ol 



jtature. 435 



day's (of Epping), and to the papers of 

 Messrs. Stainton and Douglas. 



MOTMOT. (Motmotus, or Prionites Bra- 

 ziliensis.) A. curious and handsome bird, 

 inhabiting many parts of South America. 

 Its back is of a dark rich green colour, 

 and it has a long wedge-shaped tail, two 

 feathers of which extend some inches beyond 

 the others. The shafts of these are stripped 

 of their webs near the extremities, giving 

 the bird a very singular appearance. One 

 would suppose that these birds trimmed 

 their feathers thus themselves, for many are 

 found witli quills perfect, and others partly 

 denuded. The Motmots are generally in 

 pairs in the deep woods, and are easily re- 

 cognized by their note, mot-mot, slowly re- 

 peated. There are several species of Mot- 

 mots : the edge of the beak in these birds is 

 serrated both in the upper and lower man- 

 dibles. 



MOUFFLON. (Ovis Musmon.-) An ani- 

 mal of the sheep kind, called also the Mus- 

 MOX, inhabiting the mountainous parts of 

 Corsica, Sardinia, Greece, &c., and which, 

 though by nature extremely wild, retains 

 all the characteristic marks of the primitive 

 race. The general size of the Moufflon is 

 that of a small fallow deer ; but, though 

 covered with hair, it bears a stronger resem- 

 blance to the ram than to any other animal, 

 both in regard to its horns, which sometimes 

 grow to a vast size, as well as in its general 

 conformation. The muzzle and the inside 

 of the ears are of a whitish hue, tinged with 

 yellow ; but the other parts of the face are 

 of a brownish gray. The body is covered 

 with hair instead of wool : in which parti- 

 cular consists its chief difference from the 

 general aspect of the sheep : the upper part 

 of it is brown, but the under part and the 

 insides of the limbs are whitish. In summer 

 its hair is close, like that of a deer ; in 

 winter it becomes rough, wavy, and a little 

 curled, concealing at its roots a fine white 

 woolly down. About the neck and shoulders 



as well as under the throat, the hair is con- 

 siderably longer than elsewhere. 



From spring to autumn the Moufflons 

 feed in the little vallies among the upper 

 regions of the mountains, on the young 

 shoots of the Alpine plants, and are said to 

 grow very fat. As winter approaches, they 



descend lower, and eat grass and other ve- 

 getables. The whole fcrm of this animal 

 seems better calculated for agility and 

 strength than that of the common sheep j 

 but still it is very timid, and, when closely 

 pursued, does not run in a directly progres- 

 sive course, but obliquely, from side to side, 

 in the manner of other sheep ; ascending 

 the rocky mountains with great agility, and, 

 like the wild goat, going over the narrowest 

 and most dangerous passes with perfect 

 safety. Their chace is dangerous and diffi- 

 cult ; and they are so wild as to be seldom 

 taken until shot by the hunters, who lie in 

 wait for them among the mountains. The 

 female is less than the male, and her horns 

 never grow to the same magnitude as in the 

 ram. These have sometimes been found to 

 measure, in their convolutions, above two 

 ells in length : with these they often main- 

 tain very furious battles among their own 

 kind ; and sometimes they are broken in 

 the conflict. The young, when first born, 

 are covered with a soft, gray, curling fleece, 

 which gradually changes into hair towards 

 the end of summer. Such is the sheep in 

 its wild state : by no means that seemingly 

 helpless animal which we view it under the 

 shepherd's care ; but in the highest degree 

 active and vigorous. 



MOUSE. (Mvs.-) A genus of Rodent 

 quadrupeds, including not only what are 

 usually termed Mice, but also the Rats. 

 [The latter will be found under the letter R.] 



The COMMON MOUSE. (Mus miacuhts.) 

 This little animal is a general inhabitant of 

 almost every country in the world ; for 

 though it is said to be not a native of Ame- 

 rica, but taken there by European settlers, 

 it is now found in every part of that conti- 

 nent. There are several varieties, distin- 

 guished by their colour ; but the fur is 

 usually of a brownish ash-colour above, and 

 light beneath ; the tail not quite so long as 

 the body ; and the ears about half the length 

 of the head. As Mr. Bell observes, " there 

 are few animals more generally associated 

 with mankind, or whose very existence 

 appears to be more essentially dependent 

 upon human arts and human civilization, 

 than this pretty, but annoying little pest. 

 Domestic in its habits, nourished by almost 

 every article of human food, and obtaining 

 effectual shelter in the secret recesses of the 

 habitations which human art has raised, it 

 has accompanied man in all his adventures 

 for colonization, and identified itself with 

 every new territorial occupation of our 

 race." All its actions appear to be regulated 

 by fear and necessity. It seldom leaves its 

 hole but when impelled thereto by the want 

 of food ; and then, unlike the rat, who tra- 

 vels from one house to another, it seldom 

 quits the spot where it has once taken up its 

 residence. The Mouse makes a nest not 

 unlike that of a bird, and brings forth several 

 times in a year, generally having from six 

 to ten at a litter ; when first born, mice are 

 naked and helpless, but in about fifteen 

 days they are able to shift for themselves. 

 No animal has more enemies than the Mouse, 

 and few are so incapable of resistance. Cats, 



p F 2 



