MET 



[291 ] 



MIC 



fetters which had confined it, and 

 to commence a new career of 

 existence. The worm, which so 

 lately crawled with a slow and 

 tedious pace along the surface of 

 the ground, now ranks among the 

 sportive inhabitants of the air ; and 

 expanding its newly acquired 

 wings, launches forward into the 

 element on which its powers can 

 be freely exerted, and which is to 

 waft it to the object of its gratifica- 

 tion, and to new scenes of pleasure 

 and delight. Dr. Eoget. 



METATA'RSAL. Belonging to the foot, 

 as the metatarsal bones, &c. 



METATA'RSUS. (from /tera and rapao?, 



. Gr. mttatarse, Fr.) That part of 

 the foot which lies between the 

 ankle and the toes, corresponding 

 to the metacarpus of the superior 

 extremities. The bones of the 

 metatarsus in the most complete 

 forms of development are always 

 five in number, in each limb. 



METATHO'BAX. (from ^era, beyond, 

 and 0u>paj~, the chest.) In ento- 

 mology, the third and last segment 

 of the thorax, resembling the 

 second in being of a more united 

 structure than the first. The 

 second and third segments are 

 closely united together, but the 

 original distinction into two por- 

 tions is marked by a transverse 

 line. To the second and third seg- 

 ments are attached both wings and 

 legs, whereas the first segment has 

 legs alone. The third segment 

 consists of seven pieces, which are 

 similar to those of the second. The 

 posterior wings are placed at the 

 anterior angles, and often occupy 

 the whole sides of the metattiorax. 

 A pergamenteous partition at the 

 posterior margin, which descends 

 in a perpendicular direction, bow- 

 ing in its middle towards the abdo- 

 men, separates the metathorax from 

 the abdomen. 



METEO'RIC IRON. Colour pale steel- 

 grey ; occurs ramose, and dissemi- 



nated in meteoric stones. Native, 

 or meteoric iron, is composed of 

 iron and nickel, the proportion of 

 nickel varying from one to nearly 

 ten per cent. In some specimens a 

 trace of cobalt has been discovered. 

 Pallas found a mass of native 

 iron 1680lbs. in weight, in Siberia, 

 which tradition stated to have 

 fallen from the air. Meteoric iron 

 is assuredly unlike any iron of 

 earthly origin, but it has been im- 

 itated by fusing iron with nickel. 

 METEO'RIC STONE. ) A 7 ., 

 METE-OBITE. j See AerMe ' 

 METEORO'LOGY. (from perewpa, mete- 

 ors, and \o<yos, a description, Gr.) 

 The study of the phenomena of the 

 atmosphere. It was not till the 

 17th century that any considerable 

 progress was made in investigating 

 the laws of meteorology. Previ- 

 ously to that period, the want of 

 proper instruments precluded the 

 cultivation of this science ; but the 

 discovery of the barometer and 

 thermometer in the 17th, and the 

 invention of accurate hygrometers 

 in the 18th century, supplied the 

 pre-existing defects, and enabled 

 philosophers to enter on meteorolo- 

 gical observations with accuracy 

 and facility. 



MI'CA. (from mico t to glisten.) This 

 mineral appears to be always the 

 result of crystallization, but is 

 rarely found in regular, well-defined 

 crystals. Most commonly it ap- 

 pears in thin, flexible, elastic 

 laminae, which exhibit a high pol- 

 ish and strong lustre. These 

 laminae have sometimes an extent 

 of many square inches, and, from 

 this, gradually diminish till they 

 become mere spangles, discoverable, 

 indeed, by their lustre, but whose 

 area is scarcely perceptible by the 

 naked eye. Mica is said to contain 

 forty-four per cent, of oxygen. 

 The laminae of mica are easily sep- 

 arated, and may be reduced to a 

 thickness not much exceeding the 



