MEI 



MEN 



constitute the Megatheriidce, or mega- 

 theroids of Owen. 



MEFONITE. Prismato-pyramidal fel- 

 spar, occurring together with ceylanite 

 and nepheline, in granular limestone, at 

 Monte Somma, near Naples. This, and 

 some other felspathic substances are now 

 united under the general term wernerite. 

 MELAIN (ytieAa?, black). The colour- 

 ing matter of the ink of the cuttle-fish. 



MELAM. A substance formed by 

 distilling dry hydro-sulpho-cyanate of 

 ammonia. On boiling melara with hy- 

 dro-chloric acid, a crystalline substance 

 is generated, called melamine. 



MELANIA'N^. Black snails ; a sub- 

 family of the TurhidtJB, named from the 

 genus melania, and having a spiral shell, 

 the spire being generally longer than the 

 aperture, the body-whorl small. 



ME'LANIC (^eXar, black). A term 

 applied by Dr. Prichard to one of the 

 three varieties of mankind, derived from 

 the colour of the hair, and including all 

 individuals or races which have black 

 hair. See Man. 



ME'LANITE. A black variety of 

 garnet, found in the neighbourhood of 

 Frascati, near Rome, and in the basalt of 

 Bohemia. 



MELA'NTERITE. A mineralogical 

 name for green vitriol, or native sulphate 

 of iron. 



MELANTHA'CEiE. The Colchicum 

 tribe of monocotyledonous plants. Herbs 

 with a rhizome, sometimes fleshy ; leaves 

 sheathing at the base ; flowers hexapetal- 

 oideous, tubular ; stamens 6 ; ovarium 

 3-celled ; seeds albuminous. 



MELASO'MA {fxeXas, black, awfia, the 

 body). A family of the heteromerous 

 Coleoptera, characterized by the black or 

 ashy-brown colour of the body. The 

 wings are usually absent, and the elytra, 

 or wing cases, united. 



MELA'SSES ineXi, honey). The un- 

 crystallizable part of the juice of the 

 sugar-cane, separated from the sugar 

 during its manufacture. 



MELA'SSIC ACID (^eXt, honey). An 

 acid produced by the simultaneous action 

 of alkalies and heat upon grape sugar. 



MELASTOMA'CE^ ifxeXav, black, 

 arofxa, mouth ; from the fruit of some of 

 the species staining the lips black). A 

 family of dicotyledonous plants, charac- 

 terized by their opposite leaves, with 

 several large veins running from the base 

 to the apex, resembling those of mono- 

 cotyledonous plants; and the long-beaked 

 anthers. 

 214 



MELIA'CEiE. The Bead-tree tribe of 

 dicotyledonous plants. Trees or shrubs 

 with leaves alternate ; flowers symmetri- 

 cal ; calyx imbricated ; stamens hypogy- 

 nous ; ovarium of several cells ; seeds 

 definite, apterous. 



ME'LILITE. A species of garnet, 

 found at Capo di Bove, near Rome. 



MELIPHA'GID^ {fxeXi, honey, <pdf<o, 

 to eat). The Honey-suckers ; a family 

 of the Insessores or Perching birds, dis- 

 tinguished from all the allied families by 

 their notched bill. They are chiefly con- 

 fined to Australia. (See Tenuirostres.) 

 According to Macgillivray, these birds 

 constitute a family of the Reptairices, or 

 Creepers, characterized by having the 

 three fore toes more or less united at the 

 base, and spreading little. 



ME'LLITATES. Salts formed by the 

 combination of mellitic acid with a sali- 

 fiable base. 



ME'LLITE. Honey-stone. Mellitate of 

 alumina ; a salt found in beds of brown 

 coal at Artern in Thuringia. 



ME'LLITIC ACID (/xeX/, honey). An 

 acid discovered in mellite, or honey- 

 stone, a rare mineral, consisting of the 

 mellitate of ammonia. 



ME'LLON. A lemon-yellow substance 

 consisting of azote and carbon, considered 

 as a compound radical. 



ME'LODY (/xeXojdt'a, a singing). The 

 combination of harmonious sounds is a 

 chord; an agreeable succession of notes 

 is a melody ; and a succession of chords 

 constitutes harmony. 



MELOLO'NTHIDjE. a family of 

 Coleopterous insects, of the section la- 

 mellicornes, named from the melolontha 

 vulgaris, or common cockchafer. 



MELONI'DIUM {^xhXov, an apple). 

 The name given by Richard to an in- 

 ferior compound fruit with a fleshy peri- 

 carp — the pomum of other writers. 



MELTING POINT. That point of 

 the thermometer which indicates the 

 temperature at which a solid becomes 

 fluid. Thus, ice melts at 32° Fahr., sul- 

 phur at 218°, gold at 5237°. 



ME'NACHANITE. An oxide of tita- 

 nium, found, accompanied with fine 

 quartz sand, in the bed of a rivulet 

 which enters the valley of Menaccan in 

 Cornwall. 



ME'NILITE. A sub-species of indi- 

 visible quartz ; an opaline substance, 

 called also liver opal, from its brown 

 colour, found at Menil-Montant, near 

 Paris, in a bed of adhesive slate. An- 

 other kind, called grey menilite, occurs at 



