MALVACEAE. 



MAMMALIA. 



612 



any kind of rich soil, and cuttings of them will strike root freely if 

 planted in light soil underneath a hand-glass. The greenhouse species 

 may be propagated in the same manner. The hardy perennial kinds 

 should be planted in the open border, and may be propagated either 

 by seed or by dividing the roots. 



(Don, Dichla mydeous Plants ; Babington, Manual of British Botany!) 

 MALVA'CE^E, Mallowworts, are a large natural order of Exo- 

 genous Plants, the distinguishing marks of which are polypetalous 

 flowers, monadelphous stamens, unilocular anthers, and a valvate 

 calyx. They alscv have alternate leaves, the hairiness of which, if 

 present, is usually stellate ; and conspicuous stipules. A large pro- 

 portion of the order consists of herbaceous or annual plants, inhabiting 

 all the milder parts of the world, but much the most plentiful in 

 hot countries, where alone a comparatively small number of species 

 become trees. In many cases they are remarkable for the large size 

 and beautiful colours of their flowers, which are however fugitive, 

 expanding for a single day only ; but the great number of them and the 

 regularity of their succession during the flowering season make this 

 of little importance. Among the very numerous species several are of 

 essential service to man. As emollients they are well known in 

 medical practice, the Marsh-Mallow (Althcea officinalis) being one of the 

 most useful among this kind of remedial substances, and a large propor- 

 tion of the whole order being capable of supplying its place. [ALTHAEA.] 

 The hairy covering of the seeds of the various species of Gostypium forms 

 the raw cotton so important to our manufacturers. [GossYPiOM.] Malva 

 trlcuspidata is used by the negroes in the West Indies as a substitute for 

 soap. [MALTA.] The seeds of Hibiscus abelmoschus are warm and musky, 

 and are employed in perfumery as a substitute for musk ; those of 

 H. etcultntui form the ochra, so much used in hot countries as a 

 mucilaginous ingredient in soups. A few species are acid, especially 

 11. yibdariffa. Finally the tenacious fibres procured from the inner bark 

 of many kinds of Malvaceous Plants form a good description of cordage. 

 [HIBISCUS.] II. dams and //. tiliacem, and several kinds of Sida, are 

 principally used for this purpose. [SlDA.] The order is related to 

 Sterculiacca and JJyllneriaeetr. There are 37 genera and 1000 species. 



liossyitiiim IrieulpUnliim. 

 1, a section of a corolla, ycith adhering monadelphoug stamens. 



The only modern systematical account of the genera and species o 

 (be order \* to be found in the first volume of De Caudolle's 

 ' I'roilromus;' tut the genera have been since constructed upon 

 principles so much more precise, and the number of species has beei 

 o very considerably increased, that this enumeration is of little use 

 at present. There is a good account of Indian species in Wight anc 

 Arnott'a ' Prodromus Flora Peninsula; India Orientals ;' of Brazilian 



SCAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. HI. 



pecies in Augusta de St. Hilaire's 'Flora Brazilise Meridionalis ;' and 

 if Mexican kinds many are described in the various volumes of the 

 Linnsea.' A few African species are also to be found in Guillemiu 

 and Perrottet's ' Flora Senegambias,' vol. i. 



MAMMA'LIA, MAMMALS, a term employed by Linnaeus to 



lesignate those animals which suckle their young, and which seems 



ireferrible to the term Mammiferes generally used by the French 



zoologists. Mammals are vertebrated animals whose blood is red and 



warm, and whose system of circulation is double ; whose frctus, ill 



most species, is nourished in titero by means of a placenta; whose 



'oung, when born at the proper period, give signs of life at their 



lirth, and are, in a state of nature, afterwards fed with milk secreted 



by the mammfe of the mother [MAMMARY GLANDS], till they are old 



enough to procure their food, or to have it supplied from other sources. 



"Linnteus, who makes the Mammalia the first class of the Animal 



iingdom, gives the following definition : Heart with two auricles 



and two ventricles ; blood warm, red ; lungs respiring reciprocally ; 



aws incumbent, covered : armed with teeth in most ; penis intrans, 



viviparas, lactiferas ; senses tongue, nostrils, eyes, ears, papillie 



touch) ; covering hairs, &c. ; support (fulcra) four feet, except in 



,hose which are entirely aquatic, in which the posterior feet are bound 



ogether (compedes) into the fin of the tail ; a tail in most. 



This class Linnaeus divides into orders, principally resting on the 

 sasis of dentition. His name for the incisor teeth is Primores ; for 

 the canine or cuspidate teeth, Laniarii ; and for the back or grinding 

 teeth, Molares. 



The orders, which are six in number, are comprised in three 

 sections, depending on the nature of the extremities: 1. The 

 Unguiculata, containing the orders Bmta, Glires, Primates, and Ferce. 

 2. The Ungulata, comprising the Belluce and Pecora. 3. The Mntica, 

 consisting of the order Cele (Whales) only. 



1. The Primates consist of the genera JJomo, Simia, Lemur, and 

 Vespertilio. 2. The Bruta comprise the genera Elephas, Trichechus, 

 Bradypus, Myrmecophaya, Manis, and Dasypits. 3. Under the Ferce 

 are arranged the genera Phoca, Canis, Fells, Virerra, Mustela, Ursus, 

 Didelphit, Talpa, Sorex, and Erinaceus. 4. The Glires embrace the 

 ;enera Hystrix, Lepm, Castor, Mus, Sciurus, and Noclilio. 5. The 

 Pecora comprehend the genera Camelus, Moschus, Cervus, Capra, Oi'is, 

 and Bos. 6. To the Belluce belong the genera Eyuus, Hippopotamus, 

 Sus, and Rhinoceros. 7. Under the order Cete are arranged the genera 

 Monodon, Balcena, Physeter, and Delphinwi. 



The following Table exhibits the geographical distribution of the 

 species of Mammalia contained in the collection of the British Museum, 

 one of the most extensive collections in the world : 



PRIMATF.S. 

 Simia dtp . 

 CMda 



Lemuridtz , 

 Gnleopitliccidft . 



Feliila 

 Urridte . 

 Talpidif . 

 Macropidte 

 Phocidtx . 



CETE. 



Baltrnida 



Manatidte 

 Halicoridtf . 

 Jtyteiiadtr , 



Gums. 

 Muridts 

 Ifyitricida; . 

 Leporldte , . 

 Jerboida . 

 Aspaiacidte . 



UKGUI.ATA. 

 Borida; . . 



llrtidypidce 

 Total 



" The extent of the collection," says Dr. J. E. Gray, "in each of 



