MET 



the larva, or caterpillar ; thepMpa, nymph, 

 or chrysalis ; and the imago, or perfect 

 state. 



Fabricius distinguishes five kinds of 

 metamorphosis. 1. The first class com- 

 prises all those insects in which the 

 pupae, being entirely without legs, are 

 absolutely motionless, as in the common 

 house-fly; these are called coarctate. 

 2. The second kind occurs in the Lepi- 

 doptera, and is termed obtected. It is 

 seen in the silk-worm, which wraps itself 

 in a silken ball, throws off its last skin, 

 and becomes a quiescent pupa. 3. The 

 third kind of metamorphosis is termed 

 incomplete, and it occurs in the hymeno- 

 pterous and in many coleopterous insects, 

 in which the larva is deprived of feet or 

 other external organs, or possesses these 

 parts in a very imperfect condition ; in 

 the pupa, however, they are perfectly 

 distinct. 4. A semi-complete metamor- 

 phosis occurs in those insects whose 

 larva only differs from the imago in not 

 being possessed of wings. 5. Metamor- 

 phosis is complete, when the perfect in- 

 sect does not acquire wings at all, but 

 precisely resembles the pupa. 



METAPH Y'SICS (nera, beyond, <pvci^, 

 nature). A vague term, simply denoting 

 the science of objects beyond that which 

 is physical and sensible. Generally 

 speaking, metaphysics is a science purely 

 speculative, which investigates the ulti- 

 mate grounds of being, irrespectively of 

 experience. In this country it usually 

 denotes the philosophy of mind, as dis- 

 tinguished from that of matter. 



ME'TAPLASM (/xeTaTrXao-yLioc, trans- 

 formation). In Grammar, the assumption 

 of a present or nominative for the derived 

 tenses of verbs or cases of nouns, as 

 Trecto for 67reo-o»', to devdpoi for devSpecri. 



METEMPSYCHO'SIS (/xereM^e'Xw^.y, 

 the transferring of the soul from one body 

 to another). The transmigration of the 

 soul ; a philosophical or religious system 

 taught by Pythagoras, and embraced by 

 the Hindus, Egyptians, and other na- 

 tions. According to this doctrine, the 

 soul passes into different bodies, under- 

 going a series of degradations or exalta- 

 tions, until it becomes reunited with the 

 Supreme Being, with which it is iden- 

 tified, " as a river at its confluence with 

 the sea merges therein altogether." 



METEO'RIC STONES (/ueretopop, 

 floating in the air). Aerolites. Stones 

 or mineral masses which have fallen 

 through the air, accompanied with the 

 disengagement of light and a noise like 

 218 



MIC 



thunder. They are composed of silica, 

 iron, and magnesia, with small propor- 

 tions of alumina, lime, nickel, chrome, 

 and sulphur. 



METEORO'LOGY (/i€T€«pof, floating 

 in the air, \6yov, a description). Lite- 

 rally, the science of meteors; but the 

 term is applied, more extensively, to the 

 investigation of all the physical causes 

 which affect the condition of our globe ; 

 and particularly to the effects of light 

 and heat on the earth, the ocean, and 

 the atmosphere, and the results of these 

 agents in the production of climate. 



ME'THYL {fjieev, wine, UKr,, wood). 

 The newly-discovered radical, or basyle, 

 of wood spirit. Methylic ether is a co- 

 lourless gas, the oxide of methyl. Methol 

 is a liquid produced in the distillation of 

 wood. 



METONYMY {fxerww^ia, the using 

 of one word for another). A rhetorical 

 figure, by which an idea is represented 

 by a related idea, as substance by quality, 

 precedent by subsequent, eflTect by cause. 

 Thus : "I am Sir Oracle," for, I am in- 

 fallible. Again: " Ris" silver hairs will 

 purchase us a good opinion." 



METOPO'SCOPY (/xeroTTov, the fore- 

 head, o-Korreti), to examine). The art of 

 divining by inspection of the forehead; 

 practised among the Romans, and in the 

 middle ages. 



METRE. The French standard mea- 

 sure of length, equivalent to 39 371, or 

 very nearly 39| English inches. The 

 French measures ascend and descend in 

 a decimal progression. Thus, 



English Inches. 



A Millimetre is .... -03937 



Centimetre -39371 



Decimetre 3'93710 



Metre 39-371 



Decametre .... 39371 

 Hecatometre . . . 3937-1 

 Chiliometre . . 39371 



ME'TRONOME (/nerpov, a measure, 

 v6iJ.o9, a musical strain). A short pen- 

 dulum used by musicians for marking 

 time, which may be made to vibrate 

 quickly or slowly as occasion requires ,- 

 the movements of the pendulum are 

 regulated by wheels and a spiral spring. 



MIA'RGYRITE. A sulphur-salt, first 

 separated byMohs from red silver, under 

 the name of hemiprismatic ruby-blende. 



MI'ASCITE. A columnar variety of 

 bitterspar, intermixed with asbestos, from 

 Miaska in Siberia. 



MICA {mico, to shine). A simple 

 mineral, having a shining silvery sur- 



