sperm-morula 
sperm-morula (sporin'inor"o-la), . A sper- 
matic morula; a mulberry-mass of formative 
spermatozoa. 
sperm-nucleus (spenn'nu"kle-us), n. 1. The 
nucleus of a spermatozoon; a spermococcus 
or sperm-kernel. 2. In hot., the nucleus of a 
male gamete, which coalesces with the nucleus 
of an ob'sphere to form a germ-nucleus. Goebel. 
spermoblast (sper'mo-blast), n. Same as sper- 
matoblast. 
spermoblastic (sper-mo-blas'tik), a. Same as 
gpermatoblastic. 
spermocarp (sper'mo-karp), n. [< Gr. oiripfia, 
seed, + Kapirof, fruit.] In hot., the so-called 
"fruit " in the Characese and certain confervoid 
algte. It is the fertilized and matured femaleorgan with its 
variously formed covering or pericarp and accessory cells. 
The "fruit" of the Characex nas also been called the an- 
theridium, sporangium, enveloped oiigonium, and sp&ro- 
phydium, by different authors. Sporophydium seems the 
preferable term. See these various words. Compare sporo- 
carp. See cuts under antheridium and conceptacle. 
spermococcus (sper-mo-kok'us), . ; pi. spermo- 
cocei (-si). [NL., < Gr. oirep/M, seed, + x6iiKof, 
grain, berry.] The nucleus of a spermatozoon : 
it consists of the head of the sperm-animalcule, 
excepting its thin outer layer. Also sperm- 
kernel. 
spermoderm (sper'mo-derm), . [< Gr. airtpfia, 
seed, + itp/ia, skin.] In bot., the integument 
of a seed in the aggregate ; properly, same as 
testa. 
spermogastrula (sper-mo-gas'trij-la), .; pi. 
spermogastrulee (-le). [NL., < L. sperma (see 
sperm*) + NL. gastrula, q. v.] A sperm-blas- 
tula which has undergone a kind of gastrula- 
tion. 
spermogone (sper'mo-gon), n. [< NL. spermo- 
gonium.] In bot., same as spermogonium ; also 
employed by some writers to denote the sper- 
matium or spore-like body which is produced 
in a spermogonium. See spermogonium, sper- 
matiuni. Also spelled spermagone. 
spermogonia, n. Plural of spermogonium. 
spermogoniferous (sper"mo-go-nif'e-rus), a. 
[< NL. spermogonium, q. v., -r L. Jerre = E. 
bear*.] In bot., bearing or producing spermo- 
gonia. 
spermogonium (sper-mo-go'ni-um), .; pi. sper- 
mogonia (-a). [NL., < Gr. airepfioyovof, produ- 
cing seed, < airepfia, seed, + -yovoj, producing: 
see -gony.~] In bot., a cup-shaped cavity or 
ft I- 
Section of Barberry-leaf (of its natural thickness at x\ infested with 
Puccinia framint'j in its aecidial stage. 
sp, spermogonia ; a, fruit, inclosed within the peridium /, or open and 
discharging spores. (Somewhat magnified.) 
receptacle in which spermatia are produced. 
See spermatium, peridium, Puceinia (with cut). 
Also spermagonium. 
spermogonous (sper-mog'o-nus), a. [< spermo- 
gone + -oils.] In bot., resembling or having 
the character of spermogonia or spermogones. 
sperm-oil (sperm' oil), n. Spermaceti-oil; the 
oil of the spermaceti-whale. See train-oil. 
spermolith (sper'mo-lith), n. [< Gr. mrep/ta, 
seed, + )ii6of, stone.] A concretion which oc- 
casionally forms in the seminal ducts. 
spermological (sper-mo-loj'i-kal), a. Same as 
spermatological. 
spermologist (sper-mol'o-jist), n. [< spermol- 
9-y + ->st.] 1. Same as spermatologist. 2. 
