A History of North American Birds, Land Birds. Volume 3

Il´iac, a. Relating to the ilium, or haunch-bone; also, to the ileum.

Il´ium, n. Haunch-bone; principal bone of the pelvis, forming with the ischium and pubis the os innominatum.

Im´bricated, a. Fixed shingle-wise with overlapping edge or end.

Immac´ulate, a. Unspotted; not marked with different colors.

Immature´, a. Not having yet assumed final size, shape, color, or other conditions of the adult.

Imper´forate, a. Not pierced through; also, closed up (said chiefly of the nostrils).

Implacen´tal, a. Having no placenta. Birds are implacental.

Incised´, a. Cut out; cut away.

Incuba´tion, n. Act of setting on eggs to hatch them.

Incum´bent, a. Depressed or bending down upon something; laid at full length; chiefly said of the hind-toe when its whole length rests on the ground or other support, owing to its low insertion on the level of the rest. (131.)

In´cus, a. A bone of the inner ear of mammalia, held by high authority to be homologous with the os quadratum of birds (which see). See also Malleus.

In´dex, n. The principal digit of the wing is often so called, but is really homologous with the third or middle finger of mammals; the pollex or so-called thumb of birds being the homologue of the mammalian index.

In´doles, n. Natural disposition.

Indumen´tum, n. Covering of birds; the ptilosis or plumage. (142.)

In´fra- (in composition). Below; under; opposite of supra-. It is in part synonymous with sub-, but refers only, to position, while sub- is of more extensive application.

Inframax´illary, n. The under jaw bone, or mandible.

Infraor´bital, a. Below the eye-socket.

Infundibu´liform, a. Funnel-shaped.

Infundib´ulum, n. Funnel; name of several different organs.

Inges´ta, n. pl. Things eaten; contents of crop or stomach. Opposed to egesta.

Inglu´vies, n. Crop or craw. Also used synonymously with chin.

In´guen, n. The groin; whence the adj. inguinal. (Little used.)

In´guinal, a. Pertaining to the groin.

Inner Toe, n. (127.) In most birds the second is the inner anterior toe; in the trogons, the third or middle toe becomes inner anterior by reversion of the second, which is then inner posterior. In a few exotic kingfishers, the second or inner anterior is rudimentary or wanting. In several birds the hallux or first or hinder toe is reversed, and becomes inner anterior. But in any position the inner toe, properly speaking, is the second, that one with only three joints.

Innom´inate (bone), n. The pelvic bone, composed of ilium, ischium, and pubis.

Inoscula´tion, n. Same as Anastomosis (which see).

Insectiv´orous, a. Insect-eating.

Insesso´res, n. pl. Perching-birds; an order now becoming obsolete.

Insesso´rial, a. Relating to perching-birds.

Insis´tent, a. Said of the hind toe, when its base is so elevated that the tip only touches the ground. (130.)

In´stinct, n. Imperfect reason; the faculty of doing the right thing without knowing why.

Integ´ument, n. A covering or envelope; commonly, the skin.

Inter- (in composition). Between; among.

Interartic´ular, a. Between the joints; in a joint; as, interarticular cartilage.

Intercos´tal, a. Between two ribs; as, intercostal muscle, artery, vein.

Intermax´illary (bone), n. Same as Premaxillary (which see).

In´ternode, n. Any bone of a finger or toe.

Interor´bital, a. Between the eye-sockets.

Interra´mal, a. Between the forks or rami of the lower jaw.

Interrupt´ed, a. Discontinuous; broken up.

Interscapil´ium or Interscap´ulum, n. Region of the upper back between the shoulders. (58.)

Interscap´ular, a. Between the shoulders. The plural, interscapulars or interscapularies, is used to denote the feathers of such region collectively.

Invag´inate, a. Sheathed.

Inver´tebrate, a. or n. Having no backbone; an animal without a backbone. Opposed to vertebrate.

I´rian, Irid´ian, a. Pertaining to the iris.

Irides´cent, a. Glittering with many colors, which change in different lights.

I´ris, n. Circular muscular curtain suspended perpendicularly in the eye between the aqueous and vitreous chambers, having a hole in the centre (the pupil). It is of all colors in birds.

Ischiat´ic, a. Pertaining to the ischium.

Is´chium, n. One of the pelvic bones, the hindermost.

–Ish. A suffix, forming an adjective, usually denoting possession of a quality in less degree; especially used for colors; as, blackish, not quite black, etc.

