MUSCARI MUSK. 



295 



body ; the head is soft, with two or three horny points, 

 which serve to pierce the matters upon which they 

 teed ; they are also provided with spiracles, whereof 

 the number and figure are variable, some being placed 

 upon the head, resembling eyes, and the others, which 

 are larger, placed at the posterior part of the body. 

 They are destitute of legs, and their progression is 

 effected by the hooks of the mouth, which they affix 

 in the surface of the substance upon which they are 

 placed ; having first extended the body as far as possi- 

 ble, they then draw the hind parts of the body towards 

 the head, contracting it as much as possible, when 

 they again push the head forward as before. These 

 larvae feed upon various matters, both animal and 

 vegetable ; amongst the herbivorous species, many 

 devour decaying fungi, boleti, &c., the galls and seeds 

 of plants, and the interior of fruits ; amongst the car- 

 nivorous species, some prey upon the flesh of animals, 

 of which they cause the more rapid decomposition, 

 whilst others live in excrement, manure heaps, &c., 

 and some are parasitic, living in the bodies of other 

 caterpillars, of which they devour all the inner parts. 

 The curious manner in which these larva? assume the 

 pupa state, without throwing off the outer skin of the 

 larva, has been described under the article DIPTERA. 

 The pupa state is variable in its duration according 

 to the state of the weather, which may be more or less 

 favourable to the development of the different parts 

 of the enclosed pupa. In order to effect its escape 

 from the pupa, the fly bursts off a small cap at one 

 end of the case or skin-cocoon by beating against it 

 with its head ; at first these flies are soft, and may be 

 observed creeping along with their wings crumpled 

 up in a small compass. They soon, however, gain 

 their full size, and the fly acquires its dark colour, and 

 then joins its companions in the air. 



Latreille has divided this family into nine primary 

 groups, from various peculiarities of structure ; whilst 

 Macquart, availing himself of the researches of M. 

 Robineau des Voidy, has partially adopted the habits 

 of the groups for the establishment of three subfami- 

 lies, in which he traces a gradual decrease in the 

 organisation of these insects until his arrival at the 

 confines of insect life. 



1. The Creophila, characterised especially by the 

 wings, of which the first posterior cell is entirely or 

 partially closed, and by the large size of the alulets. 

 This subfamily comprises those species which are 

 distinguished by their size, colours, robustness of body, 

 strength of flight, &c. They generally deposit their 

 eggs either upon the flesh of dead animals, or are 

 parasitic in the bodies of other larvae. The chief 

 genera are Tachinia, Ocyptera, Gymnosoma, Phasia, 

 Dexia, Sarcophaga, and Musca. 



2. The Anthomyzides, distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding by having the first posterior cell constantly 

 open, and by the moderate or small size of the alulets. 

 They chiefly frequent flowers ; and their larvae reside 

 in decomposed vegetable matters. The chief genera 

 are Aricia, Lispe, Eripliia, Anthomyia, Ccenosia, fyc. 



3. The Acalyptera, differing from the Anthomyzides 

 by the breadth of the face, in which the eyes of both 

 sexes are separated, and by the want of alulets. Here 

 belong various groups of small size and inferiorly 

 developed structure, which are for the most part ex- 

 ceedingly prolific. The chief genera are Loxocera, 

 Scatomyza, (Malts, Tcphritis, Sepsis, Lauxania, Spha:- 

 rucera, Phoia. 



The enus Musca is no\v restricted to the domes-tic 



fly (M. domestics) and a few allied species, instead of 

 comprising, as it did with Linnaeus, the entire dipterous 

 order, with the exception of the TipulidcE, Tabanidce, 

 Asilidce, BombyliidfE, and EmpidcB. We have here 

 the two extremes of classificational nomenclature, 

 evidencing the progressive elaboration of insect inves- 

 tigation, but unfortunately, although necessarily, at- 

 tended with so great an addition of names as to 

 become far beyond the powers of ordinary memories 

 to retain them throughout the science. Hence the 

 necessity of reverting to the old well-established 

 names in the sense in which they were formerly em- 

 ployed for general purposes, but at the same time of 

 employing the newly-required terms for scientific and 

 particular purposes. 



The type of the genus Musca (M. domestica, Lin- 

 nzcus) is of a cinereous colour ; the face black, with 

 buff sides ; the forehead yellowish, with a black band ; 

 the antennas black ; the thorax with black lines ; the 

 abdomen with black markings, pale beneath, the sides 

 of a transparent yellow ; the legs black ; the wings 

 clear, with the base rather yellowish. 



MUSCARI (Desfontaines). A genus of bulbous 

 plants, formerly united with the hyacinths. The flowers 

 are hexandrious, and belong to Asphodelece. The well- 

 known grape-hyacinths are Muscari ; and the Hya- 

 cinthus monstrosus is now Muscari comosum. They 

 are flower-border plants, and thrive in light sandy 

 soil. 



MUSHROOM is the Agaricus campesiris of 

 Linna;us, the eatable agaric. Though acryptogamous 

 plant, and, as such, not coming within the limits of our 

 general botanical notices, yet as a dietetic vegetable, 

 and as a production requiring much skill and attention 

 of the gardener, it may be worth while only to remark, 

 that the mushroom is the only instance of any of its 

 class having been brought into cultivation. The 

 champignon, the truffle, and morel, are three others 

 used in cookery, bat these have not been as yet tried 

 to be produced artificially ; nor with the two last is 

 cultivation necessary, as they are never used in a 

 fresh state. 



MUSK (Moschus). A genus of ruminant mam- 

 malia, or, more strictly speaking, a small and very 

 peculiar group, made up of two genera ; the one 

 consisting of only a single species, and furnishing the 

 substance known by the name of musk; the other 

 consisting of several species, much smaller in size 

 and more elegant in form than the other one, but not 

 provided with the organ which secretes musk, and 

 consequently not supplying that substance. In their 

 general structure the musks do not differ greatly from 

 the other hoofed ruminants, though they still hold a 

 sort of intermediate place between them and the 

 camels. The chief external differences are, the absence 

 of horns, and the very much produced canine teeth 

 in the upper jaws of many of the males. These last 

 project out of the closed mouth, and are usually 

 recurved backwards. In the skeleton the chief dif- 

 ference consists of a fibula applied to the head of the 

 tibia on the hind legs, and extending down nearly to 

 the lower extremity of the bone ; and there is no 

 bone of this kind found in any of the other ruminants 

 except the camels. They have farther two small 

 bones, applied one to each end of the canon bone on 

 the fore legs, more developed in proportion than 

 those bones in tiie horse, and answering in situation, 

 though not in office, to a sort of ulna. As none of 

 these additional boues extend completely, from, joint 



