ORNITHOLOG Y:— GLOSS ARy. 



119 



Metacarpus — From the Greek, meta, 

 after, and karpos, the wrist. That 

 part of the hand which is between 

 the wrist and fingers. 



Metatarsus — From the Greek, mela, 

 after, and tarsos, the instep. That 

 part of the foot which is between 

 the instep and toes. 



Migration. — Tlie act of going from 

 one country to dwell in another. 



Migrator r A. ^ t *• -n/r- 



T,,T > Latin. Migratory. 



MlGRATORIUS. ^ S> J 



Migratory. — Having the habit of go- 

 ing from one country to sojourn in 

 another, during a season. 



Miliaria. — Latin. A bird that feeds 

 upon millet. Specifi.c name of the 

 common Bunting. 



Milvus. — Latin. A Kite. 



Minor. — Latin. Less, smaller. 



MoLLissiMA. — Latin. Softest. 



MoLLuscA. — From the Latin, mollis, 

 soft. A class of marine animals 

 without vertebrae, which have blood 

 vessels, a spinal marrow, and a sim- 

 ple body, without articulated limbs. 



MoLLuscous.-Belonging to MoUusca. 



MoNEDULA. — Latin. A Jackdaw. 



Monogamous. — From the Greek, 

 monos, one, and gamos, marriage. 

 Those animals, the male and female 

 of which are paired for life, are said 

 to be monogamous. 



Monogamy. — From the Greek, monos, 

 one, single ; and gamos, marriage. 

 The state or condition of being 

 married only to one person. 



Motacilla. — Latin. A Wag'tail. 



Mouette. — 'French. A Sea-mew, a 

 Gull. 



Moult. — To change the feathers. 



Moulting. — Changing of the plu- 

 mage, which occurs naturally and 

 periodically. 



Muscicapa. — From the Latin, musca, 

 a fly,and capio, I seize. Fly-catcher. 



Musicus. — Latin. Belonging or re- 

 lating to music. 



Mustaches. — From the Greek, mus- 

 tax, the upper lip ; the beard on 

 the upper lip. The beard that is 

 permitted to grow long on the 

 upper lip. The hairs which many 



animals have growing about the 

 mouth. 



Myothera. — From the Greek, mus, 

 a mouse, and therao, I hunt, I 

 catch. The systematic name of 

 the Ant -Catchers. (The word 

 would be better, myrmothera, from 

 murmex, an ant, and therao.) 



Nares. — Latin. The nostrils. 



Natation. — From the Latin, natatio, 

 swimming. The act of swimming, 

 or supporting one's self, or moving 

 upon the water. 



Nectar. — From the Greek, nektar, 

 which is formed from ne, a nega- 

 tive, and ktad, I kill, because nec- 

 tar imparted immortality. The 

 drink of the heathen gods. A cer- 

 tain product of flowers, which is 

 found in the corolla, but which does 

 not belong to it. 



Nictitans. — Latin. Winking.. The 

 membrana niclitans, is a sort or 

 internal eyelid, found in many 

 mammals, and in all birds. 



NiDiFiCATioN — From the Latin nidus, 

 a nest, and facere, to make. The 

 act of building a nest. 



Niger. 



Latin. Black. 



Nigra. 



Nisus. — Latin. A Sparrowhawk. 



NocTUA. — Latin. An Owl. 



Nocturn^e. — Systematic name of 

 nocturnal birds of prey. 



Nostrils, (Linear) — When they are 

 extended lengthwise in a Rne with 

 the beak, as in Divers, &c. 



Nostrils, (Pervious) — When they 

 arc open, and may be seen through 

 from side to side, as in Gulls, &c. 



Nov^ Hollandi^. — Latin. Of New 

 Holland. 



NuMiDA, (Numidica. ) — Latin. A 

 Guinea fowl. 



NuMENius. — From the Greek, neos^ 

 new, and mene, moon, on account 

 of their crescent shaped beak. 

 Generic name of the Curlews. 



(Esophagus — From the Greek, oiso, 

 I carry, and phagein, to eat. The 

 gullet. The membranous canal, 

 which conveys food from the mouth 

 to the stomach. 



