M YR 



45)8 



M YR 



nv.ca, to cut. The anatomy of the 

 muscles of the human subject. 



MYOX'US. The Dormouse. A genus of 

 mammals of the order Rodentia, Cuv. 

 Name from /MJ$, a mouse, and |w?, sharp, 

 ^the sharp-nosed mouse, or rat). The 

 dormice pass the winter in lethargy like 

 the marmots. The Common Dormouse 

 (31. avellanerius. Lin.) constructs its nest 

 of grass in the hollows of trees. The 

 Garden Dormouse (M. nitelea, Gm.) shel- 

 ters itself in holes of the walls. The Fat 

 Dormouse (M. glis, Lin.) of the South of 

 Europe is as large as the Norway rat, and 

 nestles in the hollows of trees and fissures 

 of rocks. This is probably the rat fat- 

 tened by the ancients, among whom it 

 was considered a delicacy of the highest 

 description. There are some other less 

 known species. 



MYRIAGRAM'ME, from pupa, 10,000, and 

 gramme (q. v.). A French weight equal 

 to 10,000 grammes, or 26'795 Ibs. troy. 



MYRIALI'TRE, from fjtv'ix., 10,000, and 

 litre (q. v.). A French measure of capa- 

 city equal to 10,000 litres, or 353'17U6 

 cub. feet. 



MYU'IAME'TRE, from [*,>J%HX, 10,000, and 

 metre (q. v.). A French measure of length 

 ~ 10,000 metres, or 10,936'389 Eng. yards. 



M VRIAP'ODA. All order of insects, com- 

 monly called Centipedes: from (MJQIOS, 

 innumerable, and TOVS, a foot. They are 

 the only insects which have more than 

 six feet in their perfect state, and whose 

 abdomen is not distinct from the trunk. 

 Cuvier divides them into two families, 

 Chilognatha and Chilopoda. 



MYR'IARE, from pvyot,, 10,000, and are 

 (q. v.). A French superficial measure of 

 10.000 acres. 



Miiu'cA. The Candle-berry Myrtle. A 

 genus of trees. ViceciaTetrandria. The 

 Gale or Sweet Willow is the British type 

 of the genus. The other species mostly 

 belong to warm climates. One species, 

 the M. cerifera of North America, yields 

 a green wax, from which candles are 

 made. Name borrowed from the Greek 

 TAvyz's,, which however appears to be 

 the Tnmarix Gallica. 



MYRICI'NE. The ingredient of wax 

 which remains after digestion in alcohol. 

 Dr. John, who first described it, gave it 

 this name, because it is very abundant 

 in the green wax of the Myrica cerifera. 

 See MYRICA. 



MYK'ICIN. That portion of wax which 

 is insoluble in water. 



MYuiopHYi-'Lua. Water milfoil. A 

 genus of indigenous perennial plants. 

 Monaeda Polyandria. Name from i u*i<os, 

 innumerable, and 0t/AA.v> a leaf, on ac- 

 count of its number of leaves. Two 

 gpeciei. 



MYKIORA'MA, from i u*/;o?, innumerable, 

 and ./x, a picture. A moveable pic- 

 ture, c;i]iable of forming an almost end- 

 less variety of picturesque scenes, being 

 pafnted on cards, which may be placed 

 together in numberless combinations. 



MYRIS'TICA. The Nutmeg- tree. A genus 

 of three species. DioeciaMonadelphiu. 

 The true nutmeg and mace tree (M. mos- 

 chata) is a native of the East Indies. The 

 other species, of Santa F^ and Surinam 

 produce nutmegs of very inferior quality. 



MYRMECOPH'AOA. The Ant-eater. A 

 genus of many animals, with a long muz- 

 zle, terminated by a smooth toothless 

 mouth, from which it protrudes a fili- 

 form tongue, which it insinuates into 

 ant-hills and the nests of Termites. 

 whence these insects are drawn by being 

 entangled in the viscid saliva which 

 covers it. The Ant-eaters inhabit the 

 western continent, and are placed by 

 Cuvier among the ordinary Edentata. 

 Name from iM^iM-fc, an ant, atid QOLYGJ, 

 to eat. 



MYRME'LEON. The Lion-ant. A genus 

 of neuropterous insects: family Plani- 

 pennes, Cuv. Name from /Mrt^g, an an\, 

 and A.IMV, a lion, in allusion to the num- 

 ber of ants destroyed by the larva of the 

 common European species, the 31. for- 

 micariwn, Lin. 



MYRMILLO'SES. A species of Roman 

 gladiator. 



MYHOB'ALAX. Dried fruit of the plum 

 kind, brought from the East Indies; so 

 named from fMgov, an unguent, an^ 

 j3/\.avS, a nut, because it was formerly 

 used in ointments, though now expunged 

 from the pharmacopoeias. There are five 

 species of myrobalans, varying from the 

 size of olives to that of gall-nuts. They 

 are all bitterish, and unpleasant to the 

 taste. 



MYROX'SLOX. The Balsam-tree of Peru. 

 A genus. JJiandriaMonoyynia. Kame 

 from fj,veov, ointment, and |uXe, wood. 

 This tree, the If. peruiferum, affords the 

 Peruvian balsam, and grows in the warm- 

 est parts of South America. There are 

 three sorts of the balsam, that of incision 

 the dry balsam, and the balsam of lotion. 



MYRRH. Myppa- 1. A drug obtained by 

 incision from a tree (not known botani- 

 cally) which grows on the eastern coast 

 of Arabia Felix, and that part of Abys- 

 sinia situated near the lied Sea, and 



called by Bruce, Troglodyte. 2. la 



botany, a species of Stork's-bill,the.Pc;r- 

 ^onim myrrhifolium, a tree of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



MYR'TI-E. 1. In botany. See MYBTTS. 



2. Dutch Miirile is a name ol' ;hy 



Myrica Gale or Swe.-t Willow. o \\-r- 



tieberry, another uuiue for the Bleaberry. 



