MF.RCURY. 



MKRLANOUS. 



779 



Jfatirt Mrreitry. This occurs in but few placet, cod is met with 

 in small crack* or crevices of the rock* in which the common ore 

 occur*, and is frequently accompanied by rod silver. 



The principal localities are Almaden in Spain, and Idria in Camiola ; 

 some U al*o met with in the Palatinate, 



CUoridt o/ Mercury (Horn Mercury; Baumerile ; Muriate o/ 

 Mtrenry) Occurs crystallised and in tubercular crust*. Primary form 

 a square prism. Clearage parallel to the lateral faces and the diagonal 

 plane* of the primary form; the latter are the more brilliant 

 Fracture conchoid*! Hardness 1-0 to 2'0. Readily scratched with 

 the knife. Colour pearl-gray, or yellowish-gray. Lustre adamantine. 

 Translucent Specific gravity 6-482. 



Heated by the blow-pipe, it is entirely volatilised, and it yields by 

 analysis 



Chlorine 14-89 



Mercury 85-11 



100 



It occurs principally at Moschelandnberg in Deux Fonts, but it in 

 also met with in Spain, Bohemia, and the Palatinate, 



Cinnabar; Vermilion; Bitulphuret of Mercury. This is the com- 

 mon ore of the metal. Occurs crystallised and massive. Primary 

 form of the crystal an acute rhomboid. Cleavage easy, parallel to 

 the lateral faces of a regular hexahedral prism. Fracture conchoidal. 

 Hardness 2*0 to 2-5. Colour carmine red. Lustre adamantine, 

 approaching metallic. Opaque, translucent, transparent Specific 

 gravity 8-098. 



Heated by tbe blow-pipe, whitens a piece of copper held over it 

 Unncted upon by nitric or hydrochloric acid, but readily by a mixture 

 of them. 



It occurs in the places which have been mentioned ; as Almaden, 

 Idria, 4c. 



Massive Varieties amorphous. Structure granular/compact Fibrous 

 and pulverulent 



The following ia an analysis by Klaproth 



Sulphur 14-25 



Mercury 85'00 



99-25 



This compound ia often made for use in the arts, especially by the 

 colour-makers. 



Native Amalgam Occurs crystallised and massive. Primary form 

 a cube. Cleavage indicating the form of a rhombic dodecahedron. 

 Fracture conchoidal. Hardness 3-0 to 3-5. Scratches gypsum ; is 

 scratched by fluor-spar. Colour silver white. Lustre bright metallic. 

 Opaque. Specific gravity 14-119. 



When heated by the blow-pipe, the mercury is volatilised, and the 

 silver remains in the metallic state. 



The following are the analyses by Klaproth and Cordier 



Klaproth. Cortlier. 



Mercury 64 7'2'5 



Silver 36 27 5 



100 100-0 



Mauive Variety amorphous. Structure compact Sometimes 

 semi-fluid by mixture with excess of mercury. Found in France, 

 Spain, Sweden, Hungary, the Palatinate, &c. 



Iodide of Mercury Occurs in spots of a One lemon-yellow colour in 

 the variegated sandstone of Casas Viejas, Mexico. When exposed 

 either to the air or ammonia it become* black. 



Selenide of Mercury is a dark steel-gray ore, which is wholly evapo- 

 rated before the blow-pipe. It occurs in Mexico near San Onofre. 



MEKCUKY, Herb. [MERCURtAUS.] 



MI.KOAN8ER. [Due**.] 



MEROELLUS. [Dcciu.] 



MKIIOULUS. [AUK.] 



MEROUS. [Dues*.] 



MERIDION. (puTOMACEi.1 



MEIUONKS. [Uranus,] 



MERLANGUS, a genus of Fishes belonging to the family Oadidtt. 

 It is distinguished from the genus Morrhua, to which the Cod-FUh 

 belong", by the absence of the barbule at the cliin. [MoRRRCA.1 



M. rulgari*(Gadui rulyarii, Linnmus), Hie Wbiting. This fish is well 

 known for tbe excellence and delicacy of its flesh. The pearly whiteness 

 <>f iu flaky muscle*, added to it* extreme lightness as an article of 

 food, recommend it particularly to invalids as an article of diet It is 

 caught in great abundance all round our coast, and may be traced from 

 tbe Orkneys to Cape Clear. Whitings of several pounds weight have 

 been caught as far north as the Dogger Bank ; they have also been 

 taken of nearly equal size on the coast of Cornwall, and on the Nymph 

 JUuk along the extended line of the south coast of Ireland. In that 

 country they have also been found on the eastern oosst, from Water- 

 ford to Antrim, and from thence north and west as far as Lough Foyle. 

 Tbe iil, in;; for Whiting with lines is pursued nearly all the year 

 through, but the fish is most plentiful in the month* of January and 

 February, when it come* in large shoals towards shore for the purpose 

 of depositing it* spawn, and is taken in abundance within half a mile 

 and reldom exceeding three mile* from land. Tbe whiting is a vora- 

 cious feeder, ud seize* indiscriminately Molliuca, worms, email 



Oruttacta, and young fishes. Though occasionally occurring in tbe 

 London market of three or four pounds weight the most usual size is 

 from 12 to 16 inches in length, and weighing about one pound and a 

 half. The body of the Whiting, like the bodies of thoie belonging to 

 this division, is longer for its depth than that of the Cod-Fish ; the 

 scale* small, oval, and deciduous ; the lateral line dark and straight 

 posteriorly, but rising gradually throughout the anterior half; the 

 head elongated ; the mouth and gape large, the tongue white and 

 smooth ; the upper part of the head and the back above the lateral 

 line pale reddish ash-brown ; side* and belly silvery white ; pectoral, 

 caudal, and dorsal fins pale brown ; ventral and anal fins almost white, 

 the pectoral fins each with a decided dark patch at the base. 



