ONDATRA. 



ONOSMA. 



resists the water during the life of the animal, but is easily wetted 

 immediately after death. 



Mnsquanh (Gator Zibethievt). 



Charlevoix states that the Musk-Rat takes the field in March, at 

 which time its food consists of bits of wood, which it peels before it 

 eats them. After the dissolving of the snows he says that it lives 

 upon the roots of nettles, and afterwards on the stalks and leaves of 

 that plant. In summer it feeds on strawberries, &c., to which succeed 

 the autumnal fruits. During this time he states that the male and 

 female are rarely seen asunder. According to the same author they 

 separate in winter, when each takes up its lodgings apart in some 

 hole or in the hollow of a tree, without any provision ; and the Indians 

 declared that not the least morsel of anything is eaten by them whilst 

 the cold continues. " They likewise," adds Charlevoix, " build cabins 

 nearly in the form of those of the beavers, but far from being so well 

 executed. Ag to their place of abode, it is always by the water-side, 

 so that they have no need to build causeways. . . . The flesh is 

 tolerably good eating, except in the time of rut, at which season it is 

 impossible to cure it of a relish of musk, which is far from being as 

 agreeable to the taite as it is to the scent." 



The habitations of the Musquashes, and the mode. of hunting them, 

 are thus described by Sir John Richardson : " In the autumn, before 

 the shallow lakes and swamps freeze over, the Musquash builds its 

 house of mud, giving it a conical form, and a sufficient base to raise 

 the chamber above the water. The chosen spot is generally amongst 

 long grass, which is incorporated with the walls of the house, from 

 the mud being deposited amongst it ; but the animal does not appear 

 to make any kind of composition or mortar by tempering the mud and 

 grass together. There is however a dry bed of grass deposited in the 

 chamber. The entrance is under water. When ice forms over the 

 surface of the swamp the Musquash makes breathing holes through it, 

 and protects them from the frost by a covering of mud. In severe 

 winters however these holes freeze up in spite of their coverings, and 

 many of the animals die. It is to be remarked that the small grassy 

 lakes selected by the Musquash for its residence are never so firmly 

 frozen nor covered with such thick ice as deeper and clearer water. 

 The Indians kill these animals by spearing them through the walls of 

 their houses, making their approach with great caution, for the Mus- 

 quashes take to the water when alarmed by a sound on the ice. An 

 experienced hunter is go well acquainted with the direction of the 

 chamber and the position in which ita inmates lie, that ho can transfix 

 four or five at a time. As soon as, from the motion of the spear, it 

 is evident that the animal is struck, the house is broken down, and it 

 is taken out The principal seasons for taking the Musquash are 

 the autumn before the snow falls, and the spring after it has disap- 

 peared, but while the ice is still entire. In the winter time the depth 

 of snow prevents the houses and breathing-holes from being seen. 

 One of the first operations of the hunter is to stop all the holes with 

 the exception of one. at which he stations himself to spear the animals 

 that have escaped being struck in their houses, and come hither to 

 breathe. In the summer the Musquash burrows in the banks of the 

 lakes, making branched canals many yards in extent, and forming its 

 neat in a chamber at the extremity, in which the young are brought 

 forth. When ita house is attacked in the autumn it retreats to these 

 passages, but in the spring they are frozen up. The Musquash is a 

 watchful but not a very shy animal. It will come very near to a boat 

 or canoe, but dives instantly on perceiving the flash of a gun. It 

 may be frequently seen sitting on thn shores of small muddy islands 

 in a rounded form, and not easily to be distinguished from a piece of 

 earth, nnt.il on the approach of danger it suddenly plunges into the 

 water. In the act of diving, when surprised, it gives a smart blow to 

 the water with its tail." 



Sir John Richardson records three varieties besides that above 

 described : 



1. The Black Musquash, rare. 



2. The Pied Musquash, with dark blackish-brown patches on a 

 white ground. 



3. The White Musquash (Fiber Zibethicw-albus, Sabine). This 

 albino is not unfrequent. 



According to Hearue, the Musquash is easily tamed, soon becomes 

 attached, and is cleanly and playful. 



The fur is used in hat-making, and upwards of one million of shins 

 are imported into this country every year. 



ONION. [ALLIUM.] 



ONISCIA. [EXTOMOSTOMATA.1 



ONISCODA. [ISOPODA.] 

 ONISCUS. [ISOPODA.] 



