MAIDEN PLUM -MALACOLOGY. 



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BerberidecE, They have been but lately introduced 

 into our collections, and, if hardy enough to bear 

 our winters, will be considered a valuable addition. 



MAIDEN PLUM. Is the Comocladia intcgri- 

 f oha of Linnaeus, a genus of West Indian timber trees, 

 belonging to Tcrebintacece. 



MAIID^E (MAIAD;E, Leach; CRABES TIIIANGU- 

 LAIRES, Latreille ; OXYRHINCHCES, M. Edwards). 

 An extensive family of Brachyura, or short-tailed 

 crabs, distinguished by the triangular or suboval form 

 of the shell or carapax, attenuated in front into a 

 sharp point, which is ge'nerally rough or spined ; the 

 eyes are lateral, the epistoma or space occupied 

 between the antennae and the cavity of the mouth is 

 always of a square form ; the claws of the fore-legs, 

 especially in the males, large and long ; the following 

 legs are often very long, whence some of the species 

 have obtained the name of spider-crabs ; the two 

 posterior legs are sometimes ot a different form from 

 the preceding. The number of segments in the 

 abdomen is apparently variable, being often seven in 

 both sexes, but in others the number is less, some of 

 the joints (the intermediate) being soldered together. 

 These crabs are inhabitants of the ocean, none having 

 been observed in fresh water, nor upon the shores of 

 the sea. All are found at great depths, and can only 

 be obtained by means of dredging nets. Their mo- 

 tions, notwithstanding the length of their legs, are but 

 slow, and they soon perish when taken out of the salt 

 water. This family comprises the following tribes 

 or subfamilies : 



1. Macropodie ns ; legs very long and slender; 



second and third pairs always much longer 

 than the fore legs. 



2. Maiens ; legs of moderate size ; second and 



third pairs not more than twice the length of 

 the post-frontal portion of the carapax. 



3. Parthenopiens ; fore-legs much longer than the 



others. 



This family comprises a great number of species v 

 divided into many genera resting upon slight struc- 

 tural variations. The typical species is the Maw, 

 squinado, a large species found upon the southern 

 coasts of Devon and Cornwall, where it is called the 

 thorn-backed crab. Its shell or carapax is often to 

 be seen stuck up in the fishmongers' shops of London 

 as a rarity. 



MALABAR LEAF. Is the Cinnamomum Mala- 

 batrum of G. Don. An East India tree, formerly the 

 Laurus Malabatrum of Linnaeus. 



MALABAR NIGHTSHADE. Is a genus of 

 cultivated plants in their native country, called Ba- 

 sella by Linnaeus. It belongs to Chenopodcce, and is a 

 climber. 



MALABAR ROSE. Is the Hibiscus rosa Mala- 

 barica of Kirby, a fine flowering evergreen shrub, a 

 native of India, belonging to Malvaceee. 



MALACHITE. This beautiful mineral is in 

 reality a green carbonate of copper. It is found in 

 various forms, but never regularly crystallised, the 

 octohedral variety being a pseudo-crystal derived from 

 the decomposition of another mineral. Malachite oc- 

 curs in the greatest variety in the Uralian mountains ; 

 there are also some fine specimens in Cornwall, 

 though it is but rarely found there. 



MALACHIUS (Fabricius). A genus of small 

 but handsome beetles belonging to the section Pcn- 

 tamcm, sub-section Scrricorncs, and family Melyridce, 

 having the palpi filiform, the anterior angle of the 



prothorax and the base of the abuomen furnished 

 with a large vesicle capable of being retracted and 

 dilated at will, and which the insect exposes on being 

 alarmed, at the same time emitting a peculiar scent, 

 which is evidently employed as a means of defence ;. 

 the body is of an oblong and depressed form, and 

 the males are distinguished by the irregularity of the 

 joints of the antennae, or by the extremity of each 

 elytron being armed with a small spine or tubercle ; 

 this character is, however, found also in the females 

 of some species. These insects are exceedingly 

 active, and very voracious ; they are found upon 

 flowers, where they lie in wait for their prey, which 

 consists of smaller insects. Two of the handsomest 

 and commonest species are M. esneus, of a shining 

 green colour, with the margins of the elytra broadly 

 red (a quarter of an inch long), and M. bipustulatus r 

 green with the tips of the elytra red (rather smaller 

 than the preceding). 



MALACHODENDRON (Cavanille). A North 

 American shrub, forming a genus of one species,, 

 bearing handsome monadelphous flowers, and be- 

 longing to the natural order Ternstrcemiaceae. It 

 has been long in our shrubberies, and known as the 

 Stnartia malachodendron. 



MALACHRA (Linnaeus). A genus of tropical 

 plants, mostly annuals, belonging to the class and 

 order Monadelphia Polyandria, and to the natural 

 order Malvaceae. They grow freely in any light 

 soil, and are increased by seeds. 



MALACODERMA (Latreille). A division of 

 coleopterous insects, belonging to the section Penta- 

 mera, and sub-section Serricornes, having the body of 

 a soft consistence, with the elytra flexible, the head 

 immersed in the prothoracic cavity as far as the eyes, 

 the prosternum not advanced into a point behind nor 

 into a flattened plate beneath the mouth. This is a 

 group of beetles of very considerable extent, the spe- 

 cies being generally of a moderate size, gaily coloured, 

 and for the most part frequenting flowers. It consists 

 of the following families Cebrionidee, Lampi/ridcc, 

 Telephoridce, Melyridce, Cleridce, Ptinidcc, and Lymc- 

 xylonidcB. 



MALACOLOGY. This term is now adopted uni- 

 versally by naturalists, and to our thinking very pro- 

 perly, as applied to the study and scientific arrangement 

 of that portion of creation called Mollusca, or molluscs ~ r 

 it includes a description of all the molluscous animals, 

 either marine or terrestrial, whose bodies are com- 

 monly called naked, possessing merely elementary 

 portions of testaceous matter, internally or externally 

 situated, a partial shield or calcareous protection to 

 some vital organ, or a well defined completely formed 

 shell, serving as a protecting retreat to its architect 

 under circumstances of necessity or convenience. 

 The name is compounded of three Greek words 

 (j.a\aKO(, feoov, and \oyoi. This, strictly speaking, 

 should be rendered Malacozoology ; but a constantly 

 used idiomatic contraction in the Greek tongue sanc- 

 tions its being shortened to a more convenient length. 

 Malacology therefore means a treatise or discourse 

 on soft animals. It includes all the invertcbratcd 

 animals, which have their muscular system supported 

 by external hard parts, and do not possess an 

 internal skeleton, or any articulated portions, cor- 

 responding with the Ejcanguia of old authors, a 

 division perfectly in unison with the white-blooded 

 animals of Linnaeus ; not that it was imagined these 

 creatures possessed no blood, but in contradistinction 