Isth´mus, n. Neck or narrow strip connecting two larger portions of same region, patch of color, etc.

J

Jaw, n. See Maxilla, Mandible.

Jeju´num, n. Portion of intestine between duodenum and ileum (not definite, and little used).

Ju´gal, a. Pertaining to the zygoma.

Ju´gal (bone), n. Same as malar bone.

Ju´gular, a. Pertaining to the jugulum.

Ju´gulum, n. Lower throat; lower foreneck. (53.)

Junctu´ra, n. Articulation; joint.

K

Keel, n. Same as Gonys (which see). (22.)

Knee, n. Femoro-tibial articulation. (N. B. The heel-joint, suffrago, or tibio-metatarsal articulation, is often improperly called knee.) (102.)

L

La´bel, n. Card, ticket, or similar slip of paper, parchment, etc., affixed to an object, giving written information respecting it.

Lac´erate, Lacin´iate, a. Cut or slashed on the edge or end into a fringe or brush.

Lach´rymal (bone), a. A large stout bone forming part of the orbit.

Lacu´na, n. Small pit or depression; oftener, an open space or vacuity, as in the palate.

Lacu´næ, n. pl. Certain small excavations in bone and in mucous membrane.

Lacus´trine, a. Lake-inhabiting.

Lamb´doid, a. L-shaped.

Lamel´la, n.; pl. lamellæ, Lam´ina, n.; pl. laminæ, A thin plate or scale; a plate-like process. The processes inside a duck’s bill are lamellæ; the individual barbs of a feather are laminæ.

Lam´ellate, Lam´inate, a. Having, or composed of, laminæ, or series of plates.

Lamelliros´tral, a. Having a lamellate bill.

Lamelliros´tres, n. pl. A group of lamellate-billed birds (the duck tribe).

Lan´ceolate, a. Lance-head shaped; tapering narrowly at one end, less so at the other.

Larynge´al, a. Pertaining to the larynx.

Lar´ynx, n. Adam’s-apple, hollow cartilaginous organ, a modification of the windpipe either at the top or bottom, but especially the former; the lower larynx being called Syrinx (which see).

Lat´eral, a. To or towards the side; on either hand from the middle line.

Lat´erally, a. Sidewise.

Latis´simus, a. for n. A certain muscle of the back.

Legs. (96.)

Lens (crystalline), n. A circular biconvex transparent body in the eye which brings rays of light to a focus.

Lesser Wing-coverts, n. pl. The smaller anterior set of secondary coverts in several series upon the plica alaris.

Leva´tor, n. Generic name of muscles that elevate; as, levator palpebræ, lifter of the eyelid.

Lig´ament, n. Fibrous band or sheet binding bones or other structures together.

Ligamen´tum Nu´chæ, n. A particular strong elastic ligament along the nape and cervix of many animals.

Ligamen´tum Te´res, n. A particular strong fibrous cord holding the head of the femur in its socket.

Lim´bate, a. Having edging of one color against another.

Li´mes Facia´lis, n. Facial outline; line of the feathers all around the bill.

Limico´læ, n. pl. A group of shore-waders, as plover, snipe, etc.

Limic´oline, a. Shore-inhabiting.

Lin´ear, a. Narrow, with straight parallel sides; uniformly narrow for a long distance.

Lin´gua, n. Tongue.

Linis´ci, n. pl. Reticulations of the podotheca. (Little used.)

Liv´er, n. See Gland.

Lo´bate, Lobed, a. Furnished with membranous flaps (said chiefly of toes). See Lomatinus. (137.)

Lobe, n. Membranous flap (generally curved, but may be straight-edged). See Loma.

Lo´ma, n. Lobe; membranous fringe or flap. (135.)

Lomat´inus, a. Furnished with lobes or flaps. (134.)

Long-exsert´ed, a. Said of tail-feathers abruptly much longer than the rest.

Longipen´nes, n. pl. A group of long-winged swimming-birds, the gulls, terns, and petrels.

Longipen´nine, a. Having long wings (reaching, when folded, beyond the tail).

Longiros´tral, a. Having a long bill (longer than the head).

Longiros´tres, n. pl. An obsolete group of long-billed wading birds.

Longis´simus, a. for n. A certain muscle of the back.

Longitu´dinal, a. Running lengthwise, or in direction of the antero-posterior axis of the body.