ONOBRY'CHIS (from &vos, an ass, and /3pux<", to gnash the teeth), a 

 genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Leguminosie. It has a 

 calyx with 5 nearly equal subulate teeth; the keel obliquely trun- 

 cate, longer than the wings; the pod 1-eelled, compressed, iudehiscent, 

 1-seeded, upper suture straight, lower curved, toothed, wingeil or 

 crested. The species of this genus are natives of Europe or Asia, 

 with unequally pinnate leaves, and axillary elongated pedicles having 

 spikes of flowers red or white at their tops. The rnoat common, as 

 well as only British species is 0. saliva, Common Sainfoin. [SAINFOIN, 

 in ARTS AND Sc. Div.] About forty other species have been described, 

 but none of them possess useful properties. Many are showy plants 

 when in bloom, and are adapted for flower-borders or rockwork. They 

 may be propagated by seeds. (Babington, Manual of British Botany.) 

 O'.N'U.N'IS (from 6ms, an ass, and unyti, to delight, some of the 

 species being said to be grateful to asses), a genus of Plants belonging 

 to the natural order Leguminosa;. It has a 5-cleft campauulate calyx, 

 narrow segments, the lower ones longer. The keel is beaked, the style 

 filiform and ascending, the stigma terminal and subcapitate. 



0. arvcniis, Trailing Rest-Harrow, has a procumbent uniformly hairy 

 stem, axillary stalked solitary flowers, broadly oblong leaflets, ovate 

 pods shorter than the calyx. It is usually without spines. The stems 

 root at their base, and the seeds are tubercular and scabrous. 



0. anliquorum has an erect or ascending stem, bigariously hairy ; 

 axillary solitary stalked flowers, oblong leaflets, and ovate erect pods 

 longer than the calyx. It is doubted by many botanists as to this 

 being the true 0. antiyuorum. Koch and Reichenbach both describe 

 quite a different plant, with smooth seeds. 



0. redinata has a viscid pubescent stem, axillary flowers with ouc- 

 flowered pedicels shorter than the leaf-flower, a pod without bracts, 

 the corolla about equal to the calyx, obovate cuncate leaflets serrated 

 at the lip, ovate stipules, and cylindrical reflexed pods. It is found in 

 sandy places in Galloway and the Channel Isles, and in the south of 

 France by the sea coast. 



There are 107 species of this genus described, but none of them are 

 used in medicine or the arts. They are chiefly natives of Europe ; about 

 twelve species are found in Africa, and a few on the coast of Asia. 

 (Babington, Manual of British Botany.) 



ONOPORDUM, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Compoiita. It has a honeycombed receptacle, a 4 -ribbed fruit, and an 

 mbricated involucre, with simple spinous pointed scales. 



0. Acant/iium, Cotton-Thistle, has an erect many-headed stem, 

 elliptic oblong leaves, woolly on both sides; serrate, spinous, and 

 decurrent; the outer involucral scales lanceolate, subulate, recurved, 

 and spreading. The stem is from 4 to 5 feet high; woolly, with 

 aroad spinous wings ; the involucre nearly globose, Urge, and somewhat 

 cottony ; the scales fringed with spinous teeth ; the florets are purple. 

 This plant is found on waste ground in Great Britain and Spain. 

 Another name for the same species is Wild Artichoke, or Alcachofa 

 of the Spaniards, on account of the fleshy receptacle being once culti- 

 vated as an esculent vegetable. The expressed juice of this plaut is 

 said by Lller to be a serviceable application to cancer of the breast, 

 and to cleanse foul ulcers ; and a decoction of the root, which is 

 astringent, has been used to restrain discharges from the mucous 

 membranes. The seeds are oleiferous ; and M. Durand reports, as the 

 result of experiments, that 22 Ibs. of onopordum heads will yield 

 12 Ibs. of seeds, from which 3 Ibs. of oil fit for burning may bo extracted 

 y heat. 



(Babingtou, Manual of British. Botany; Burnett, Outlines of Botany.) 



ONOSMA (from foos, an ass, and 6ff^, smell ; grateful to the ass), 



genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Boraginacece. It has a 



i-parted calyx, a tubularly campauulate corolla, and a naked throat. 



The anthers are sagittate, and connected together by the bases of the 



obes. The nuts are ovate, strong, and fixed to the bottom of the calyx, 



unperforated at the base. The species are small scabrous canescent 



>lants, with crowded lanceolate or linear leaves, and terminal racemes 



of large yellow secund and usually drooping flowers. 



0. Emodi has lanceolate triple-nerved leaves, less hairy beneath, 

 .erminal solitary racomes, linear bracts, not half so long as the flowers; 

 ,he calyx is 5-cornered with ovate segments, a ventricose 5-keeled 

 corolla contracted towards tho mouth, and the anthers longer than 

 the filaments. It is a native of Nopaul, in Gosaingsthau, where it is 

 called by the natives Maharauga. The root is branched, of a dark 

 mrple colour, and is used in dyeing. 



