424 ©Pant Tsore, Tsege?^/, aa^ Tsijric/', 



Almond-like fruit is eaten, and an oil is obtained from it: the wood 

 is hard, and is used by the Indians in construcfting their huts. 

 Among certain uncivilised hill tribes, the Mahwah is regarded as 

 equal to a deity, so great is their affecflion for this tree, under whose 

 branches they hold their assemblies and celebrate their anniversaries ; 

 on whose boughs they suspend, when not in use, their spears 

 and their ploughshares, and beneath whose shadow they exhibit 

 those mysterious circles of flint which take the place of idols with 

 them. So, when attacked by the Hindus, the wild tribes fight with 

 desperation for the defence of their Mahwahs, which their enemies, 

 when at war with them, make a point of seizing and destroying. 



MAIDENHAIR FERN. — Adiantum, or Capillus Veneris, 

 derived its name from the Greek adiantos, unmoistened, in relation, 

 doubtless, to its property of repelling water — a peculiarity noticed 

 by Theophrastus, and also by Pliny, who says it is in vain to 

 plunge the Adiantum in water, for it always remains dry. This 

 property of remaining unmoistened by water was attributed to the 

 hair of Venus, when she rose from the sea; and hence the Adiantum 

 obtained the name oi Capillus Veneris. Nevertheless, Adiantum was 

 specially dedicated to Pluto and to Proserpine. Maidenhair is 

 called polytrichon, because it brings forth a multitude of hairs; 

 callitricJwn, because it produces black and fair hair; Capillus Veneris, 



because it produces grace and love. According to Egyptian 



symbolism, Adiantum indicated recovery from illness. In the 



Catholic Church, the Maidenhair Fern is known as the Virgin's 

 Hair. 



MAITHES or MAIDS. — The Pyrethrum Parthenium was 

 formerly known by the name of Maithes (Maids), because by the 

 old herbalists it was considered efficacious in hysterical and other 

 irregularities of the system to which maidens are subject. In the 

 same category are the plants formerly known as Maghet, Mather, 

 or Maydweed {Anthcmis Cotula), the Maydweed [Matricaria Chamo- 

 inilla), Maudlein, or Costmary [Balsamita), Maudlin-wort or Moon 

 Daisy [Chiysanthenmm Leucantheinnni), the Maudlin, or Herba divcB 

 Maries {Achillea Ageratum), the Marguerite [Bcllis perennis), and some 

 others. These plants, bearing flowers with white ray florets, were 

 thought to resemble the Moon, which, as it regulated the monthly 

 periods of the year, was supposed, says Dr. Prior, to have an 

 influence over female complaints. By the ancients these plants 

 were consecrated to Isis, Juno Lucina, and Artemis, or Diana, the 

 virgin goddess of the night ; but were transferred by the Catholics 

 to St. Mary Magdalene and St. Margaret of Cortona. 



MAIZE. — The American aborigines worshipped Maize as a 

 divinity. Children were kept to watch the precious grain as it 

 grew, and guard it from the ravages of birds ; but some of the 

 tribes protecfled the thievish crow because of the legend that a 

 crow had brought them the first seed of the sacred plant. At 