M. cUbut (Oadui albut, Risso), Couch'* Whiting. It is mentioned by 

 M. Risso, in his volume on the ' Ichthyology of Nice,' published in 

 1810, but was not caught in the British seas until 1840 by Mr. Couch. 

 His description U as follows: "Length 15 inches; the depth in a 

 straight line 24 inches ; from the base of the first dorsal fin to the 

 vent along the curve, 3 inches ; from the mouth to the edge of the 

 gill-covers S inches ; from the same to the anterior edge of the eye 

 one inch ; the eye large, the form a perpendicular oval ; under jaw the 

 longest ; the upper maxillary bone terminal, the snout receding from 

 it backward, contrary to the form of tbe Whiting, in which .the upper 

 jaw is under a projection. The general form of the body resemble* 

 that of the Whiting, but rather more slender ; the back rounded as if 

 the specimen was plump, thus showing its slender form not to be the 

 result of emaciation. The distinctions between this fish and the Whiting 

 are obvious, in the jaws, fins, lateral line, colour, and vertebrae." 



M. carbonariui (Gadui carbonariut, Linnaeus), the Coal-Fish. This 

 is decidedly a northern fish, but being a hardy species, is not without 

 considerable range to the southward. It was the only fish found by Lord 

 Mulgrave on the shores of Spitsbergen, and the fry, only 4 or 5 inches 

 long, were caught with the trawl-net on tbe west coast of Davis's Strait, 

 during the first voyage of Captain Sir E. Parry. It is found on the 

 coast of the United States. It abounds in all the northern seas, and 

 in the Baltic, and may be said to swarm in the Orkneys, where the 

 fry all the months of summer and autumn are the great support of the 

 poor. As an article of food it ia more prized when small than when 

 of large size. The flesh of specimens weighing from 15 to 20 Ibs. is 

 usually dried or salted. This fish has more provincial names than any 

 other species, some of which only refer to it when of a particular size. 

 Among the Scotch islands the Coal-Fish is called Sillock, Piltock, 

 Cooth or Ruth, Harbin, Cudden, Sethe, Sey, and Gray Lord. In 

 Edinburgh and about the Forth the young are called Podleys ; at New- 

 castle the fry are called Coalsey, and when 12 inches long Poodler*. 

 The Coal-Fish may be traced on the Irish coast from Waterford along 

 the eastern shore to Belfast When detained and well-fed in a salt- 

 water pond they attain a large size, and are very bold and voracious. 

 The head and body are elegantly shaped ; the scales small and oblong; 

 the lateral line silvery white and nearly straight ; the upper part of 

 the head and back above the lateral line almost black, much lighter 

 in colour below the line, becoming grayish-white with golden reflec- 

 tions on the sides and belly ; pectoral, caudal, and dorsal fins bluish- 

 black ; ventral and anal fins grayish-white ; the upper jaw rather the 

 shortest, the lips tinged with purple red, the mouth black, the teeth 

 very small, the irides silvery white, the pupil blue. 



M. J'ollachiiu (Oadui PoUaehiui, Linnxus), the Pollack. This fish is 

 much less abundant on some parts of the coast than the Coal- Fish, 

 but like that species is an inhabitant of the seas all round our shores. 

 The fish is called Lythe in Scotland, but whether from it* supple 

 pliant activity, or from ' lithos,' a stone, in reference to its living among 

 the rooks, is not decided. The Pollack is caught at Hustings and 

 Weymouth, also in Devonshire, where it is sometimes sold as Whiting. 

 When only 12 or 14 inches long it possesses a considerable portion of 

 the flavour and delicacy of that fish. It is also caught along the Irish 

 coatt under the names of Pollack, Laith, and Lythe. The body is 

 elongated ; the upper part of the head and bock above the lateral line 

 olive brown, the sides dull silvery white mottled with yellow, and in 

 young fish spotted with dull red ; the lateral line dusky, curved over 

 the length of the pectoral fin, then descending and passing in a 

 straight line to the tail ; the dorsal fins and tail brown ; the pectoral 

 and anal fins edged and tinged with reddish-orange. 



M. vifent (Gadut vireni, Linnicus), the Green-Cod. This fish was 

 first added to the list of British fishes by Sir Robert Cullum, and if a 

 distinct species, as some doubt it, is not only abundant, but has an 

 extensive range. It is mentioned as an inhabitant of the northern 

 seas by Linuicus and others, and is taken on the coast of Scotland, the 

 Isle of Man, and on the Cornish coast By some it is thought to be 

 the young of tbe Coal-Fish, and by others ns the young of the Pollack. 

 The northern naturalists, who have opportunities of making constant 

 comparison between this -fish and the Coal-Fish from the abundance 

 of both, consider them as distinct species. It seems to combine in 

 ittelf the colouring of the Pollack, with some of the peculiarities of the 

 Coal-Fish, but appears also to be deeper for its length than either, 

 though if the young of a large species, judging by analogy, that would 

 not be the case. The subject in its present state is open to investiga- 

 tion, and invites the attention of those who are so located as to be 

 able to obtain examples of both. 



(Yarrell, Brilith fiika.) 



