184 NATURE TEACHING. 



a joint.) The portion of a stein between two 

 joints. 



Larva. (Latin, larva, a mask). The first stage of 

 active life, of an insect. .Insects in this stage 

 are variously known as maggots, caterpillars or 

 grubs. The name was originally given because 

 the caterpillar was thought to hide or mask the 

 future butterfly. 



Leguminoseae. The Latin word legumen was 

 originally. applied to pulse. Hence, the pod which 

 contained the peas from which the pulse was 

 made, was called a legume, and the name 

 Leguminoseae given to all the plants which be- 

 long to the pod-bearing order. In addition to 

 the flower, the plants in this order are charac- 

 terised generally by divided leaves and root 

 nodules. It is the second largest order of 

 flowering plants, and contains some 7,000 species. 



Manure. (French, manoeuvre, to till by hand). The 

 word thus originally meant cultivation of the 

 soil by hand. It is now restricted to the special 

 substances added to supply plant food. 



Mechanical. (From the Latin, machina, a machine, 

 a work artificially made.) The mechanical 

 analysis of soil denotes the separation of the 

 constituents of the soil by some method which 

 does not entail any change in composition of 

 the constituents, e. g. by washing. 



Medullary rays. (Latin, medulla, the pith in 

 plants, the marrow in bones.) The bands of tis- 

 sue which pass from the pith, through the wood, 

 into the inner bark. The ' grain ' in oak wood 

 is due to the medullary rays. 



Monocotyledon. (Greek, monos, one ; kotiiledon, 

 cup-like hollow). One seed leaf. The name 

 given to a division of flowering plants, the 

 members of which have embryos with only one 

 seed leaf. 



Nitrification. (Latin, nitrum, nitre ; facio, I make) 



