Part 179

SU´TURE, n. A kind of immovable articulation.

SYM´BOL, n. See SIGN.

SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM (of nerves). That portion of the nervous system not belonging to the cerebro-spinal axis.

SYM´PHYSIS, n. A growing together; as, symphysis pubis, symphysis menti.

SYNARTHRO´SIS, n. Same as suture.

SYNCHONDRO´SIS, n. Cartilaginous union or articulation.

SYNDAC´TYLE or SYNDAC´TYLOUS, a. Having two toes immovably coherent for a considerable distance.

SYNGNE´SIOUS (foot), a. Same as syndactyle foot.

SYN´ONYM, n.; pl. syn´onyms or synon´yma. A different word of the same or similar meaning. Archæopteryx macrurus, Owen, is a synonym of Arch. lithographica, Meyer. Synonym is the converse of homonym, which is the same word, of different meanings. Thus, Sylvicola, Swainson, a bird, is a homonym of Sylvicola, Humphreys, a mollusk. (Also written synonyme.)

SYNON´YMOUS, a. Expressing the same meaning in different terms. (Synonymical is also written, but rarely.) (Also written synonomous.)

SYNON´YMY, n. A collection of synonyms. In this sense, synonymy is a burden and a disgrace to ornithology. Also, in the abstract, expression of the same meaning by different words. (Also written synonomy.)

SYNO´VIA, n. The peculiar glairy fluid which lubricates joints. So, synovial fluid; synovial membrane.

SYN´THESIS, n. Act of putting together this and that fact or observation, whence to deduce a generalization; opposed to analysis. Also, merely composition.

SYRINGE´AL, a. Pertaining to the lower larynx.

SY´RINX, n. The lower larynx, situate at the bottom of the trachea, at the fork of the bronchi. The vocal organ of birds.

SYS´TOLE, n. Contraction of the heart, urging on the blood. Opposed to diastole (which see).

TAC´TILE, a. Pertaining to the sense of touch.

TAIL, n. (69.) See CAUDA.

TAIL-COV´ERTS, n. pl. (71.) See CALYPTERIA.

TAIL-FEATHERS, n. pl. (70.) See RECTRICES.

TA´LUS, n. Same as CALCANEUS (which see).

TAR´SAL, a. Relating to the tarsus, or tarso-metatarsus.

TAR´SO-METATAR´SUS, n. The morphologically correct term for the segment, commonly called the tarsus in descriptive ornithology,—that bone reaching from the tibia to the toes, and which is really nearly all metatarsus, but has at its top one of the small tarsal bones confluent with it, so that in itself it comprehends part of tarsus as well as all of metatarsus.

TAR´SUS, n. The ankle-bones, collectively. In birds, there are no persistently separate tarsal bones, since the two proximal ones are confluent with the extremity of the tibia, forming its so-called malleoli, and the distal one anchyloses with the metatarsus, leaving the tarsal joint between them, as in reptiles, not between the tarsal bones and the tibia, as in mammalia. But, in descriptive ornithology, the whole segment between the tibia and the toes, commonly called the shank, is usually called tarsus. See, also, TARSO-METATARSUS and METATARSUS. (103½.) (N. B. In the foregoing “Explanation,” etc., the word tarsus is defined as used in descriptions, not in its morphologically correct sense.)

TAR´SUS, BACK OF. (106.) See PLANTA TARSI.

TAR´SUS, BOOTED. (111.) See BOOT.

TAXIDER´MY, a. Art of preparing and preserving skins so as to represent the appearance of the living animal.

TAXONOM´IC, a. Classificatory.