MEL 



460 



MEN 



British species. The officinal balm is a 

 native of the south of Europe, but is now- 

 common in our gardens. 



MELITCE'A. In zoology, a genus of beau- 

 tiful corals ; also a genus of butterflies. 



MELLIPH'AGANS, from (jn)j and ^;-, 

 1 eat. Birds which feed on the nectar of 

 flowers. 



MKL'LITE. Honey-stone. A mineral of 

 a yellowish colour like honey (/). and 

 resinous aspect, found at Artern in Thu- 

 rinaia. It is a mellate of alumina. 



MELLIT'IC ACID. An acid which is found 

 associated with alumina in the mineral 

 called mellite. It crystallises in small 

 colourless needles ; has no smell, but a 

 strong acid taste ; is permanent in the 

 air, and soluble in water and alcohol. It 

 is, according to Liebig andPelouze. C-iCU 

 H, but is not resolvable into C4O3 + 

 O H, without decomposition 



MEL'LON. A new compound of carbon 

 and nitrogen, discovered by Liebig, by 

 heating bi-sulphocyanide uf mercury. 

 The mellon remains at the bottom of the 

 retort in the form of a yellow powder. 



MEL'ODRAME, I from pi'/.o; , sung and 



MELODRA'MA, ) drama (q. v.;. A dra- 

 matic performance in which music is in- 

 termixed. It differs from the opera in 

 this, that the actors do not sing but 

 declaim, the music only filling up the 

 pauses with strains suitable to the sub- 

 j ect. Melodramas are commonly romantic. 



MELODY, uiXaaia, a song. A succession 

 of sounds so modulated as to please the 

 ear. It is the effect of a single voice or 

 instrument, in which respect it differs 

 from harmony. 



MKL'OE. The name of a genus of hetero- 

 merous Coleoptera, belonging to Cuvier's 

 family of Trachelides and tribe of Ca 

 tharidtp. In some districts of Spain, 

 tneloes are employed in place of cautha- 

 rides, or are mixed with them. They are 

 also employed by farriers, and they were 

 formerly regarded as a specific in hydro- 

 phobia. They answer to the Suprestes of 

 the ancients ; insects which were believed 

 to kill such cattle as swallowed them 

 while gra/ing. The oil-beetle is the best 

 known species of meloes, properly so 

 called; but the genus meloe, Lin., com- 

 prehends also the genus Cantharit, Geoff, 

 or Lytta, Fab. 



MELOLON'THA. A division of the genus 

 Scaraba>us, or beetle. 



MEL'ON, from fjt.i\ov, an apple. A name 

 of certain plants and their fruit. The 

 melon, properly so called (Cvcumis melo], 

 is an annual, of which several varieties 

 are cultivated. It is a native of warm 

 climates. The water-melon (Cucurbita 

 citrulltts;, is also an annual, a native of 

 the South of Europe, &c. The musk- 

 melon (Ciwurbita moschata), is likewise 



an annual, a native of the "West Indie*. 

 These plants are much valued for their 

 fruit, which is sweet and delicious, but 

 only matured by exposure to a hot sun. 

 The melon-thistle is a species of cactus. 



MELO'THKIA. A genus of plants. Tri- 

 andria Monogynia. Name borro wed from 

 the [AiXeu8%6 of Dioscorides. The best 

 known species is the American Bryony (M. 

 peiuiula) , the berries of which are pickled 

 and used as capers in the West Indies, &c. 



MELPO'MENE, pite often, I sing. The 

 muse who presides over tragedy. 



MEMBRA'SA TI'MP'ANI. The drum of the 

 ear. 



MEMBRANA'CEOCS. Lat. membranaceits, ol 

 the nature of membrane. Applied in ana- 

 tomy and botany to ligaments, tunics, 

 &c. ; and to leaves, pods, &c., of a thin 

 and pliable texture. 



MEM'BRANE. Lat. membrana. A thin 

 and expanded substance, composed of cel- 

 lular texture, the elastic fibres of which 

 are so arranged and woven together as to 

 allow of great pliability. The membranes 

 of animals consist of concrete gelatine, 

 and, like skin, are convertible into leather 

 by tanning. The term is also extended 

 by analogy to parts of vegetables of a 

 niembranaceous texture. 



MEMBRA.SOI/OGY, from membrana and 

 Xo>-S, discourse. A hybrid term, used to 

 designate that branch of anatomy which 

 treats of the membranes of the body. 



MEM'OIK, from Fr. memoire, memory. 

 1. A species of history describing trans- 

 actions and events, in which some parti- 

 cular person had a principal share, written 

 either by the person himself, or by a dif- 

 ferent person. 2. The recorded pro- 

 ceedings of a scientific society. 



MEMO'KIAL. In diplomacy, a species of 

 informal state paper, much used in nego- 

 tiations. 



MEMO'RIA TECH'KICA. Technical or arti- 

 ficial memory. A name for any contri- 

 vance for assisting the memory. 



MEM'ORY, Lat. memini, I remember. 

 The power of having what was once per- 

 ceived recalled to the mind, accompanied 

 by a consciousness of past existence. 



'MENACH'A.MTE. An ore of titanium, 

 found in the bed of a rivulet, which flows 

 into the valley of Menacan, in Cornwall. 

 It occurs in very flat angular grains of a 

 greyish black colour, and a semi metallic 

 lustre. Sp. gr. 4'4. It contains 51 oxide 

 of iron, and 45'5 of oxide of titanium, as- 

 sociated with 3'5 of silica. It tinges bo- 

 rax of a greenish colour. 



MEN'DICANTS. Beggars. Several orders 

 of monks, who live on alms, are so named. 



ME'NE. A Chaldean word, signifying 

 " he has numbered," or " he has counted." 



MEx'iDEs.afamilyof Acanthopterysnoui 

 fishes, distinguished by the extreme ex- 



