APPENDIX. 
419 
Nidifica'tion. —Nest-building; mode of nesting. 
No menclature. —The names of things, according to a recognized principle of nam¬ 
ing, or those peculiar to any department of science. Various systems of 
nomenclature have been employed in the naming of animals and plants. 
Previous to the institution of the binomial system by Linnaeus (first pro¬ 
mulgated as to zoology in 1758), the polynomial system, or the use of several 
terms as to the name of a species, was much in vogue. That now employed 
is the binomial system of Linnaeus, in which usually only two terms are 
used, the one generic, the other specific, but occasionally modified, accord¬ 
ing to the requirements of modern science, by the use of a third term after the 
specific one, for the designation of nascent species, or “subspecies.” 
Nor mal. —Usual ; regular. 
Nos'tril. —The external opening of the organs of respiration. 
Nu cha. —The nape ; upper part of cervix, next to occiput. 
Nu'chal. —Pertaining to the nape. 
Nup'tial plu'mage. —A particular plumage, peculiar to the breeding season, char¬ 
acteristic of some birds. 
0 . 
Oblique'. —Indirect; crossing, or running diagonally. 
Ob'long— Longer than broad. 
Obscure'. —Dark; not evident; faintly marked; little known. 
Obtuse'.— Blunt. Opposed to acute. 
Occip'ital. —Pertaining to the hind-head or occiput. 
Oc'ciput. —The hind-head. 
Ochra'ceous. t 
Och'reous. }> A brownish orange color, or intense bull. 
Och'rey. J 
Olfac'tory.— Pertaining to the sense of smell. 
Oliva ceous. ) ^ greenish-brown color, like that of olives. 
Olive. S 
Omniv'orous. —Feeding upon anything eatable ; eating indiscriminately. 
Oolog'ical. — Pertaining to oology. 
Ool ogy.— The science of birds’ eggs. 
Opaque'. —In descriptive ornithology, the opposite of metallic, or brilliant, dull or 
without gloss. 
O'ral. —Pertaining to the mouth. 
Or bit.— Eye-socket. 
Orbital Ring.— A ring or circle of color immediately surrounding the eye. 
Or'der. —In classification a group between family and class. 
On i it ho I 'ogy.—The science of birds. 
Os cinine. — Pertaining to the Oscincs ; musical or capable of singing. 
Os'cines. —The name of a natural group of singing passerine birds, comprising the 
singing-birds par excellence , characterized by a highly specalized vocal appa¬ 
ratus. 
Out er AVeb.— The outer web of a feather is that farthest from the central line of the 
body ; in wing-feathers it is that farthest from the base of the wing, or toward 
' the outer edge of the wing. 
O'yal. 
O'vate. 
O 'void. 
Ovoid'al. 
Ova rium. > qq ie organ in which eggs are developed. 
O 'vary. S 
Ovip arous.— Producing eggs which are developed after exclusion from the body. 
Oviposi'tion.—Act of laying eggs. 
► Egg-shaped ; in a general sense oblong and curvilinear. 
