MELOPHA.GUS 



215 



MERCURY 



bitacese, the fruit of which is edible. Essence 

 ofM., v. Essence. 



Melophagus, ( meJ-of'a-gus). [Melophagos, the 

 Greek name.] An insect belonging to Hippo- 

 boscidse, q.v. M. ovinns=Sheeplouse. 



Melting. [Meltan, the A.-S. word.]=Fusion, 

 q.v. 



Member, (mem'ber). [Membrum, the Latin 

 name.] 1. Of an equation: all the terms 

 on one side of the sign=. 2. Of an organised 

 being=Limb, q.v. 



Membracis, (mem-bra'sis). [The Latin name.] 

 =Leaf-hopper: an insect belonging to Ho- 

 moptera. 



Membrane, ( mem'bran ). [ Membmna, the 

 Latin word.]=Skin: a thin layer of tissue 

 serving as a covering. 



Membranes, (mem'branz). [Membrane, q.v.] 

 M. of brain: dura mater, arachnoid M., pia 

 mater, and falx, q.v. M. of C'orti: in the 

 cochlea of the ear, separating it into cham- 

 bers, and enclosing the scala media. 



Membranous, (mem'bra-nus). [Membrane, 

 q.v.] M. labyrinth: a part of the essential 

 organ of the sense of hearing; an oval sac 

 containing a fluid and otolithes, or small 

 bones; probably able only to distinguish 

 intensity of sound. 



Menaccanite, (men-ak'a-nlt). [Menachan in 

 Cornwall.] A variety of haematite: a black 

 mineral, slightly magnetic; also called II- 

 menite. 



Menchecourt drift. [M. near Abbeville.] A 

 Post-Pliocene bed in which was found an 

 entire skeleton of a rhinoceros. 



Mendipite, (men-di-pit). [Mendip Hills.] A 

 rare mineral, white and nearly opaque: 

 chiefly chloride and oxide of lead. 



Menevian beds, (men-e'vi-an). [M. =Classical 

 name of St. Davids.] The uppermost of 

 the Lower Cambrian rocks: near St. Davids 

 in N. Wales. 



Mengite, (men'jit). [Mr. Menge.] 1. A black 

 mineral, chiefly zirconia, oxide of iron, and 

 titanic acid ; also called Ilmenite. 2.= 

 Monazite, q.v. 



Menhirs, (men'herz). [Welsh mcen, stone.]= 

 Standing stones, mostly ancient tombs, cf. 

 Dolmen. 



Meniscus, (men-is'kus). [Gk. tmniskos, little 

 moon.] A crescent-shaped lens. 



Menispermaceae, ( men-is-per-m5r'- 

 se-e). [Gk. meniskos, little moon;' 

 sperma, seed.] = Menispermads : 

 tropical twining shrubs, with 

 small narcotic flowers, belonging 

 to Menispermales; the only order 

 of Exogena which has ternary 

 flowers throughout, approximat- 

 ing to Dictyogens. Named from 

 the crescent-shaped seeds. 



Menispermales,(men-is-per-ma.'lez). Meniscus. 

 [Menispermacese, q.v.] Plants with mono- 

 dichlamydeous flowers and much albumen 

 with the embryo, forming a division of 

 Diclinous Exogens. 



Menkar, (men'kar). [The Latin name.]=a 

 Ceti: the chief star of the constellation 

 Cetus; a sun star. 



Menobranchus, ( m en - o - braug'kus ). [ Gk. 

 menos, strength ; bragchion, gill.] = North. 

 American eft: a batrachian, with permanent 

 gills, belonging to Urodela, usually about 

 two feet in length. 



Menopoma, (men-o-po'ma). [Gk. menos, 

 strength; poma, gill cover.] = Great Sala- 

 mander: an American batrachian, belonging 

 to Urodela, about 18 inches in length. 



Menotti's battery. A galvanic battery con- 

 sisting of plates of zinc in dilute sulphuric 

 acid, and of copper in sxilphate of copper 

 solution, the liquids being separated by a 

 layer of sand. 



Mental, (men'tal). [L. mens, mind.] Relating 

 to the mind.] M. foramen: in the ramus of 

 the lower jaw-bone, v. Mentum. 



Mentha, (men'tha). [The Greek name.]= 

 Mint: a strongly-scented herb belonging to 

 Lamiacese. M. piperita=Peppenamt,. M. 



mint. 



Menthene, (men'thSn). [Mentha, q.v.] = 

 CioHjg ! a hydrocarbon found in oil of 

 peppermint. 



Mentum, (men'tum). [The Latin word.] 

 Chin: a projection of the lower jaw-bone. 

 In insects the central portion of the labium. 



Menyanthes, (men-i-an'thez)=Buckbean, bog- 

 bean : amarsh herb,belongingto Gentianacese. 



Mephitis, (me-fi'tis). [L. mephitis, noxious 

 vapour. ] = American skunk : an animal, 

 resembling the pole-cat, belonging to Mus- 

 telidse. 



Merak=j3 Ursse Majoris: one of the Pointers, 

 q.v.: a star in the constellation. Ursa 

 Major. 



Mercaptan, ( mer - kap' tan ). [ Afercurium 

 ca2)<aws.]=H(C2H 5 )S=Ethylhydricsulphide: 

 intermediate between sulphuretted hydrogen 

 and diethyl sulphide: a colourless inflam- 

 mable liquid, named from its action on 

 oxide of mercury. 



Mercaptans. [Mercaptan, q.v.] Correspond 

 to alcohols, in which oxygen is replaced by 

 sulphur. 



Mercator's projection, (mer-ka'tor). fMercator, 

 a Danish geographer.]" Used for maps in- 

 tended for sailors; the surface of the earth 

 is assumed to be a plane, v. Projection. 



Mercuramine, (mer-ku'ra-mm). A basic 

 compound of mercury and ammonia. 



Mercurialis, (mer-ku-ri-a'lis) = Dog-mercury:' 

 an herb belonging to Euphorbiaceae. M. 

 jjere?i7iis=Herb-mercury. 



Mercuric, (mer-ku'ric). [Mercury, q.v.] M. 

 sulphide = Cinnabar = HgS. M. cldoride= 

 corrosive sublimate, Hg.Clg 



Mercurous, ( mer-ku-rus ). [Mercury, q.v.]: 

 M. chloride^ Calomel=HgCl. 



Mercury, (mer'kQ-ri), [Classical.] = Quick- 

 silver = Hydrargyrum : a white lustrous- 

 metal, liquid between -37 and 662 R, much 

 used in thermometers, barometers, and in 

 amalgams. M. pendulum: in which the bob- 

 is a vessel partly filled with mercury, the 

 expansion or contraction of which corrects 

 the contraction or expansion of the pen- 

 dulum. 