Lon´gus Col´li. A certain muscle of the neck.

Lo´ral, a. Pertaining to the lore.

Lore, Lo´rum, n. Space between eye and bill. (39.)

Lower Back. (59.) See Tergum.

Lower Jaw. Lower Mandible. (11.) See Mandible.

Lower Parts. (6.) See Gastræum.

Lower Wing-coverts. (85.) See Tectrices.

Lower Tail-coverts. See Calypteria, Crissum, Tectrices.

Lum´bar, a. Pertaining to, or situate in, the loins. In birds, a lumbar region or lumbar vertebræ are not well distinguished, if at all; and in many, rib-bearing vertebræ continue into the sacral region.

Lumbric´iform, a. Same as Vermiform (which see).

Lu´nulate, a. Narrowly crescentic.

Lu´teous, a. Clay-colored.

Lymphat´ic, a. or n. Pertaining to lymph; an absorbent vessel.

Ly´rate, a. Lyre-shaped, as the tail of Menura superba or Tetrao tetrix.

M

Mac´erated, a. Soaked to softness.

Mac´ula, n. A spot.

Mac´ulate, a. Spotted.

Mag´num, a. for n. One of the carpal bones.

Ma´la, n. Basal portion of outside of lower jaw, usually feathered. (Sometimes used for corresponding portion of upper jaw; the site and boundary of mala and gena are not well determined, and vary with writers. Both lie on side of head, back of bill, and under lore, eye, and ear.) (26.)

Ma´lar Re´gion. Same as mala.

Malleo´lus, n.; pl. malleoli. The enlarged articular surface of the bottom of the tibia; in birds formed by confluence of the two proximal tarsal ossicles.

Mal´leus, n. A bone of the inner ear of mammalia, held by high authority as probably homologous with the Os Quadratum (which see).

Mam´ma, n. Teat.

Mam´mary, a. Pertaining to the teats, or function of lactation.

Man´dible, Mandib´ula, n. Jaw. Properly the under jaw, the upper jaw being maxilla. (11.)

Mandib´ular, a. Pertaining to the under jaw. (Maxillary relates to the upper jaw.)

Manduca´tion, n. Mastication.

Mandu´catory, a. Pertaining to mastication.

Mantle, n. (61.) See Stragulum and Pallium.

Manu´brium Ster´ni, n. (Literally “handle.”) Process of breast-bone on front border at root of keel.

Man´us, n. Hand; all of the wing, excepting the feathers, which lies beyond the wrist; the metacarpus and digits, with associate soft parts. It corresponds with pes.

Mar´bling, n. Fine spotting and streaking intermixed; variegation like marble. The markings are more distinct than in clouding or nebulation.

Mar´ginal Fringe, n. See Loma. (135.)

Mar´go, n. Margin. Margo mentalis, inner boundary of the forks of the mandible. Margo malaris, boundary of the base of the mala.

Marsu´pium, n. Vascular, erectile, membranous organ in the back chamber of the eye of birds, supposed to aid in accommodation of vision. Also called pecten.

Masse´ter, n. One of the muscles that effect mastication.

Mas´tax, n. “Side of the forepart of head, adjacent to the base of the bill.” (37.) (Little used, and undistinguished from lore.)

Mas´toid, a. Name of a process of the temporal bone.

Ma´trix, n. Mould. Tissue or organ containing something and determining its form or other condition.

Maxil´la, n. Jaw, especially the upper jaw, or maxilla superior; the maxilla inferior being especially called mandibula. (10.)

Max´illar, Max´illary, a. Pertaining to the upper jaw. Maxillary bone, the cheek-bone; in birds an inconsiderable bone of the bill itself, not of the cheek.

Max´illo-pal´atine (bone), n. Certain paired bone of the upper jaw in the palate.

Mea´tus, n. Passage or canal. Meatus auditorius, ear-passage.

Me´dian, a. Lying in the middle line. Opposed to lateral.

Mediasti´num, n. One of the thoracic partitions.

Medul´la, n. Marrow. Medulla spinalis, spinal cord. Medulla oblongata, tract of nerve matter between cerebellum and spinal cord proper.

Mel´anism, n. State of coloration resulting from excess of black or dark pigment; a frequent condition of hawks.

Melanis´tic, Melanot´ic, a. Affected with melanism.

Mem´brana Putam´inis, n. The lining membrane of the egg-shell, formed of dense modified albumen.

