GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS. 



Ill 



Supercil'iary (L. supercilia'ris), a. Above the eye. A superciliary streak, 



in its usual sense, denotes a continuous marking of color from the base 



of the upper mandible over the eye, and extended back above the 



auriculars to the sides of the occiput. (Plate XII. figs. 13, 14, 15, 



inclusive.) 

 Supercirium (L.), n. The eyebrow. 

 Super-fam'ily (L. super/ami' Ha), n. A group containing several families, 



yet not of ordinal rank. (Next in rank below a sub-order.) 

 Supe'rior, a. Lying over; topmost, or uppermost. 

 Super-or'der (L. superor'do), n. A group consisting of one or more 



orders, but not ranking as high as a class. (Next in rank below a 



sub-class.) 

 Supra-auri'cular (L. supra-auricula'ris), a. Situate above the auriculars 



or ear-coverts. (Plate XII. fig. 13.) 

 Supralo'ral (L. supralora'lis), a. Situate above the lores. (Plate XII. 



fig. 15.) 

 Su'pra-or'bital, a. Pertaining to the region immediately above the eye. 



(Plate XII. fig. 14.) ' 

 Sym'bol, n. An arbitrary sign to denote a word. (See Sign.) 

 Sym'phesis (L.), n. A growing together, as symphesis of the lower jaw 



(symphesis menti). 



yn ac y , t ^ S y n dac'tylus), a. Having two toes coalescent for a 



y ' , . '\ considerable portion of their length. 

 Syngne sious, ' r 



(PI. syn'onyms or synon'yma), n. In natural history, a 

 specific or generic name which is suppressed on account 

 of having been proposed subsequent to another name 

 for the same object, or for reason of its being otherwise 

 unavailable. Thus, the common Song-sparrow having 

 been first named fasciata, in 1788, by Gmelin, the name 

 melodia, given by Wilson in 1810, becomes a synonym 

 by reason of its later date. (The opposite of homonym, 

 which see.) 

 Synon'ymous, a. Expressing the same meaning in different terms ; or 



indicating the same genus, species, etc., by a different name. 

 Synon'ymy, n. A collection of synonyms, such as nearly every species 

 is more or less burdened with. The pleasure derived from the study 

 of natural history is seriously marred by the obstacles presented by 

 the synonymy. 

 Synop'sis, n. A comprehensive treatment of a given subject, in which 



only leading points are used. 

 Synop'tical, a. Pertaining to a synopsis, as a synoptical table, in which 

 species or higher groups are distinguished by only the leading charac- 

 ters, arranged antithetically. 

 Syn'thesis, n. Generalization from analyzed facts. (Opposed to analysis.) 



Syn'onym, 

 Syn'onyme, 





