230 



MELASIS 



flowers. A dangerous and poisonous acrid juice is 

 detectable in many of them, particularly Colchicum 

 and Veratrum. The roots of the former are the basis 

 of the eau medicinale, and are now used in cases of 

 gout with much success. The root of the Veratrum 

 is believed to have been the hellebore of the ancients, 

 an active drug, but requires to be administered in 

 small doses. The other genera in this order are : 

 Bulborodium, Mcrendera, Uvularia, Disporum, Schel- 

 hammera, Burckhardtia, Anguillaria, Ornithoglossum, 

 Androcynibiwu, Melanthium,Wurmbea, Tofieldia, Xero- 

 phyllum, Helonias, Nolina, Leimanthium, Chmneelirium, 

 Peliosanthcs, Lichtensfeinia, and Zigadenus. 



MELASIS (Olivier). An interesting genus of 

 coleopterous insects, belonging to the section Penta- 

 mera and family Buprestidee, but receding from the 

 typical character of the family, having the antenna 

 strongly pectinated in the males and serrated in the 

 females ; the tarsi are subcylindrical, the body cylin- 

 dric, the palpi terminated by a large globular joint, 

 and the posterior angles of the thorax acute, in seve- 

 ral of which respects this genus seems to form the 

 connecting link between the two great families 

 BuprestidcE and Elateridce. There is but a single 

 British species, Mel. buprestoides, Olivier, of a brown 

 colour, not shining, and with reddish antennae and 

 legs. Found but rarely in the New Forest, &c. 



MEL ASPHCERUL A (Ker). A genus of bulbous 

 herbs from the Cape of Good Hope, belonging to 

 Triandria Monogynia, and to the natural order Iridece. 

 Generic character : spatha two-valved, herbaceous, 

 spreading ; corolla of six petal?, spreading, pointed ; 

 stamens ascending ; stigma recurved ; capsule turbi- 

 nate ; seeds small and globular. These plants suc- 

 ceed with the same management as Ixias and other 

 Cape bulbs. 



MELASTOMACE^E. This order contains twelve 

 genera and above seventy-six species of plants. They 

 are in general handsome shrubs or trees, and leaves 

 with several costse, that is, with the midrib subdivided, 

 and running longitudinally along the disc of the leaves. 

 To be grown well, they require much heat and much 

 space, in order that the foliage and flowers may 

 assume their proper magnitude. The fruit is gene- 

 rally a fleshy insipid juicy berry, for the most part 

 eatable, and of so deep a black as to dye the teeth 

 and mouths of the eaters ; hence the name Melastoma, 

 or black-tooth. The juice is sometimes, as in M. 

 Tococa, of so intense a black as to be used instead of 

 ink. The leaves, and indeed all parts of the M. 

 parvrftorum and M. longifoKum, afford a black dye, 

 and, as well as those of the M. malabathrica, are 

 used for dyeing cottons. The leaves of the M. 

 thecEzans are used at Popayan instead of tea, and are 

 said to form a beverage preferable to that afforded by 

 the Chinese tea-plant. This shrub is hardy, and 

 might be cultivated in many parts of Europe. 



The macaco-wood of commerce is the wood of 

 Tococa Guianensis, the fruit of which is considered an 

 agreeable food by man, and very much relished by 

 monkeys. The fruit of Blakea triplinervis is yellow, 

 and by most persons thought not only eatable, but 

 pleasant. 



Most of the MelastomacecB thrive in moor-earth, 

 and are propagated readily by cuttings. They must 

 not. be over-watered in winter. 



MELEAGRA (De Montfort). A genus of mol- 

 luscs now forming a subdivision of the genus Turbo. 



MELEAGRINA (Lamarck ; MVTALUS MAR- 



RiTiFERUs, Linnsus). A very great affinity 

 doubtless exists between this molltrsc and the genus 

 Aviculn, with which De Blainville has reunited it \ 

 but we trace distinctions sufficiently marked to induce 

 us to preserve it as a separate genus, though contrary 

 to the opinion of that eminent naturalist. The shell 

 is always equivalve, always without the elongated 

 transverse base, without the cardinal tooth, and the 

 form of the shell constantly orbicular, sometimes at- 

 taining eight inches in diameter. In addition t 

 these striking differences, the sloping sides of thi 

 opening, admitting the passage of a byssus, is verj 

 perceptible on both valves, which never occurs in th< 

 Avicula, where a notch answers the same purpose 

 The exterior of the valves is less smooth, and genes 

 rally covered with scale-like imbrications, the termi 

 nations of previous stages of growth. 



It is from this mollusc that the highly coveted 

 jewel, the pearl, is extracted, which, under the at 

 tide PEARL, will be more amply described ; and front 

 the valves of the M. margaritjfera, the type of thai 

 genus, commonly called the Mother-of-Pearl Oyster 

 numerous elegant trinkets and ornaments are fashione< 

 by the skilful artist. In China these shells are mosi 

 abundant, but they do not yield so fine pearls as thow 

 in the Persian Gulf and other parts of the East. Th< 

 valves, nevertheless, constitute an important brand 

 of commerce, and ships of large burthen have brough 

 them to England in such quantities that they forme< 

 a portion of the vessel's ballast. See AVICUI.A. 



MELECTA (Latreille; CROCISA, Jurine). J 

 genus of long-tongued bee*, belonging to the lamilj 

 Apidae and sub-family Cuculinee (which see), having 

 the body ornamented with patches of hairs of a \vhit< 

 or silvery colour, the wings with three compleK 

 cubital or submarginal cells ; the paraglossae, o: 

 lateral divisions of the labium, nearly as long as th< 

 palpi, and the maxillary palpi five or six-jointed 

 The species are amongst the handsomest of our indi 

 genous bees, and are parasitic in the nests of thf 

 species of Anlhophora and some other mason bees 

 about the entrances of which they may be observe< 

 flying in company with the real architects of th< 

 nests, which seem to take no notice of the presenci 

 of these their enemies. It has been generally con 

 sidered that we possessed but a single British specici 

 of this genus, M. punctata, Villars ; but Mr. Newmai 

 has lately published the description of six species it 

 the tenth number of the Entomological Magazine 

 which, however, we believe are considered merely w 

 varieties of the common species. 



MELHANIA (Turskald). A genus of tropica 

 trees, two of which are the red-wood and black-wow 

 of St. Helena. The flowers are monadelphous, am 

 the genus is ranked in the natural order Bi/ttneriacea 

 These exotics are kept in our stoves, and potted will 

 loam and moor-earth, but are very subject to in 

 preyed on by insects, which, if suffered to remain 

 prevent their arowth. 



M EL I ACE /E. A natural order of plants contain 

 ing fourteen genera and thirty five species. The typ 

 of the order is the Melia Azedarach, or bead-tree, 

 native of Syria. The order is particularly dislir 

 guished by the stamens being united into a tub 

 bearing the anthers ; the leaves are usually piimate< 

 and most of the species, which are all either tree? f 

 shrubs, are natives of tropical forests. The fruit > 