Mem´brane, n. Thin soft sheet of various structure covering a part or organ. Cerebral or spinal membrane. See Meninges. Nictitating membrane, the third or inner eyelid of birds, which sweeps across the ball. Soft skinny covering of the bill of many birds is said to be membranous. Webbing of the toes is the interdigital membrane. Loma is a fringed membrane.

Mem´brum, n.; pl. membra. Any limb, or other peripheral part, as a bill, as distinguished from body proper or truncus.

Menin´ges, n. pl. Envelopes of the brain or spinal cord; especially the dura mater and pia mater. (The singular, meninx, is scarcely used.)

Men´tal, a. Pertaining to the chin.

Men´tum, n. Chin; soft parts between the branches of the lower jaw.

Mesenceph´alon, n. A certain brain-tract, the second from behind.

Mesenter´ic, a. Pertaining to the mesentery.

Mes´entery, n. A fold of the peritoneum binding the intestines in place.

Mesera´ic, a. Same as Mesenteric (which see).

Me´sial, a. In the middle; same as median.

Meso- (in composition). Middle; median.

Mesomet´rium, n. Partially muscular peritoneal fold supporting the oviduct.

Mesorhi´nium, n. Portion of bill between the nostrils. (Little used.)

Mesoster´num, n. Middle segment of the breast-bone.

Metacar´pal, a. or n. Pertaining to the metacarpus; particularly the metacarpal bone.

Metacar´pus, n. Hand, exclusive of the fingers; segment of the wing between the carpus and the digits.

Metagnath´ous, a. Cross-billed; having the points of the mandibles passing each other on the right and left.

Metatar´sal, a. Pertaining to the metatarsus; particularly the metatarsal bone.

Metatar´sus, n. Foot, exclusive of the toes; segment of the leg between the tarsus and the digits, commonly called the shank, and in descriptive ornithology usually known as the tarsus. The metatarsus, however, has a distal tarsal ossicle confluent with it, so that it is actually tarso-metatarsus. In birds, the metatarsus proper (exclusive of the confluent tarsal bone) consists of three parallel metatarsal bones, more or less completely confluent, and of the associated accessory metatarsal bone which bears the hallux. Compare Tarsus.

Metatar´sus Hal´lucis, n. The accessory metatarsal bone, as just said.

Mid´dle Toe, n. The third toe in order of reckoning, with few exceptions four-jointed. When the fourth toe is reversed, as in all zygodactyle birds except trogons, it becomes the outer anterior toe; in trogons, and a few birds in which the true inner or second toe is wanting, it becomes the inner anterior toe. It is never versatile. It rarely has only three joints, like the second toe. (128.)

Mid´dle Wing-cov´erts, or Me´dian Cov´erts. The series of upper coverts of the secondary set, situate in one or more rows between the greater and lesser coverts. They are usually recognized by their overlapping each other in the reverse direction (i.e. inner border of one overlapping outer border of the next one) from the others, whence they are sometimes called tectrices perversæ. (94.)

Migra´tion, n. Periodical (but sometimes irregular) journeyings, or change of abode, of birds at certain seasons, to secure food, climate, or other physical conditions of environment best suited to their wants. Migration is generally meridional (north-south), and believed by some to be mainly accomplished along a magnetic meridian; but it is often quite otherwise, influenced by topography, etc., or altogether capricious. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal migration is northward, the autumnal in the opposite direction.

Mime´sis, n. Mimicry; mocking; simulated resemblance in voice, shape, color, etc.

Mimet´ic, a. Imitative; given to mimicry. Mimetic analogy, simulated resemblance in superficial respects, such as many insects bear to the twigs or leaves they rest upon.

Mir´ror, n. See Speculum. (82.)

Mol´ecule, n. Embryo part of the impregnated ovum. See Cicatriculum.

Mol´lipilose, a. Softly downy.

Monog´amous, a. Pairing; mating with a single one of the opposite sex. Birds of which the male assists in incubation and care of the young are called doubly monogamous.

Monog´amy, n. The paired state.

Monomor´phic, a. Of the same or essentially similar type of structure. Opposed to polymorphic.

Monoto´kous, a. Uniparous; laying a single egg.

Mon´ster, n. Any malformed animal.

