EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN NATURAL HISTORY. AMPHIBIOUS. Capable of living both on the land and in the water. Small animals, visible only with the assistance of Animalcules. Dorsal. Elytra. Entomology. Feelers. the microscope. Marked with rings. The horns or feelers of insects. Horns overhanging the brows. Living or growing in the water. With two spots, or two series of spots. A hard lump, an excrescence. Feeding on flesh. A skin over the bill of birds; sometimes moveable, as in parrots. Of the whale kind. Of the colour of ashes. Of the dove or pigeon kind. Heart-shaped. Covered with a shell or crust; as lobsters, crabs, &c. Having the feet divided into toes or fingers; as in cats and dogs. Belonging to the back. The wing-cases of insects of the beetle tribe. Exsanguineous. Without blood, as wormis. Herbivorous. A description of insects. The antennæ or horns of insects. Belonging to the cat kind. Of an iron or rust colour. Feeding on seeds. Forked. Belonging to the hen kind. The time of going with young. Feeding on grain. Associating together. Feeding on grass. The horny substance that protects the external part of the foot in some quadrupeds. Ichthyology. Incubation. A description of fishes. Tiled or plated over each other. Insectivorous. Feeding on insects. In the form of, or covered with, plates or scales. Belonging to the side, placed sideways. Upper and lower, the two divisions of a bird's beak. With many shells or openings. Laminated. Larva Lateral. Mandibles. Migratory. Multivalve. Nictitating. Obfuscated. Of a darkish colour. Olfactory. Relating to smell. Operculum. A shield or cover. Oviparous. Winking applied to a membrane with which birds cover their eyes at pleasure. Ornithology. A description of birds. Parturition. That lays eggs. The act of bringing forth young. Hanging down. Feeding on fishes. Formed to pursue prey. The flexible trunk of the elephant, bee, &c. Animals of the serpent tribe, with legs. Rough. Shoulders. In the form of a half-moon. Having bristles or strong hairs. Winding like a screw. Streaked or striped. Subulated. Formed like an awl. Bringing forth the young alive. Connected with a membrane, as the claws of aquatic birds. Writers on animated nature. Zoology. The history of animated nature. Zoophite. An animal plant, or sensitive vegetable. |