AUTO 



MARANTA. 



. and .VoiUu. The species of UK fint of these three 

 ffnn r readily distinguished by than being only three joint* to 

 UM posterior tani. there being 6re joint* to the Urai in all the species 

 comprised in the remaining two gran*. In tba genus Ertmiajhila, 

 UM palpi are obtaasly pointed, and the head in partially enveloped in 

 the thorax ; the two posUrior pain of legs are long and slender, and 

 UM thigh* are sometime* terminated by a small apine ; the penulti- 

 mate segment of the abdomen ia furnished with two spines in the 

 female*. The elytra and wing* are always very short The genus 

 Mo* tit (as now restricted) is distinguished from the hut by the bead 

 being free, the palpi very slender and almost pointed, and the wings 

 as long aa the body, or nearly so ; the penultimate segment of the 

 abdomen ia never furnished with spines. 



The Maniidrr are found in all warm countries, are exceedingly 

 numerous, and remarkable for the grotesque forms which they usually 

 assume. Their resemblance to a portion of a plant is often so great, 

 that it is only by their motions they can be discovered. The names It. 

 nUyiatu, M. prtemria, If. tone/a. Praying Mantis, to. have been applied 

 to certain species on account of a peculiarity in their habits that of 

 noting the thorax at an angle with the body, and placing together 

 the Urge fore legs, like the hands of a person when at prayer; in this 

 position they will sometimes remain perfectly motionless for several 

 hour*. Their food consists of flies and other insects, which they are 

 exceedingly dexterous in catching by means of their fore legs ; the 

 prey is held by the fore leg by bending back the tibia against the 

 lemur ; the opposing surfaces of these two portions of the legs being 

 covered with spines, enables them to retain their prey in this manner, 

 and to convey it to the month. 



The eggs are deposited by the female ifantii upon plants, and are 

 covered by a glutinous substance, which soon becomes hard and forma 

 a kind of case, in which they are arranged in a symmetrical manner. 

 The form of the case varies according to the species. The young, 

 when batched, resemble the parents, except in size and in being 

 destitute of wings. 



Mania gonyylodtt has been selected to illustrate a common form 

 of the insects of the present family. This species inhabits the East 

 Indies, and when alive is most probably of a green colour. The 

 female is about 4 inches, and the male is about 3J inches in length. 



Linnscut. 



MANTIS. [MASTIDJS.] 



MANUCODK. [BIRDS or PARADISE.] 



MAPLE. [Act*.] 



MARABOU. [CICOXIA.] 



MAKAXTA, a genui of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Haraxlacta. The root-stock is white, horizontal, annulated, from 

 which proceed root-fibres, some of which swell into tubers and become 

 jointed stocks, similar to the rhizoina, but covered with scales. These 

 often elongate, curve upwards, and rUin.- out of the ground become 

 new plants. Tba stem is 2 or 3 feet high, much branched, slender, 

 finely hairy, tumid at the joints ; leaves alternate, with long leafy 

 hairy shsaths, ovate-lanceolate ; panicles terminal, lax, spreading, 

 with long linear sheathing bracts at the ramifications ; calyx green 

 and smooth ; corolla white, small, unequal, ouu of the inner segments 

 in the form of a lip; anther attached to the petal-like fikuu-tit; 



style hooded, petal-shaped; ovary 8-celled, smooth ; stigma 8-slded ; 

 fruit even, dry, 1 -seeded. 



M. armidinaeea yields the arrow-root of commerce, but it is also 

 procured in Urge quantities from a variety of closely-allied, and even 

 many distinct, plants. Thus the Surinam and Bermuda arrow-root is 

 the produce of the Hf. arnndinaera, wbila the Jamaica arrow-root is 

 obtained from the Jf. Indira (Tunao) ; which plant, along with several 

 Curcuma*, yields also the East Indian arrow-root. The West Indian 

 arrow-root boa mostly a pure white colour, tbo East Indian a yellow 

 tinge. 



The tubers, root-stocks, or offsets, are grated or brused, and 

 repeatedly washed with water, which is passed through a fine hair- 

 sieve, so long u it runs off with a milky appearance. It is allowed 

 to subside, the supernatant water drained off, and the powder dried : 

 100 parts of the fresh plant yield 10 parts of arrow-root; but Beiizon 

 states 100 parts to yield 23 or 26 parts. 



According to the analysis of this chemist it consists of 

 Volatile Oil . 0'07 



Starch 



Vegetable Albumen 



Gummy Extract . 



Chloride of Calcium, insoluble fibre 



Water . 



M-00 



1-58 

 0-60 

 6-00 





The volatile oil imparts a Blight odour to the solution in warm 

 water, which helps to distinguish genuine arrow-root from several of 

 the articles substituted for it Arrow-root has scarcely any taste, 

 being bland and insipid ; the powder, when pressed in the hand, emits 

 a crackling noise, and retains the impression of the fingers, which 

 common starch from wheat does not Cassava (Manioc, from Jatropha, 

 or Janipha Manihot) also retains the impression of the fingers, but it 

 has more odour and a somewhat acrid taste. 



Canna Indira. 



1, a flower with the ralvx and petals cut off, the pctalold, itamen, and style 

 alone remaining. 2, a upiulc. 



The menls of any cereal grain may cisily be distinguished from 

 arrow-root by the nitrogen which they contain, and the aminoniacal 

 products which they yield hy distillation. Potato-starch is however 

 most frequently used to adulterate arrow-root, or as a substitute for 

 it Microscopic observation of the form and size of the grains will 

 point out the difference, as first indicate! by Uanpail (' Annnlos drs 

 Sciences Nat.,' t. vi.), those of arrow-root bi ing nmallur; the different 

 habitudes of the ttarch with rcagcutg will also do this. (See 