Morphol´ogy, n. The science of form. The doctrine of the laws of form. Structure itself, considered as to its principles; e.g. the morphology of the odontoid process of the axis is centrum of the atlas, the morphological interpretation of the tibial condyles is tarsal ossicles. The segment called metatarsus is, morphologically, tarso-metatarsus. Homology rests upon morphology; analogy is generally predicable upon teleology.

Mor´sus Diabol´icus, n. An epithet of the infundibuliform orifice of the oviduct which takes in the ova.

Mucip´arous, a. Producing mucus.

Mu´cous Mem´brane, n. Lining of the alimentary and other interior tracts of the body, secreting mucus.

Mu´cro, n. A sharp spine.

Mu´cronate, a. Spine-tipped, as the tail of a swift.

Mu´cus, n. Peculiar secretion of the mucous membrane.

Multif´idus, a. for n. A certain spinal muscle.

Multip´arous, a. Producing many young.

Mus´cle, n. (musculus, pl. musculi). Organ of animal motion, consisting of contractile fibre, the shortening of which draws upon attached parts. With the muscular tissue is usually associated a fibrous ligament, the tendon or “leader.” Voluntary muscles have striped fibre, contracting at will of the animal; such are all those of the general system, moving the bones, effecting locomotion, mastication, etc. Involuntary muscles mostly have plain fibre contractile under special stimuli without obedience to the will; such are those of the intestines, etc.

Mus´cular, a. Pertaining to muscle; having muscle or composed of muscle; resulting from muscle: as, muscular fibre, muscular organ, muscular exertion. Also, strong, vigorous: the falcon is a muscular bird.

Mu´ticus, a. Unarmed; as, a toe without a claw, an unspurred tarsus. (133.)

Myelenceph´alon, n. Whole cerebro-spinal column.

My´elon, n. The spinal cord.

Myolem´ma, n. Sheath of muscular fibre.

Myol´ogy, n. Doctrine or description of the muscles.

Myx´a, n. End of the mandible, as far as the symphysis, corresponding to the dertrum of the maxilla. (25).

N

Nan´us, a. or n. Dwarf; pigmy.

Nape, n. (49.) See Nucha.

Nar´is, n.; pl. nares. Nostril (always paired). (28½.) The external nares open upon the bill, or its cere, in very various shape and position; the internal nares open slit-wise upon the back part of the palate.

Na´sal, a. Pertaining to the nostrils. Nasal bones, a pair at the root of the upper mandible.

Nas´cent, a. About being born; beginning to grow or exist.

Nata´tion, n. Act of swimming.

Natato´res, n. pl. A group of swimming-birds.

Natato´rial, a. Capable of swimming; belonging to swimming-birds.

Nearc´tic, a. Indigenous to the northern portion of the Western Hemisphere.

Nebula´ted, a. Clouded with various indistinct colors.

Neck, n. (47.) See Collum.

Neogæ´an, n. Indigenous to the Western Hemisphere or “New World.”

Neos´sine, n. Substance of the “edible birds’-nests.”

Neossol´ogy, n. Study of young birds.

Neotrop´ical, a. Indigenous to the tropical portion of the Western Hemisphere.

Ner´vine, n. Nerve substance.

Neu´ral, a. Pertaining to nerves. Neural canal, the tube of the backbone. Neural spine, the so-called spinous process of a vertebra. Neural axis, cerebro-spinal axis. Neural arch, see Neurapophysis.

Neurapoph´ysis, n. The laminate process of a vertebra, which, meeting its fellow at the neural spine, closes the canal for transmission of the spinal cord.

Neurilem´ma, n. Sheath of nerve fibre.

Neurol´ogy, n. Study of the nerves.

Nic´titating Mem´brane, n. The third or inner eyelid of birds.

Nidifica´tion, n. Nest-building; mode of nesting.

Ni´dus, n. Nest.

Ni´sus Formati´vus, n. The formative tendency; the unknown law which determines the rudiment of an animal to take its proper shape, “each after its kind.” “Plastic force.”

Node, No´dus, n. A swelling; hence, a joint, as bones usually enlarge at their articulating extremities. Compare Internode.

Nomen´clature, n. The sum of the words or terms peculiar to any department of knowledge; as, ornithological nomenclature; in this sense equivalent to terminology. Also, the naming of objects according to some fixed principle; as, the binomial nomenclature. It is essential to the integrity of nomenclature that it should rest upon classification, or taxonomy.

Non-. Not. A frequent prefix in scientific literature, denoting negation, used much like dis-, un-, in-, etc.