573 



MACROCEPHALI. 



MACROPODIDJE. 



671 



at its extremities, especially the upper one, than in any of the 

 Palicotheres. 



Of the few bones of the parts which are preserved the astragalus is for- 

 tunately one. Professor Owen has compared this bone (which he justly 

 says is the very one that an anatomist would have chosen had his 

 choice been limited to a single bone) with the astragalus of the Giraffe 

 and other Ruminants, the Camel, the Anoplothere, the Hippopotamus, 

 Rhinoceros, Tapir, and Palaeothere ; and he comes to the conclusion 

 that it is with the Pachyderms having three toes to the hind foot 

 that the Macrauchenia agrees in the main distinguishing characters 

 of thia valuable bone. The results of a paper of miuute detail, 

 great research, and happy combination, are thus summed up by the 

 Professor : 



" Thus we obtain evidence, from a few mutilated bones of the trunk 

 and extremities of a single representative of its race, that there once 

 existed in South America a Pachydermatous quadruped, not probos- 

 cidian, which equalled in stature the rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses 

 of the Old World. But this, though an interesting and hitherto 

 unsuspected fact, is far from being the sum of the information which 

 is yielded by these fossils. We have seen that the single ungueal 

 phalanx bespeaks a quadruped of the great series of Ungulata, and 

 this indication is corroborated by the condition of the radius and ulna, 

 which are fixed immoveably in the prone position. Now, in the 

 ungulated series there are but two known genera the Rhinoceros and 

 PaUeotherium which, like the quadruped in question, have only three 

 toes on the fore *bot. Again, in referring the MacraucJtenia to the 

 tridactyle family of Pachyderms, we find, towards the close of our 

 analysis, and by a detailed comparison of individual bones, that the 

 Macrauchenia has the closest affinity to the Palceotherium. But the 

 Pain u/htriuiii, like the Rhinoceros and Tapir, has the ulna distinct 

 from the radius, and the fibula from the tibia ; so that even if the 

 Parisian Pachyderm had actually presented the same peculiarities of 

 the cervical vertebrae as the Patagonian one, it "would have been 

 hazardous, to say the least, while ignorant of the dentition of the 

 latter, to refer it to the genus Palceotnerinm. 



" Most interesting indeed will be the knowledge, whenever the means 

 of obtaining it may arrive, of the structure of the skull and teeth in 

 the Macrauchenia. Meanwhile we cannot but recognise in the anchy- 

 losed and confluent state of the bones of the fore arm and leg a marked 

 tendency in it towards the Ruminant order, and the singular modifi- 

 cations of the cervical vertebra have enabled us to point out the 

 precise family of that order with which the Macrauchenia is more 

 immediately allied. In first demonstrating this relationship it was 

 shown in how many particulars the Camelidce, without losing the 

 essential characters of Rnminantia, manifested a tendency to the 

 Pachydermatous type; and the evidence which the lost genera, 

 Macrauchenia and Anoplotherium, bear to a reciprocal transition from 

 the Pachyderms to the Ruminants through the Camdldie, cannot but 

 be viewed with extreme interest by the zoologist engaged in the study 

 of the natural affinities of the animal kingdom." 



" The Macrauchenia is not less valuable to the geologist in reference 

 to the geographical distribution of animal forms. It is well known 

 how unlooked-for and unlikely was the announcement of the existence 

 of an extinct quadruped entombed in the Paris Basin, whose closest 

 affinities were to a genus (Tapirut), at that time regarded as exclu- 

 sively South American. Still greater surprise was excited when a 

 species of the genus JHdelphyt was discovered to have co-existed hi 

 Europe with the Palceotherium. Now, on the other hand, we find in 

 South America, besides the Tapir, which is closely allied to the 

 PaUeothere, and the Llama, to which the Anoplothere offers many 

 traces of affinity, the remains of an extinct Pachyderm, nearly akin 

 to the European genus Palceotherium ; and lastly this Macrauchenia 

 is itself in a remarkable degree a transitional form, and manifests 

 characters which connect it both with the Tapir and the Llama." 



(Zoology of (lie Voyage of II.M.S. Beagle, 1839.) 



MACROCEPHALI. [AMMONITES.] 



" MACROCHE'ILUS, a genus of Fossil Gasteropoda, proposed by 

 Professor Phillips (' Palaeozoic Fossils of Devon ') to include several 

 species which occur in the Devonian and Carboniferous strata. 



MACROCYSTIS, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Pucacea, and the tribe Laminaridce. The enormous fronds produced 

 by M. pyrifera have been spoken of by many navigators. They 

 appear to be from 500 to 1500 feet in length ; the leaves are long and 

 narrow, and at the base of each is a vesicle filled with air, without 

 which it would be impossible for the plant to support its enormous 

 length in the water, the stem not being thicker than the finger, and 

 the upper branches as slender as common pack-thread. This plant 

 was seen by Dr. Joseph Hooker in 61 S. lat., in large vegetating patches 

 wherever the water was free of icebergs. 



MACRODA'CTYLES, Cuvier's name for a family of Wading-Birds 

 (Echassiers) [GBALLATORES], which have very long feet, formed for 

 running over marshy or water plants, or even for swimming, especially 

 in those numerous species which have the feet fringed or bordered. 

