430 



Crcas'urp at $ntttral $j 



as the Oyster, Mussel, and Pearl Oyster. 

 Many of the genera arranged under this 

 order attach themselves to rocks, &c. 



MONOPTERUS. A genus of Malacop- 

 terygious fishes ; characterized by their 

 having the gill-openings united, but with a 

 partition ; and the dorsal and anal apparent 

 only from the middle of the tail backwards. 

 The known species is from the Moluccas ; it 

 is green above and fawn-coloured below. 



MOOR-HEN. [See GALLINULE.] 



MOOSE-DEER. [See Euc.f 



MORDELLID^R. A family of Coleop- 

 terous insects, distinguished by the peculiar 

 structure of their body, and their extreme 

 activity both in flying and leaping. The 

 body is elevated and arched, with the head 

 inserted very low ; the thorax is trapezoid 

 or semicircular ; the elytra either very short 

 or acuminated at the extremity, as well as 

 the abdomen : the antennse rather short. 



~ 



LUNATED POINT-TAIt, BTJBTLB. 



(MORDELT.A LUNATA.) 



The smaller typical species frequent flowers, 

 especially those of the white-thorn and wn- 

 bellifcrce. Some of the species are parasitic 

 upon other insects. Ripiphorus paradoxes, 

 for instance, inhabits in the perfect state the 

 nests of the common wasp ; " whence La- 

 treille observes, that it has been inferred 

 that it subsists in that situation in the larva 

 state, and is probably nourished by the 

 wasps as their own oifspring. On arriving 

 at the perfect state, it emerges from the nest, 

 and seeks the flowers ; and it is probable 

 that the female deposits her eggs in the 

 already formed cells of the wasps, her abdo- 

 men being well adapted for such purposes, 

 being long and acuminated." Westwood. 



MORMOLYCE. A singular genus of Co- 

 leopterous insects found in Java, one species 

 of which has been described by M. Hagen- 

 bach : our figure gives a very good idea of 

 its form, which is remarkable for its extreme 

 flatness, the elongation of the head, and the 

 very great leaf-like dilatation of the elytra : 

 it was first found by Kuhl and Van Hasselt. 

 The larva has only lately been described 

 and figured. M. Van Ovendyk found the 

 larva and pupa in the Poh/porus fomentamus, 

 or an allied species of fungus growing on 

 the trunks and roots of trees : the larva 

 closely resembles that of Carabus and C- 

 losoma. Naturalists generally place this 

 curious Carabidous insect near the South 

 American genus Agra. 



(MORMOLYCE PHYLLODES.) 



MORMYRUS. A genus of Malacopte- 

 rygious fishes, nearly allied to the Esocidai 

 or Pike family. The body is compressed, 

 oblong, and scaly ; tail thin at the base, but 

 swelling near the fin ; skin of the head 

 naked, covering the operculum and gill- 

 rays, and leaving no opening for the latter 

 but a vertical fissure. The gape is small, 

 the angles being formed by the maxillaries : 

 the teeth are small, notched at the extre- 

 mities, and occupy the intermaxillaries and 



(MORMYKUS OXYRHYNCHOS.) 



lower jaw; and there are bands of small 

 crowded ones on the yomer and tongue. 

 The stomach is a roundish sac, followed by 

 a slender intestine with two caeca, almost 

 always covered with fat ; and the air- 

 bladder is long, large, and simple. Two 

 species have a cylindrical muzzle, the one 

 having a long dorsal fin, and the other a 

 short one ; a third has both the snout and 

 dorsal short ; and in a fourth, the forehead 

 forms a protuberance advancing in front of 

 the mouth. The species here figured is the 

 sharp-nosed Mormyrus (M. oxyrhynchus), 

 which is regarded as one of the best fishes 

 found in the river Nile. 



MORSE. [See WALRUS.] 



MOSCHID^E. A family of ruminant 

 quadrupeds familiarly known as MUSK DEEI; 

 [which see]. 



MOSCHUS. A genus of Ruminants allied 

 to the antelopes, most of them being deli- 

 cately graceful in form. They are found in 

 Western Africa, in India, and the Indian 

 islands. The accompanying figure of the 

 Moschus Kanchil will give a good idea of 