In bot., one who treats of or collects seeds; a 
student of or an authority in spermology. 
spermology (sper-mol'o-ji), n. 1. Sameassper- 
matology. 2. In 6ot.,'that branch of science 
which investigates the seeds of plants. 
spermonucleus (sper-mo-nu'kle-us), n. ; pi. 
spermonuclei (4) . [NL.,< L. sperma (see sperm*-) 
+ nucleus, q. v.] A male pronucleus. See 
masculonucleus, feminonucleus. Hyatt. 
Spermophila (sper-mof'i-la), . [NL. (Swain- 
son, 1827), < Gr. oTrip/ia, seed, + fyikeiv, love.] 
1. In ornith., the little seed-eaters or pygmy 
finches, an extensive genus of small American 
fringilline birds, with very short stout bills 
5820 
like a bullfinch's, giving name to the subfam- 
ily Spermophilinee. The limits of the genus vary with 
different authors, but it usually includes about 50 species, 
of tropical and subtropical America. The only one of 
these which occurs in the United States is S. marelcti, 
which is found in Texas, and known as Aforelet's pyy my 
fnch. It is only about 4 inches long, with extremely tur- 
gid bill convex in all its outlines, short rounded wings, 
and still shorter tail. The male is entirely black and 
white, the latter color tinged with butf on the under parts ; 
the female is olivaceous-brown above and brownish-yel- 
low or buff below, with whitish wing-bars. A like dissimi- 
larity of coloration characterizes the sexes throughout 
the genus. By those who hold that Spemwphila is the 
same name as Spennophilus, this genus is called Sporo- 
phila ; and some or all of the species are often placed in 
a more extensive genus GyrinorhyncMw, of which Sper- 
inophila or Sparophila then constitutes one section. See 
cut under grassquit. Also called Spermoipiza. 
2. In mammal., same as Spemophiliu, 1. ./. 
Richardson, 1825. 3f. In enlom., a genus of 
arachnidans. Hente, 1842. 
spermophile (sper'mo-fil), n. [< NL. Spermo- 
pMlus.J 1. A rodent quadruped of the genus 
Spermophilus, as a ground-squirrel or suslik, of 
which there are numerous species iu Europe, 
Asia, and North America. See cuts under **- 
lik and Spi riinijilii/iis. 2. A fringilline bird 
of the genus Spermophila; a little seed-eater, 
of which there are numerous Central and South 
American species. See cut under grassguit. 
Spermophilinae (sper'mo-fi-li'ne), n.pl. [NL., 
\Sjicnnopliilus (iu sense 2 < Spermophila ) + -ina?.] 
1. In mammal., the ground-squirrels or spenno- 
philes, prairie-dogs, and marmots, one of two 
subfamilies into which the Sciuridse are some- 
times divided, represented by the genera Sper- 
mophilus, Tamias, and Arctomys. It Is not sepa- 
rated from Sciurinx or the true arboreal squirrels by any 
trenchant characters, and the two divisions intergrade 
through the genera Xerus and Tamias. But the sper- 
mophilinea are of terrestrial habite, with usually stouter 
form, larger size, and less bushy tail than the Sciurinx. 
They inhabit Europe, Asm, and especially North America, 
where the greater number of species are found, and most 
of them are called gophers. The group is also called Arc- 
tomyitue. See cuts under Arctomys, chipmunk, prairie-dog, 
SpcnnvphUus, and suslik. 
2. In ornith., an American subfamily of Frin- 
gillidee, named from the genus Spermophila. 
P. L. Sclater, 1862. 
spermophiline (sper-mof'i-lin), a. and . [< 
Spermophilinee.'] I. a. Pertaining to the Sper- 
mophilime, or having their characters. 
II. M. A member of the Spermophilinae. 
Spermophilus (sper-mof'i-lus), n. [NL. (F. 
Cuvier, 1822), < Gr. enep/ia, seed, + iptteiv, love.] 
