SCIENTIFIC TERMS CONCERNING ANIMALS
Abdomen (ăb-dō´mĕn).—In mammals, that portion of the body-cavity which is separated from the thorax or chest by the diaphragm. In insects the third or last portion.
Ametabolic (ȧ-mĕt´a-bŏl´ĭk).—Referring to insects and other animals which do not undergo a metamorphosis, or change of form.
Amoeba (ȧ-mē´bȧ).—One of the Protozoa that is continually changing its shape.
Amorphous (ȧmŏr´fŭs).—Without a definite figure; shapeless; especially applicable to sponges.
Amphibia (ăm-fĭb´ĭ-ȧ).—A class of vertebrates, breathing in water while young and in air when mature. The term amphibious is applied to fishes, molluscs, etc., that are capable of changing the nature of their respiration at will.
Annelida (ăn-nĕl´ĭ-dȧ).—Articulate animals whose bodies possess no jointed members, as the leech, and worm tribe.
Annulate (ăn′u-lāt).—Animals whose bodies are composed of a series of ring-shaped divisions.
Anthropoid (ăn-thrō-poid).—The highest order of apes.
Apterous (ăp´tĕr-ŭs).—Destitute of wings.
Arachnida (ȧ-răk´nĭ-dȧ).—Articulate animals with legs, but without wings, including spiders, mites, scorpions, etc.
Arthropoda (är-thrŏp´o-dȧ).—Articulated animals with jointed feet, as crabs, insects, etc.
Asexual (ȧ-sĕks´ū-al).—A term applied to animals, as Aphis, in which the reproductive organs are imperfect, and the young are produced by budding.
Auricle (a̱´rĭ-k´l).—The cavity of the heart which receives the blood and transmits it to the ventricle.
Bacteria (băk-tē´rĭ-ȧ).—Microscopic vegetable organism, belonging to the class Algæ, usually in the form of a jointed, rod-like filament, and found in putrefying organic infusions. Bacteria are destitute of chlorophyll, and are the smallest of microscopic organisms. They are very widely diffused in nature, and multiply with marvelous rapidity. Certain species are active agents in fermentation, while others appear to be the cause of certain infectious diseases.
Batrachia (bȧ-trā´kĭ-ȧ).—Applied to frogs, toads, and salamanders.
Bimana (bĭm´ȧ-nȧ).—Two-handed animals whose posterior extremities are used only to keep them in an erect position, and for the purpose of locomotion. They comprise the varieties of man.
Blastoderm (blăs´tō-derm).—The outer layer of the germ-cells of the embryo.
Carapace (kăr´ȧ-pās).—A sort of shell which protects and encloses the bodies of tortoises and some reptiles, etc.
Carnivora (kär-nĭv´ō-rȧ).—Group of mammals, including the lion, tiger, wolf, bear, seal, etc. They feed upon flesh, though some of them, as the bears, also eat vegetable food. The teeth are large and sharp, suitable for cutting flesh, and the jaws powerful.
Carnivorous (kär-niv´ō-rus).—Eating or feeding on flesh. The term is applied to animals which naturally seek flesh for food, as the tiger, dog, etc.
Cephalopoda (sĕf-a-lŏp´ō-dȧ).—The highest class of Molluscs.
Cetacea (sē-tā´shē-ȧ).—The whales.
Chiroptera (ki-rŏp´te-rȧ).—The bats.
Chrysalis (krĭs´ȧ-lĭs).—The pupa state of an insect.
Coelenterata (sē-lĕ´te-rā´tȧ).—The group of Invertebrates, comprising hydrozoa and actinozoa.
Coleoptera (kol-e-op´ter-a).—The beetles.
Cilia (sĭl´ĭ-a).—Hair-like organs of Infusoria. Microscopic filaments attached to cells, usually within the body, and moving usually rhythmically.
Crustacea (krŭs-tā´shē-ȧ).—Applied to lobsters, crabs, etc.
Dipnoi (dĭp´nō-ī or -noi).—An order of fishes.
Diptera (dĭp´tē-rā).—Two-winged flies; an order of insects.
Echinodermata (e-kī´nô-dẽr´mȧ-tȧ).—Applied to the sea-urchin, a subdivision of animals.
Edentata (ē´dĕn-tā´tȧ).—Those animals having imperfect dental apparatus. Their digits, too, are generally sunk in large and crooked claws.
Elasmobranchii (ē-lăs´mō-brănk-ē).—The sharks and rays.
Fauna (faw´nä).—The native animals of a certain locality.
Flagellum (flâ-jēl´lŭm).—A whip. The appendage of some Protozoa.
Foraminifera (fô-răm´ĭ-nĭf´e-rȧ).—Animals with perforated shells.
Ganoid (gā´noid or găn´oid).—Applied to a certain class of fish.
Gasteropoda (găs´te-rŏp´ô-dȧ).—A class of Molluscs. Some of them form shells, while others are destitute of them,—as the slug, snail, etc.
Grallatores (grăl´lȧ-tō´rēz).—Wading-birds.
