442 



(EreaSurg of Natural y&i 



and many persons have been suddenly at- 

 tacked with violent symptoms after eating 

 them. It frequently happens, indeed, with 

 some constitutions, after partaking of certain 

 kinds of shell-fish, that intolerable itchings 

 all over the body take place, accompanied 

 by great restlessness and agitation, and fol- 

 lowed by cutaneous eruptions. 



MUSTELA : MUSTELID^E. A genus 

 and family of carnivorous Mammalia, dis- 

 tinguished by the length and slenderness 

 of their bodies. The characters of this genus 

 are : six cutting-teeth in each jaw, the upper 

 being erect, acute, and separate ; the lower 

 more obtuse ; the tongue smooth. [See 

 WEASEL.] 



MUTILLIDJE. A family of Hymenop- 

 terous insects, generally found in hot Bandy 

 situations, and bearing considerable resem- 

 blance to other sand-wasps. They are soli- 

 tary in their habits : the males occasionally 

 frequent flowers ; but the females are always 

 found on the ground, and they run with 

 great quickness, secreting themselves, on the 

 approach of danger, amongst grass and under 

 stones. The antennae are filiform or seta- 

 ceous, the first and third joints being elon- 

 gated ; the labrum is transverse and ciliated; 

 the mandibles notched ; and the body often 

 very much clothed with hair. The females 

 are destitute of wings and ocelli, but they 

 are provided with a powerful sting. 



MYA. A genus of Molluscous animals, 

 inclosed in a bivalve shell. The Myaa are 

 to be found both in the ocean and in rivers : 

 the marine kinds generally burrow in the 

 sand, and those which inhabit rivers are ge- 

 nerally found in the mud. They are of 

 considerable importance, in consequence of 

 the shell sometimes producing a quantity of 

 pearls : and the shell is well known by the 

 name of the Pearl Mussel. One end of this 

 shell gapes considerably, and at the aperture 

 the thick epidermis is lengthened out into a 

 tube, which can be withdrawn by the ani- 

 mal at pleasure. It is found on the shores 

 of the European, Asiatic, and African seas ; 

 and in several places it is used as food ; it is 

 also devoured by various aquatic birds. Ac- 

 cording to Camden, Sir John Hawkins had 

 a patent for fishing for it in the river Irt, 

 in Cumberland. There was also a great 

 fishery for pearls in the river Tay, which 

 extended from Perth to Loch Tay ; and it 

 is said that the pearls sent from thence, from 

 the year 1761 to 1764, were worth 10,0007. 

 At the present day it is not uncommon to 

 find pearls in these shells which bring from 

 11. to 21. 



MYCETES. A genus of Quadrumana 

 inhabiting the American continent, and po- 

 pularly called Howling Monkeys. They are 

 distinguished by a pyramidal head, the upper 

 jaw of which descends much below the cra- 

 nium, while the branches of the lower one 

 ascend very high, for the purpose of lodging 

 a bony drum, formed by a vesicular inflation 

 of the hyoid bone, which communicates with 

 their larynx, and imparts to their voice pro- 

 el ii'iou? volume and a most frightful sound. 

 Hence the appellation bestowed on them. 



They are shaggy animals, about the size of 

 a fox, of different shades of brown or black- 

 ish ; the females carry their young upon 

 their shoulders, and some of them are dif- 

 ferently coloured from the males : these 



MONKEY. (MYCETE9 URSINCS.) 



are of a social disposition and grave deport- 

 ment ; and most of them have thick beards. 

 They utter their hideous yells and howling 

 by night ; and subsist on fruits and foliage. 



MYCETOPIIILID^E. A subfamily of 

 Dipterous insects, of small and active habits. 

 They are found in damp situations, amongst 

 various plants ; and many of the species 

 enter our houses, and are found on the 

 windows. They are capable of leaping by 

 means of their hind legs ; and are distin- 

 guished by having two or three unequal- 

 sized ocelli ; eyes generally round ; head 

 not rostrated ; the antennas slender, and 

 never fasciculated. 



A gem 



Birds allied to the Storks, of which there arc 

 several species : the best known is the M. 

 Americana, or common Jabiru. [See JA- 



BIRU.] 



MYLABRIS. A gentis of Vesicatory Bee- 

 tles (Cuntharidce'). The head is large, 

 broad, and rounded behind ; the thorax 

 nearly orbicular ; and the elytra slightly 

 inclined at the sides. They have long an- 



tenna, with eleven distinct joints in both 

 sexes. This genus abounds in species, Africa, 

 and Asia being the chief countries where 

 they are found. Myhibris cichorii, the species 

 here figured, inhabits the south of Europe ; 



