MEL 



459 



MEL 



MEGA'RIA* SCHOOL or PHILOSOPHT. 

 Founded at Megara by the disciples of 

 Socrates. 



MEG'AsropE,tys, and trxexiia, I view. 

 An optical instrumpnt for the examina- 

 tion of bodies of considerable dimen- 

 sions. 



MEGATHE'RITM, from ^sj/a?, great, and 

 OY^I'OV, a wild beast. An extinct mam- 

 miferous animal, of great size, belonging 

 to the order Edentata, Cuv. Fossil re- 

 mains of this husre animal have been dis- 

 covered in the alluvial deposits of the 

 Pampas of South America. It appears 

 to have lived on roots, and to have been 

 covered with a bony coat of armour, to 

 defend it against the claws of beasts of 

 prey. Its length appears to have been 

 about 12 feet, and its height between 7 

 and 8 feet. 



ME'GRISI. A species of cephalalgia or 

 head-ache, arising from the state of the 

 stomach. The term is synonymous with 

 hemicrania, from which it is probably 

 derived through the medium of the 

 French migraine. 



MELALEC'CA. An extensive genus of 

 plants, mostly shrubs Polyadelphia Ico- 

 tandria. Named from jO.iA.af. black, and 

 \iuxo;, white, by Linnteus, for some rea- 

 son not known, unless it be a mistransla- 

 tion of the Malay name of the then only 

 known species, the CVy'n-pwrt (white- trf-e), 

 and that which is said to afford the caje- 

 put oil. All the species except this i.V. 

 leitcadendron) are natives of New Hol- 

 land. 



MELAMFO'DICM. A genus of annual 

 plants. Syngenesia Poly, necessaria. Hot 

 climates. Melampodiwn is also the old 

 name of the black hellebore, from Melam- 

 }tts, the shepherd who first used it. 



MEL'ANCHOLT, from p&.cts, black, and 

 %*>.)) bile. A well-known form of insa- 

 nity, thus named from its having been 

 anciently supposed to proceed from re- 

 dundance of black bile. 



MELA'XIA. The name given by La- 

 marck to a genus of molluscs. Order 

 PactiiiibraiH'hirtla : family Trochoida,Cuv. 

 The melania inhabit rivers ; the shell is 

 thick and spiral, and the animal is fur- 

 nished with long tentacula. 



MEL'AMTE, from /u.t>.tt(, black. The 

 black garnet : a mineral of the gem order, 

 found in the basalt of Bohemia, and in a 

 rock at Frescaii, wear Rome. Its colour 

 is velvety black. 



MELANO'SIS, from utAa?, black. A spe- 

 cies of morbid deposit of black matter, 

 chiefly attacking the cellular and adipose 

 textures of the body, giving rise to black 

 cancer, a malignant and incurable disease. 

 It more commonly attacks horses than 

 men, and especially white horse*. 



MELAS'TERITE, piXa.;. Native sulphate 

 of iron. 



ME'LAS, usAe*?. A disease endemial in 

 Arabia , it consists in the formation of 

 dark spots on the skin. 



ME'LASM, from ^twAaj, black. A disease, 

 which sometimes appears upon the tibia 

 of aged persons, in the form of a livid 

 black spot, but which speedily degene- 

 rates into a foul ulcer. 



MELAS'OMA. A family of unmixed black 

 or cinerous-coloured coleopterous insects, 

 whence the name from ^sAas, black. 

 They are mostly apterous ; their antrnnno 

 entirely or partly granose. The man- 

 dibles are bifid, and the eyes oblong and 

 prominent. They generally live in the 

 ground, either in sand or under stones, 

 and frequently in cellars and other dark 

 places. 



MELAS'SES, from jU4A<x;> black. The 

 sirup which drains from Muscovado 

 sugar: treacle. 



MELCHISEDE'CIANS. In ecclesiastical his- 

 tory, a name applied to several sects of 

 early heretics, from their peculiar opi- 

 nions concerning Melchisedec. 



MELEA'ORIS. A genus of gallinaceous 

 birds, of which the common turkey (JV. 

 gallopavo, Lin.), introduced into Europe 

 from America, was for a Ion? time the 

 only species known ; but a second species, 

 the 3/. ocellata, Cuv., from the Bay of 

 Honduras, has lately been described : it 

 is almost equal to the peacock in the bril- 

 liancy of it? colours, particularly in the 

 sapphire-coloured spots, surrounded with 

 circles of gold and ruby, which decorate 

 the tail. Meleagris is the Greek name ot 

 the Guinea-hen, erroneously applied by 

 Linnneus to the turkey. 



ME'LES. A genus of carnivorous mam- 

 malia: the badgers, placed by Linn;vus 

 with the raccoons in the genus Urstts 

 There are two species, the European 

 badger and the American badger. 



MFLE'TIANS. In ecclesiastical history, the 

 partisans of Meletius. bishop of Lycopo- 

 lis. in Egypt, who was charged with sa- 

 crificing to idols. 



MEL'ICA. The melic- grass : a genus of 

 perennials. Triandria Digynia. The 

 name was anciently given to a species of 

 millet. Ail the species are hardy, and 

 two are indigenous to Britain. 



MELILO'TI-S, ) An extensive genus of 



MELIL'OT. ) herbaceous plants. Dia- 

 delphia Decandria. Name from mtl, 

 honey, and lotus (q. v.). All the species 

 are hardy, and one is indigenous to 

 Britain. 



MELIS'SA. Bahn. A genus of plants 

 mostly perennials. Didynamia Gymno- 

 si>eriia. Name from ^tA/ff-o-at, a bee, be- 

 cause bees gather honey from it. The 

 greater and lesser calamint are the only 