1. A genus of ground-squirrels, giving name 
to the Spermophiliiise. The type is S. citiUu of Eu- 
rope, the suslik, but the genus is especially well repre- 
sented in North America, where more than a dozen dis- 
tinct species occur, some of which run into several va- 
rieties. They are divided into 3 subgenera, (1) Otoiper- 
mophilus, in which the ears are high and pointed, the tail 
is full and broad, with the hairs from two thirds to three 
quarters of the length of the head and body, and the whole 
aspect is strongly squirrel like. To this section belongs 
5. yrammurus, with its varieties beecheyi and douglassi ; 
these are the common ground-squirrels of California, Ore- 
gon, and Washington, and cast to the Rocky Mountains. 
5. anntilatus of Mexico probably also belongs here. (2) 
Colobotis, in which the ears are short and marginiform, 
the tail is short, from one third to one half the length of 
the body, and the form is stout. The Old World species 
belong here, and several of those of North America, as 
Parry's spermophile, S. empetra(oTparryi), which inhabits 
British America and Alaska, and runs into several varie- 
ties, as kodiacensis and erythroglutaus. In the United 
States the best-known species of this section is Richard- 
son's spermophile, 5. richardsoni, very generally distrib- 
uted, in one or another of its varieties, from the plains 
of the Saskatchewan to those of the Laramle. It is a 
tawny animal, resembling a prairie-clog in appearance 
and habits. Here also belong S. moUis, S. spilosoma, and 
5. obsoUtus, inhabiting western parts of the United States. 
(.''.) Jctidomyg, which includes several slender-bodied spe- 
cies, almost like weasels in this respect (whence the 
name), with the ears generally small or rudimentary, as in 
Cctobotis, the skull long and narrow, the tail variable, and 
the first upper premolar generally small. The most squir- 
rel-like of these is Franklin's spermophile, 5. franklini, 
inhabiting Illinois and Missouri and northward to 64. 
It not distantly resembles a gray squirrel, the tall being 
bushy, two thirds as long as the head and body. The 
commonest species is S. tridecemlineatus, the thirteen- 
Thirteen-lined Spermophile. or Federation Squirrel {Spermophilus 
tridtctmlineacus}. 
lined sperraophile, or federation squirrel, so called by Dr. 
a L. Mitchill (in 1821) from the original thirteen States 
of the United States, it having a number (six or eight) of 
longitudinal stripes, with five or seven rows of spots be- 
spermule 
tween them, likened by that patriot to the "stars and 
stripes." It inhabits the prairies of the United States at 
large, and extends northward in to British America, other 
species of tliis section are 5. wexicatius of Texas and .Mexi- 
co, and S. tereticaudus of Arizona and California. Three 
of the above animals, S. yrariimurus, S. Jranklini, and .S'. 
Iridecemlincatits, are numerous enough in cultivated dis- 
tricts to be troublesome, and all of them are called 
yiiphers, a name shared by the ditlerent animals of the 
family Geomyidie. They are all terrestrial (S. Jranklini 
somewhat arboreal), and live in burrows underground, 
much like prairiu-dogs, though none of them dig so ex- 
tensively. In many parts of the Dakotas and Montana the 
ground is honeycombed with the burrows of S. richard- 
*viii. They feed on herbage and seeds, and are also to 
some extent carnivorous. They are prolific, like most 
rodents, and bring forth their young in burrows. Those 
of northern regions hibernate like marmots. Their flesh 
is eatable. The name of the genus is also written Sper- 
mophila ami Spertnatophilus, but both of these forms are 
rare. See also cut under suslik. 
2. In entom., a genus of coleopterous insects. 
Geblcr. 
spermophore (sper'mo-for), n. [< NL. sper- 
mophorum.] Same as spermophorum. 
spermophorum (sper-mof'o-rum), n.; pi. sper- 
niophora (-rjj). [NL., < Gr. oirepfta, seed, + 
Qepeiv = E. Sear 1 .] 1. A seminal vesicle. 2. 
In bot., a synonym of platcnta and also offuni- 
I'liluy. 