 There is not however any membrane between the bases of their toes, 

 not even between those of the external ones. The bill, which is more 

 or IBM compressed on the sides, is lengthened or shortened according 

 to the genera, without however arriving at the fineness or weakness of 

 Cuvier'a preceding family. [LOHOIROSTHJSS.] The body of these birds 



is also singularly compressed, a conformation which is governed by 

 the narrowness of the sternum : their wings are moderate or short, 

 and their flight weak. The hind toe in all is rather long. Cuvier 

 observes that this family has been divided into two tribes, according 

 to the presence or absence of the spur on the whig ; but he adds that 

 this character is not without exceptions. The following genera are 

 arranged by Cuvier under this family, which terminates his order 

 Echassiers : Parra, Palamedea, (including Charina), Megapodiw, 

 Rallus, Fulica (including Gattinula and Porphyrio), Chionis, Forst. 

 (Vaginalis, Lath.), Glareola, Gm., Phcenicopterus. Cuvier's sixth 

 order, Palmipedes, immediately succeeds this family, which is some- 

 what heterogeneous, and composed of birds whose habits are not 

 similar. P/icenimpterus cannot be said to be without any membrano 



between the bases of the toes," &c., for its anterior toes are united 

 to the nails by a lunated membrane. [DUCKS : COLTMBID.E.] 



MACRODIPTERYX. [GOAT-SUCKERS.] 



MACRODITES. [FORAMINIFBRA.] 



MACROGLOSSA. [CHEIROPTERA.] 



MACRONYX. [ALAUDINS.] 



MACROPHTHALMUS. [QONOPLACIM.] 



MACROPIPER, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Piperacece. M. methysticwn, the Ava, is the most celebrated of the 

 narcotic Pepper-Worts. It has cordate acuminate many-nerved 

 leaves ; solitary axillary spikes, very ahort, pedunculated, and spreading. 

 The rhizoma is thick, woody, rugged, and aromatic. It is used in 

 tincture against chronic rheumatism. Macerated in water it forms an 

 intoxicating beverage, of which the Otahetians make use as a medicine ; 

 they make themselves drunk, after which very copious perspiration 

 comes on : this lasts three days, at the end of which time the patient 

 is cured. 



MACROPODIANS. [MACROPODIM.] 



MACROPO'DID^E, a tribe of Brachyurous Decapodous Onistacea, 

 being the first of the family of O.cyrhyncld (Milne-Edwards), and 

 nearly corresponding with the genus Macropus of Latreille, remark- 

 able for the enormous length of their feet, which has obtained for 

 them the name of Sea-Spiders and Spider-Crabs. 



Form of the carapace various, but in general triangular, very often 

 not extending upon the last thoracic ring ; the anterior feet short, 

 and nearly always very slender : those of the succeeding pairs always 

 more or less filiform ; the length of the second pair often nine or ten 

 times the length of the post-frontal portion of the carapace, and 

 always much exceeding the double of that portion ; the succeeding 

 feet in general very long also ; the basilary joint of the external 

 antenna; nearly always constitutes the major part of the lower wall 

 of the orbit, and proceeds to solder itself to the front. In the greater 

 portion of the tribe the third joint of the external jaw-feet is inclined 

 to oval or triangular, longer than it is wide, and does not support 

 the succeeding joint on its anterior and internal angle, as in the other 

 Oxyrhynchi. (Milne-Edwards.) 



The localities of the Macropodidce are considerable depths in the 

 sea, where they lie hid among the sea-weeds ; they are also found on 

 oyster-banks. They walk slowly and unsteadily. The weakness of 

 their claws must render them not formidable to other marine animals, 

 and the probability is that they live principally on Annelida, Planar M, 

 and small Molluscs. (Milne-Edwards). Several species of this family 

 have been exhibited in the Aquavivarium in Regent's Park, but like 

 other deep-sea creatures, they soon perish. For a short time they are 

 veiy lively, and the awkwardness of their gait and habits out of 

 water quite disappears when they are plunged in deep water. 



This tribe is sometimes called Leptopodiadce, after the genus 

 Leptopidia. 



Leptopodia (Leach), established at the expense of the genera Inachut 

 of Fabricius, and Macropus of Latreille. M. Milne-Edwards observes 

 that it is very remarkable for the general form of its body and the 

 excessive length of the feet; and states that it presents in an 

 exaggerated manner all the distinctive characters of the family and 

 of the tribe to which it belongs. 



It has the carapace nearly triangular, and not covering the last 

 ring of the thorax ; rostrum styliform and of enormous length ; eyes 

 large and not retractile ; internal antennse, when folded back, following 

 the longitudinal direction of the body; first joint of the external 

 antenna very long and completely confounded with the neighbouring 

 parts of the shell, the second inserted at a considerable distance in 

 front of the orbits and below the rostrum ; epistome much longer 

 than it is wide ; third joint of the jaw-feet nearly triangular, and 

 carrying at its external angle the succeeding joint, which is very much 

 developed. The sternal plastron as long as it is wide, but very much 

 narrowed between the first pair of feet, which are very slender and 

 extremely long, but less than any of the rest ; the length of those of 

 the second pair equals nine or ten times the length of the post-frontal 

 portion of the carapace; abdomen in both sexes composed of six 

 joints, of which the first, which is very much developed, and as long 

 as it is wide, occupies the dorsal surface of the body, while the last 

 is formed by the soldering of the sixth and seventh abdominal rings. 

 (Milne-Edwards.) 



The species are found on the coasts of America and of the Antilles, 

 as far as is at present known. 



L. lagittaria, Leach (Cancer seticornii, Herbst, ; Inachus sagittariui, 



