GLOSSARY. 13 



Asphyxia (Gr. a, not; sphuxis, the pulse). The state pro- 

 duced by deprivation of air or deficiency of oxygen in the 



air breathed. 

 Assimilate (L. ad, to; similis, like). To convert food into 



nutriment ; to make like. 

 Asterf dea (Gr. aster, a star). A group of the Echinodermata 



which comprises the star-fishes. 

 Asteris'cus (Gr. asteriskos, a little star). The posterior and 



smaller otolith in the ear of Teleostean fishes. 

 Astig'matism (Gr. a, not; stigma, a mark). A term for dimness 



of vision supposed to arise from malformation of the 



crystalline lens. 

 Astra'galus (Gr. astragalos, a die shaped like the ankle-bone). 



One of the bones of the tarsus, which in man forms the 



ankle-bone. 

 Atlas (Gr. the name of the god who was supposed to hold up the 



earth). The first cervical vertebra which supports the skull- 

 Atoll (L. attollo, I raise up). A coral island consisting of a 



ring of coral having a lagoon in the centre. 

 A'trial canals (L. atrium, a hall). A pair of canals in the 



Tunicata, which open near the rectum. 

 Atri'cha (Gr. a, not ; thrix, trfchos, the hair). A subdivision of 



the Nematorhyncha which have no cilia. 

 A'trium (L. the open court of a Roman house). -The auricular 



portion of the heart. Also the cloaca of the Ascidioida. 

 A'trophy (Gr. a, not; trepho, I nourish). The wasting away of 



tissue for want of nourishment. 

 Attol'lens (L. attollo, to raise up). Raising up; elevating; 



applied to certain muscles which lift the parts to which 



they are attached. 

 At'trahens (L. attraho, to draw up). Drawing up. Applied to 



certain muscles which act in this way. 

 Au'ricle (L. auricula, the outer ear). The external ear. The 



receiving chambers of the heart are named auricles, because 



of the fancied resemblance of the auricular appendages to 



little ears.' 

 Auri'culse (L. dim. of auris, the ear). Perforated processes 



which arch over the ambulacra in the Echinidea. 

 Anrf culo-orbicula'ris. A round muscle attached to the pinna 



of the ear in some Vertebrates. 

 Auto'phagi (Gr. aiitos, self; phdgo, I eat). A term applied to 



birds which are able to run about and obtain their own 



food as soon as hatched. 



