877 



MOMORDICA. 



MONESES. 



878 



France, Germany, and America ; more especially however in Saxony 

 and Bohemia. It contains, according to Bucholz, 60 parts of molyb- 

 denum and 40 of sulphur. 



Molybdenum combines, as already noticed, with oxygen, and forms 

 two oxides and one acid ; but these we have not thought it requisite 

 to describe, any more than its other compounds, for it is not used in 

 any form whatever. 



Molybdate of Lead occurs native. [LEAD.] 



MOMORDICA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Cucurbitacece. The flowers are moncecious, yellow or white ; the 

 staminiferous flowers have a 6-cleft calyx, with a very short tube, a 

 5-parted corolla, tridelphous stamens, with connate anthers ; the pro- 

 tilliferous flowers have three sterile filaments, the styles bifid, the 

 ovary 3-celled ; the fruit opens with elasticity when ripe ; the seeds 

 compressed, reticulated. 



M. Elateriuin, Linnaeus (Ecbalium, Elateum, Prichard), the Wild or 

 Squirting Cucumber. The plant is hispid, scabrous, glaucous; the 

 stem prostrate, without tendrils ; the leaves cordate, somewhat lobed, 

 crenate-toothed, very rugose, on long stalks ; the ripe fruit is about 

 two inches long, roundish, muricate, green, and fleshy ; possessing the 

 power of ejecting, along with a mucilaginous greenish juice, the com- 

 pressed ovate smooth seeds ; on which account it is called the Squirting 

 Cucumber. The juice has an extremely bitter taste, and even in very 

 small quantity acts violently as a hydrogogue cathartic, producing 

 numerous watery stools. It owes its power to an acrid and drastic 

 bitter extractive, to which the name of Elaterin has been given. This 

 is soluble in alcohol, ether, and fat oils, but scarcely soluble in water 

 or dilute alkalies or acids, while strong acids destroy it. 



The very minute dose which is required of Elaterin recommends 

 it in many cases a^ a remedy in dropsy, especially ascites, but few 

 persons can bear the violence of its action for any considerable time ; 

 two or three days should always be allowed to elapse before repeating 

 the dose. It is apt to cause vomiting as well as purging, and a dose 

 of even a quarter of a grain may produce such extreme action as to 

 sink the patient into a state of alarming debility. It grows wild in 

 the south of Europe, and is cultivated in England. The Elaterin was 

 known to the ancients ; it is & "Ayptos 2i/ci/os of Theophrastus and 

 Uioscorides. It is the Cucumut tylvestrii of Pliny. It was much 

 employed by Hippocrates. 



if. Balsimina, Linmeus, is supposed to be the plant Neuroipcrma 

 ctupidata by Hafinesque, the fruit of "which is stated to be a dangerous 

 poison. 



if. operculata, Linnaeus, has 5 -lobed toothed leaves; elliptical 

 angular tuberculated fruit, with a deciduous rostrum-like lid, green, 

 dry internally, and divided into 3 cells by a plexus of entangled 

 fibres; seeds compressed, black. This plant is a native of South 

 America, and is common on the coast of Essequibo. It is one of the 

 bitterest of all known substances. 



(Lindley, Flora Medica; Fraaa, Synopsis Flora: Clalsica.) 



MOMOT, or MOTMOT, the common name for the species of 

 Birds belonging to the genus Prionita, Illiger. This genus has the 

 following characters: Both mandibles slightly curved and com- 

 pressed ; the margins with strong denticulations. Tongue long, 

 slender ; the sides ciliated. Wings short, rounded. Tail lengthened, 

 cuneated. Feet gressorial, as in Merops. (Sir.) 



