPATULARIA. Systematic name of a 

 kind of sturgeon. 



SPECIFIC. Any medicinal substance, 

 to which is attributed the property 

 of curing one disease rather than 

 any other. It is doubtful whether 

 any such remedy really exists. 



SPECIFIC GRAVITY. Is the weight of 

 any body, solid or fluid, compara- 

 tively with the weight of an equal 

 volume of distilled water ; or, spe- 

 cific gravity is the gravity or 

 weight of two bodies, solid or 

 fluid, which possess different 

 weights when of equal volume. 



SPHENOID From the Greek, sphen, 

 a wedge, and eidos, resemblance. 

 A bone, situate on the middle line, 

 and at the base of the cranium. 

 It articulates with all the other 

 bones of the cranium, and 

 strengthens their union, acting 

 very much like the key-stone of 

 an arch. 



SPINOUS. Belonging or relating to a 

 spine. 



SPIRACLE. From the Latin, spirare, 

 to breathe. A breathing hole or 

 nostril in aquatic animals. 



SPLEEN. One of the organs of the 

 abdomen, the precise use of which 

 is not known. 



SQUALIDES. Systematic name of a 

 family of fishes. 



SQUALL Latin. Plural of squalus. 