Spermophyta (sper-mof'i-ta), n. pi. [NL., pi. 
of spermophijlum : see spermophyte. ] The high- 
est of the four principal groups or divisions 
into which the vegetable kingdom is separated 
by the later systematists. it embraces the higher 
or flowering plants, those producing true seeds. It is 
the same as Phanerogamic. The correlative terms in de- 
scending systematic order are Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, 
and Thallophyta. See Phanerogamia, and compare Cryp- 
toyamia. 
spermophyte (sper'mo-fit), w. [< NL. spermo- 
phytum, < Gr. ampfia, seed, + <fnrr6v, plant.] In 
bot., a member of the Spermophyta ; a plant pro- 
ducing true seeds; a pheenogam, or flowering 
plant. Sometimes written spcrmaphyte. 
spermophytic (sper-mo-fit'ik), a. [< spermo- 
phyte + -ic.] In bot., capable of producing true 
seeds; phamogamic. 
spermoplasni (sper'mo-plazm), n . [< Gr. avtpfia, 
seed, T Tr/Uiff/m, anything formed or molded: 
see plasm.] The protoplasm of a spermato- 
zoon; the plasmic contents of a spermule, dis- 
tinguished from the spermococcus or sperm- 
kernel. Also upermoplasma. 
spermopodium (sper-mo-p6'di-um),.; pi. sper- 
mopodia (-&). [NL., < Gr. avep/ia, seed, + iroif 
(iroi-) = E. foot.] In bot., an unused name for 
the gynophore in Umbellifcrse. 
spermosphere (sper'mo-sfer), n. [< Gr. tnrip/ia, 
seed, + cHjmlpa, sphere.] A mass of spermato- 
blasts; a spermatogemma. 
Spermospiza (sper-mo-spi'zii), . [NL. (G. R. 
Gray, 1840), < Gr. airtpua, seed, + am(a, a finch.] 
1. A leading genus of Spermestinx, the type of 
which is the African S. hsematina. Originally 
called Spermophaga, a name too ne&rSpermopha- 
gus. 2. A genus of American finches, synony- 
mous with Spermophila. Bonaparte. 
spermospore (sper'mo-spor), n. Same as sper- 
matospore. 
spermotheca (sper-mo-the'ka), n.; pi. spermo- 
thecx(-se). [NL., < Gr. oKep/ta, seed, + 6^10?, a 
case. Cf. spermatheca.] In hot., a pericarp. 
[Rare.] 
spermous (sper'mus), a. [< sperm 1 + -ous.] 
Same as spermatic. 
spermovarian (sper-mo-va'ri-an), a. [< sper- 
movari(um) + -an.] Of or pertaining to a sper- 
movarium. 
spermovarium (sper-mo-va'ri-um), .; pi. sper- 
moraria (-a). [NL., < Gr. amp/ja, seed, + NL. 
ovarium, q. v.] A hermaphroditic genital 
gland; a bisexual gonad; an ovispermary or 
ovotestis, which gives rise, simultaneously or 
successively, to male and female products. See 
cut under ovotestis. 
spermoyary (sper-mo'va-ri), .; pi. spermora- 
rii's (-riz). [< NL. spermovarium.'] Same as 
spermovarium, 
spermovum (sper-mo'vum), .; pi. spermova 
(-va). [< Gr. antpiia, seed, + L. ovum, egg.] 
Same as spermatorum, 
sperm-rope (sperm'rop), n. A string of sper- 
matozoa packed in a long case; a package of 
sperm, as one of the spermatic cartridges of a 
cephalopod. For description, sees]>ermatopliore. 
Encyc. Brit., XVI. 682. 
spermule (sper'mul), n. [< NL. spermulum, dim. 
of LL. sperma, seed: see sperm 1 .] A seed-ani- 
malcule, sperm-cell, spermatozoon, or zoosper- 
mium; the fertilizingmale element, of the mor- 
phological valence of a cell. Spermule is Haeckel's 