Mr. Swainson (' Classification of Birds ') remarks that every writer 

 since the days of Linnaeus (who at first actually classed them in the 

 same genus) has placed the Motmots (Prionita) and the Toucans 

 (Rampliatto) close together, not only from the similarity of their 

 habits, but from the structure of the tongue, which in both is" long, 

 and so much ciliated at its sides as to resemble a feather ; so far there- 

 fore, he observes, the resemblance is unquestionable. " But," con- 

 tinues Mr. Swainson, "the feet of the Motmot are totally different 

 from the Toucan ; they are not scansorial, but of that particular 

 structure so common among the Pisslrostra. The Toucans, we know, 

 from personal observation, to be gregarious, living in flocks, and seek- 

 ing their food from the tops of lofty trees ; the Motmot is solitary, 

 hiding in the deep shades of the forests, and, like other air-feeding 

 birds, is always found sitting nearly motionless. Here then is a very 

 obvious departure from the structure and habits of the Toucan. The 

 question then is, to what does it lead ? If to the Hornbills (which 

 has been inferred from the structure of the feet), we should have no 

 diminution in the size of the bill, which in both the Hornbills and 

 Toucans is equally large, but in the Motmot of an ordinary and pro- 

 portionate size : we should further expect a bird which was gregarious, 

 since both these groups are so. Yet there is nothing in the Motmot, 

 beyond its feet, which will at all assimilate it to the Perchers ; while 

 its fissirostral habit of catching its food upon the wing, and the dis- 

 covery of the broad-billed species, Priorities plalyrhtjnclim, seems to 

 us a conclusive argument for placing this genus in the fissirostral 

 order, as more intimately connected to the Jacamars (Galbula) 

 [HALCYOMD-E] than to any other known genus." 



P. Hejxcanut is green above, paler beneath ; head and neck above 

 crimson , ears black, varied, and tipped with bright-blue stripes ; belly 

 white. (Sw.) 



Mr. Swainson ('Zool. 111.') states that the Motmots, or Momots, " so 

 named from their monotonous note, live only in the tropical forests of 

 the New World, preferring those deep recesses of perpetual shade 



where a high canopy of matted foliage nearly excludes the rays of a 

 vertical sun. They appear even more solitary in their disposition than 

 the Trogons ; their note may be heard, morning and evening, from the 

 depths of the forests, but the bird is never seen, unless the hunter 

 comes unexpectedly upon its retreat. This we have generally found 

 to be a low withered branch completely shaded and just at the edge 

 of such paths as are made by the Cavies or the Indians. The Jacamars 

 and the Trogons both love these shady nooks, where they sit nearly 

 motionless, watching for passing insects, on which they dart. Such is 

 no doubt the manner in which the Motmot feeds ; but his strong con- 

 formation enables him to capture larger game. Travellers assert that 

 he also devours the eggs and young of other birds, like the Toucans ; 

 this we believe, as both have the same long and feather-like tongue." 



frionila Mexicantis. 



Dr. G. R. Gray makes the Monwlince, a sub-family of the Todid<~., 



consist of the genus Crypticus, Sw. (Momotits, Leadb. ; Prionitet, Sw.), 

 and the genus Moinotiu, Briss. (Buryphonus, Yieill. ; Prionlles, 111. ; 

 Momota, Shaw ; Kamphuttoi, Linn.) 



MONAS. [INFUSORIA.] 



MONASITE, or MONAZITE, a Mineral with tha following com- 

 position : 



Oxide of Cerium 26'00 



Oxide of Lanthanum . . . . 23'40 



Thoria 17'95 



Phosphoric Acid 28'50 



Oxide of Tin 2'10 



Protoxide of Manganese 1'90 



Lime . 170 



-101-55 



It occurs in modified oblique prisms. It has a perfect and brilliant 

 basal cleavage. It is only found in small imbedded crystals. It has 

 a brown or brownish-red colour ; subtransparent, or nearly opaque. 

 The lustre vitreous, inclining to resinous. It is found near Platoust 

 in Russia. 



MONASSA, Vieillot's name for a genus of Birds (Hermit Birds of 

 Swainson and others). [HALCYONIDJE.] ' 



MONESES (from ju<Ws, sole, or alone), a genus of Plants belonging 

 to the natural order Ericaoeue and the tribe Pyrolece. It has a 5-toothed 

 calyx; 5-lobed corolla ; 10 inclined stamens; the anthers dehiscing at 

 the base by two holes, the cells elongated and tubular ; the stigma 

 5-toothed; the capsule 5-celled; the valves dehiscing from the apex, 

 destitute of torneiitum. There is but one species of this genus, 

 M. grandiflora. It has a creeping root ; large solitary terminal droop- 

 ing open white flowers, nearly an inch broad ; very large stigmas. It 

 is a native of Europe, Asia, and North America, iu Alpine mossy 