Hibernation (hī-bẽr-nā´shŭn).—The state of animals that sleep throughout winter.
Hymenoptera (hī-mē-nŏp´te-rȧ).—An order of insects with two pairs of membraneous wings.
Ichthyology (ĭk-thĭ-ŏl´ō-jy).—The science of fishes, or that part of zoology which treats of fishes, their structure, habits, etc.
Infusoria (ĭn´fû-sō´rĭ-ȧ).—Minute animals that live in stagnant water. A class of Protozoa.
Insectivora (ĭn´sĕk-tĭv´ô-rȧ).—Insect-eaters. They comprise the shrew, mole, hedgehog, etc.
Invertebrate (ĭn-vēr´te-brāt).—Animals that have no vertebral column, or bones properly so called.
Larva (lär´vȧ).—The second stage of the insect, a caterpillar, grub, or maggot.
Mandible (măn´dĭ-bl).—The upper jaw of insects; the lower jaw of vertebrates.
Marsupial (Mär-su´pĭ-al).—An order of mammals that carry their young in a pouch, as the kangaroo.
Mollusc (mŏl’lŭsk).—Animals whose bodies are soft and pulpy.
Monotremata (mon-ō-trē´ma-ta).—An order of mammals having the intestine and the ducts of the urinary and genital organs open into a common orifice.
Myriapoda (mĭr-ĭ-ŏp´ō-dȧ).—A class of arthropoda. Articulate land animals having many legs, as the centipede.
Natatores (nā´tȧ-tō´rēz).—An order of birds that swim.
Neuroptera (nū-rŏp´tĕ-rȧ).—An order of insects with four membraneous wings, as dragon-flies.
Nocturnal (nŏk-tûr´nal).—Of the night. Nocturnal birds are birds that fly abroad during the night only.
Notochord (nō´tō-kôrd).—A primitive backbone.
Omnivorous (ŏm-nĭv´ō-rŭs).—Living on both vegetables and flesh.
Orthoptera (ôr-thŏp´tē-rȧ).—An order of straight-winged insects, as cockroaches, grasshoppers, etc.
Oviparous (ō-vĭp´ȧ-rŭs).—Applied to animals which produce eggs instead of living young.
Ovipositor (ō´vĭ-pŏz´ĭ-tẽr).—In insects an organ by which eggs are deposited in wood, etc.
Pachydermata (păk´ĭ-dẽr-mȧ-tȧ).—A group of hoofed mammals distinguished for the thickness of their skins, including the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, tapir, horse, and hog.
Pelagic (pē-lăj´-ĭk).—Living on the high seas, away from the coast; in mid-ocean.
Polyp (pŏl´ĭp).—Separate coral animals.
Protoplasm (prō´tō-plāz’m).—The albuminous, elementary matter forming cells and the body-substance of Protozoa.
Protozoa (prō´tō-zō´ȧ).—The lowest forms of animal life.
Pupa (pū´pȧ).—The third, or usually quiescent, chrysalis stage of insects.
Paleontology (pā-lē-ŏn-tŏl´ŏ-gy).—The science of ancient beings or creatures; applied to the science of the fossil remains of animals and plants now extinct.
Quadrumana (kwŏd-rōō´mȧ-nȧ).—Monkeys.
Quadruped (kwŏd´ru-pĕd).—Four-footed animals.
Radiates (rā´dĭ-āts).—Animals having a central mouth, around which the body forms a star-shaped figure.
Ratitæ (rȧ-tī´tẽ).—A division of birds with a keelless, raft or punt-like sternum.
Rhizopoda (ri-zŏp´ō-dȧ).—The root-footed Protozoa.
Rodentia (rō-dĕn´shĭ-ȧ).—An order of animals which gnaw.
Rotifera (rō-tĭf´ẽ-rȧ).—An order of crustacea with a pair of ciliated appendages in motion, resembling wheels.
Ruminantia (roo-mĭ-nă´shĭ-ȧ).—The cloven-footed quadrupeds. Those that chew the cud. They have cloven feet, want incisors, and have a stomach with four cavities.
Taxidermy (tăks´ĭ-dĕr-my).—The art of preparing and preserving specimens of animals.
Teleostei (tē´lẽ-ŏs´te-ī or tĕl´e).—An order including most of the bony fishes.
Thorax (thō´rāks).—The chest of vertebrates, the middle portion of insects, etc.
Ungulata (ŭn-gū-lā-tȧ).—The order of hoofed mammals.
Vertebra (vĕr´tē-brȧ).—One of the bones of the spinal column.
Vertebrates (vẽr´te-brāts).—Animals provided with vertebræ. One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, comprising all animals that have a backbone composed of bony or cartilaginous vertebræ, together with those in which the backbone is represented by a simple undivided notochord.
Viviparous (vi-vĭp´ȧ-rŭs).—Applied to animals which bring forth their young alive.
Zoophyte (zō´ō-fīt).—Applied to the animals which resemble plants, such as the sea-anemones, sponges, etc.