Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 257 



Glossary. 



Allantois. — A membranous appendage of the embryos of mammals, 



birds, and reptiles, — in mammals serving to connect the fetus v/ith 



the parent; the urinary vesicle. 

 Alveolar surface. — A flat masticatory surface of the jaws of turtles seen 



just within the cutting edge. 

 Amnion. — A thin membrane surrounding the embryos of mammals, 



birds, and reptiles. 

 Amphicoelous. — Said of those vertebrae that are concave at both ends. 

 Anal plate. — The large scale immediately in front of the vent of 



serpents. 

 Anamniote. — Applied to fishes and amphibia in which there is no 



amnion and allantois. (Embryology.) 

 Ankylosed. — Firmly united, as when bones are grown together. 

 Anteorbital. — A small epidermal plate of the head of snakes, which 



lies immediately in front of the eye. If there are but three plates 



between the eye and the nostril, either the anteorbital or the loral 



is missing. If the plate present next the eye has its greatest length 



horizontal, it is the loral; otherwise it is the anteorbital. 

 Axilla. — The arm-pit. 

 Azygous. — A plate directly behind the rostral, placed in the middle line 



and, therefore, single. 

 Barbels. — A short worm-like process of skin about the mouth or at the 



chin. 

 Branchiae. — Gills, as the respiratory organs of fishes, etc. 

 Branchial arches. — Bony or cartilaginous arches that support the gills 



of fishes, or arches that correspond to these in other animals. 

 Bridge. — That portion of the shell of a turtle which joins the carapace 



to the plastron. 

 Callosity. — ^A patch of hard skin on the plastron of soft shelled turtles. 

 Canthus rostralis. — A slight ridge from the eye to the tip of the snout, 



separating the upper surface of the head from the side. 

 Carapace, — The upper portion of the shell of turtles. 

 Carinated. — Furnished with a keel or sharp ridge lengthwise. 

 Carpus. — The wrist bones connecting the fore-arm with the long bones 



of the hand. 

 Choanae. — The internal nasals. 



Clavicle. — ^A bone corresponding to the human collar bone. 

 Cloaca. — The common chamber into which the intestines, the ureters 



and the genital ducts open. 

 Condyle. — Articulating surface of a bone. 

 Coracoid. — A bone or cartilage on the ventral side of an animal, which 



helps to form the socket for the articulation of the arm. 

 Costal. — Pertaining to the ribs. The costal furrows, or grooves, of the 



Caudata that run across the body between the fore and hind legs. 



