XXV111 
EXPLANATION OF TERMS. 
Ichthyology. A description of fishes. 
Imbricated. Tiled, or lying over each other. 
Incubation. The act of hatching eggs. 
Insectivorous. Feeding on insects. 
Laminated. Covered with, or divided into plates or scales. 
Larva. The young of insects. 
Lateral. Belonging to the side, placed sideways. 
Mandibles. Upper and lower, the two divisions of a bird's beak, 
or projecting jaws of an insect. 
Migratory. Coming and going at certain seasons. 
Multivalve. With many shells or openings. 
Nictitating. Winking ; applied to a membrane with which birds 
cover their eyes at pleasure. 
Obfuscated. Of a darkish colour. 
Olfactory. Relating to smell. 
Operculum. A shield or cover. 
Ornithology. A description of birds. 
Oviparous. That lays eggs. 
Parturition. The act of bringing forth young. 
Passerine. Belonging to the sparrow tribe. 
Pectoral. Belonging to the breast. 
Pendulous. Hanging down. 
Piscivorous. Feeding on fishes. 
Predaceous. Formed to pursue prey. 
Prehensile. Capable of laying hold of. 
Proboscis. The flexible trunk of the elephant, bee, &c. 
Quadrifid. Divided into four parts. 
Quadruped. Four-footed. 
Reptiles. Animals of the serpent tribe, with legs. 
Ruminating. Chewing the cud. 
Scabrous. Rough. 
Scapulars. Shoulders. 
Semilunar. In the form of a half-moon. 
Setaceous. Having bristles or strong hairs. 
Spiral. Winding like a screw. 
Striated. Streaked or striped. 
Subulated. Formed like an awl. 
Tentacula . The feelers of snails and other mollusca. 
Testaceous. Covered with a shell, as oysters. 
Trifurcated. Three-forked. 
Truncated. Appearing as if cut off. 
Umbrageous. Spreading ; thick, tufted. 
Univalve. With one shell or opening. 
Ventral. Belonging to the belly. 
Vertebrated. Having a jointed spine-bone. 
Viviparous. Bringing forth the young alive. 
Webbed. Connected with a membrane, as the claws of aquatic 
birds. 
Zoologists. Writers on animated nature. 
Zoology. The history of animated nature. 
Zoophite. An animal plant, or sensitive vegetable. 
