| Abdomen. | The part of the body containing the organs of digestion. |
| Abdominal. | Pertaining to the abdomen. |
| Amphibious. | Capable of living both on the land and in the water. |
| Animalcules. | Small animals, visible only with the assistance of the microscope. |
| Annulated. | Marked with rings. |
| Antennæ. | The horns or feelers of insects. |
| Apex. | The top or summit of anything. |
| Apical. | Situated at, or belonging to, the apex. |
| Apodal. | Footless. |
| Apterous. | Wingless. |
| Aquatic. | Living or growing in the water. |
| Bicuspid. | Having two points. |
| Bifid. | Divided into two parts. |
| Bifurcated. | Divided into two prongs. |
| Bisulcous. | Cloven-hoofed. |
| Bivalve. | With two shells. |
| Branchiæ. | Gills, or organs for aquatic respiration. |
| Buccal. | Pertaining to the mouth. |
| Byssus. | A tuft of silky filaments produced by some Mollusca. |
| Callosity. | A hard lump, an excrescence. |
| Campanulate. | Bell-shaped. |
| Canine. | Of the dog kind. |
| Carinated. | Keeled. |
| Carnivorous. | Feeding on flesh. |
| Caudal. | Pertaining to the tail. |
| Cere. | A skin over the base of the bill of birds. |
| Cervical. | Belonging to the neck. |
| Cetaceous. | Of the whale kind. |
| Cilia. | Microscopic filaments, which, by their constant vibration, either cause currents in the water, or move the animals possessing them. |
| Cinereous. | Of the colour of ashes. |
| Clavate. | Clubbed. |
| Cordiform. | Heart-shaped. |
| Coriaceous. | Leathery. |
| Corneous. | Horny. |
| Crustaceous. | Covered with a shell or crust; as lobsters, crabs, &c. |
| Dentate. | Toothed like a saw. |
| Dorsal. | Belonging to the back. |
| Elytra. | The wing-cases of insects of the beetle tribe. |
| Emarginate. | Notched. |
| Entomology. | A description of insects. |
| Exsanguineous. | Without red blood, as worms. |
| Feline. | Belonging to the cat kind. |
| Ferruginous. | Of an iron or rust colour. |
| Filiform. | Thread-like. |
| Foliaceous. | Leaf-like. |
| Frugivorous. | Feeding on fruits. |
| Furcated. | Forked. |
| Fusiform. | Spindle-shaped. |
| Gallinaceous. | Belonging to the hen kind. |
| Gelatinous. | Like jelly. |
| Gemmiparous. | Capable of propagating by buds. |
| Geniculate. | Bent like a knee. |
| Gestation. | The time of going with young. |
| Granivorous. | Feeding on grain. |
| Gregarious. | Associating together. |
| Hastate. | Formed like an arrow-head. |
| Haustellate. | Insects with a mouth adapted for suction. |
| Herbivorous. | Feeding on grass. |
| Hexapod. | Having six legs. |
| Hyaline. | Glassy. |
| Ichthyology. | A description of fishes. |
| Imbricated. | Tiled, or lying over each other. |
| Incubation. | The act of hatching eggs. |
| Insectivorous. | Feeding on insects. |
| Intestinal. | Pertaining to the digestive organs. |
| Laminated. | Covered with or divided into plates or scales. |
| Larva. | The young of insects. |
| Lateral. | Belonging to the side, placed sideways. |
| Loricated. | Covered with hard scales or plates like armour. |
| Lunate. | Crescent-shaped. |
| Mandibles. | Upper and lower, the two divisions of a bird’s beak, or the projecting jaws of an insect. |
| Migratory. | Coming and going at certain seasons. |
| Multivalve. | With many shells or openings. |
| Nacreous. | Resembling mother-of-pearl. |
| Nictitating. | Winking; applied to a membrane with which birds cover their eyes at pleasure. |
| Olfactory. | Relating to smell. |
| Operculum. | A shield or cover. |
| Ornithology. | A description of birds. |
| Oviparous. | That lays eggs. |
| Palmated. | Webbed. |
| Parasitic. | Attached to and dependent on some other living body. |
| Parturition. | The act of bringing forth young. |
| Passerine. | Belonging to the sparrow tribe. |
| Pectinate. | Resembling a comb. |
| Pectoral. | Belonging to the breast. |
| Pendulous. | Hanging down. |
| Piscivorous. | Feeding on fishes. |
| Plicate. | Folded. |
| Predaceous. | Formed to pursue prey. |
| Prehensile. | Capable of grasping. |
| Quadrifid. | Divided into four parts. |
| Quadruped. | Four-footed. |
| Ramose. | Branching. |
| Reptiles. | Animals of the serpent tribe, with legs. |
| Rudimentary. | Small; imperfectly developed. |
| Ruminating. | Chewing the cud. |
| Scabrous. | Rough. |
| Scapulars. | Shoulders. |
| Semilunar. | In the form of a half-moon. |
| Serrated. | Notched like a saw. |
| Sessile. | Attached without the intervention of a stalk. |
| Setaceous. | Having bristles or strong hairs. |
| Spiral. | Winding like a screw. |
| Squamose. | Scaly. |
| Striated. | Streaked or striped. |
| Subulated. | Formed like an awl. |
| Sulcated. | Furrowed. |
| Suture. | The line of junction of two hind parts. |
| Tentacula. | The feelers of snails and other mollusca. |
| Testaceous. | Covered with a shell, as oysters. |
| Trifurcated. | Three-forked. |
| Truncated. | Appearing as if cut off. |
| Tubicolar. | Inhabiting a tube. |
| Univalve. | With one shell or opening. |
| Ventral. | Belonging to the belly. |
| Vertebrated. | Having a jointed spine-bone. |
| Viscera. | The organs contained in the cavities of the body. |
| Viviparous. | Bringing forth the young alive. |
| Webbed. | Connected by a membrane, as the toes of aquatic birds. |
| Xylophagous. | Wood-eating. |
| Zoologists. | Writers on animated nature. |
| Zoology. | The history of animated nature. |