

MY A M YGALE. 



is identical with the fossorial or burrowing sand-wasps, 

 from which they are alone chiefly separated by the 

 apterous condition of the female ; the antennae are fili- 

 form or setaceous, vibratile, with the first and third 

 joint elongated ; the basal joint is not, however, so 

 long as to form with the following joints an elbow at 

 its extremity. The family is composed of the Lin- 

 naean genus Mutilla, which has been divided into 

 several modern genera, viz., Douglus, Labidus, Aple- 

 rogyna, Psammotherma, Myrmosa, Myrmecodes, and 

 Mcthoca. The genus Mutilla. is distinguished by 

 having the antennae inserted in the middle of the 

 face ; the abdomen ovoid, the thorax continuous in 

 the females, and the antennae in the males simple. 

 There are many exotic species of this handsome 

 group, two or three of which alone are inhabitants of 

 this country, including the typical species Mutilla 

 Europaea, Linnaeus, which is of a bluish-black colour, 

 with the thorax red, and with three white bands 

 across the abdomen ; the male is winged. The writer 

 of this article has repeatedly taken it in sandy situ- 

 ations in Coombe Wood, the female being found 

 only on the ground, running very quickly, and endea- 

 vouring to conceal itself with much cunning on the 

 approach of danger. 



MYA (Lamarck, Linnaeus). These molluscs are 

 marine bivalves, transverse, not always equivalve, 

 gaping at the two ends, one of which is usually trun- 

 cated obtusely. The hinge presents a very singular, 

 large, compressed, spoon-shaped appendage, rising 

 perpendicularly from the plane of the left valve, and 

 fitting into the entrance of the primary corresponding 

 cavity on the opposite valve, when both are closed ; 

 the ligament is interior, short, thick, and attached to 

 the projecting tooth on one side, and to the cavity 

 on the other. These molluscs lie concealed at va- 

 rious depths on the sandy shores, and protrude a long 

 membranous tube, enveloping two smaller ones, to 

 the surface. Some fossil species have been disco- 

 vered, but they are by no means common. 



MYCETOPHAGUS (Fabricius). A genus of 

 coleopterous insects, belonging to the family Engidcs, 

 according to Stephens, but placed by Latreille in his 

 unnatural family Xylophaga, having the club of the 

 antennae composed of five separate joints, the body 

 ovate, sub- depressed, the legs of moderate length, and 

 the tarsi four-jointed, the males having only three 

 joints in the anterior pair ; the species are of small 

 size, and frequent fungi, rotten trees, &c. There are 

 six British species, the type being the Chrysomela 

 4-pustulata, Linnaeus, which is a quarter of an inch 

 long, of a reddish colour, with the thorax and elytra 

 black, the latter with four red spots. 



M YGALE Musk Rat. A genus of insecti- 

 vorous mammalia, approaching more nearly to the 

 shrews than to any other family ; and yet differing 

 sufficiently from them to warrant its being constituted 

 into a different genus. It differs from them in its 

 dentition, by having three small teeth placed between 

 the two large incisors in the lower jaw, and by 

 having the two incisors in the upper jaw triangular 

 and flat. Behind the incisors there are six or seven 

 small teeth, and four cheek teeth, having their crowns 

 thickly beset with sharp insectivorous points. The 

 muzzle is elongated, a little enlarged at the extremity, 

 and the animal keeps continually moving it. The 

 tail is very long, flattened laterally, and covered with 

 scales ; the feet have five toes upon each, all united 

 by membranes ; the eyes are exceedingly small j and 



there are no external ears. The whole structure of 

 the animals indicates an aquatic habit ; and they are 

 accordingly found lodging on the banks of streams 

 and stagnant waters, and seeking their food in the 

 water itself, or capturing those insects which arc 

 usually found in great numbers by the margins of still 

 waters. 



The true character of this animal was for a long 

 time misunderstood, some considering it as belonging 

 to the rats, and others as belonging to the beavers ; 

 and it is on account of this early error that it is still 

 popularly called the musk rat. It is not, however, in 

 the least allied either to the rats or the beavers ; for 

 both of these are rodent animals ; and this is very 

 distinctly a member of the insectivorous division of 

 the caruassiers ; and it may be said to hold pretty 

 nearly the same rank among that division as the otter 

 holds among the carnivora, and to regulate the num- 

 bers of insects in those places where the otter regu- 

 lates the numbers of the finny tribes. Though it can 

 travel a little upon land, it is principally organised 

 for motion in the water ; and its adaptation to the 

 water, though of course requiring a different modifi- 

 cation of structure, puts one in mind of the adaptation 

 of the mole to motion under the earth. The form of 

 the skull and the number of teeth, the absence of 

 external ears, the smallness of the eye, and some 

 other circumstances, produce a considerable resem- 

 blance to the mole as well as to the shrews ; but 

 when we come to the organs of motion we iflfmedi- 

 ately see an adaptation to a medium different from 

 that in which the mole has to perform its labours : 

 the limbs are, like those of the mole, exceedingly 

 short, and a portion of them is imbedded or concealed 

 within the membranes of the body, as is the case with 

 the swimming paws of the amphibia and the cetacea. 

 The paws turn in a vertical direction with the soles 

 backward, just as in the moles ; but then they have 

 more of a rolling motion in the knee and elbow joints'; 

 so that the animal can recover or advance them, 

 something after the manner of feathering an oaj. 



The tail also, from its lateral flattening, its strength 

 and its scales, forms an excellent sculling instrument 

 behind ; and altogether the animals are well formed 

 for making their way under water. There are at 

 least two species, one in the north of Europe, and the 

 other in the Pyrenees, and probably also in some 

 other mountainous parts in the south ; but as the 

 northern one is the largest, the most interesting, and 

 the best known, we shall direct our few general re- 

 marks chiefly to it. 



Taking this species as the typical one, it may be 

 said to be the most aquatic of all mammalia which re- 

 tain the typical form, without any approximation in 

 the posterior part of the body to the form of a fish. 

 It is never found in dry places, nor does it pass from 

 one piece of water to another unless it can find a 

 watercourse, a passage under ground, or one under 

 moist vegetables. It is no lover of turbulent waters 

 or swiftly-flowing streams, but prefers still ponds, the 

 margins of lakes, and especially those places which 

 are subject to periodical inundations. These last are 

 indeed its favourite localities ; and one can easily see 

 the reason : when the inundation comes there are 

 many earth-worms and other small animals which seek 

 safety by coming to the surface of the earth ; and 

 these form at such times an abundant supply of food 

 for this animal. We can understand from this, by the 

 way, why Russia should be its favourite country above 



