MAT 



MED 



ridges are again divided into two large irregular pyramidal 

 obtufe points, a little rounded. The crown therefore is 

 ftudded with thefe pyramidal points difpofed in pairs ; it is 

 however very different from the teeth of carnivorous animals, 

 which have only one principal longitudinal furrow divided 

 into leffer indentations, like a faw. The teeth of the elephant 

 have on the crown feveral little tranfverfe walls, divided into a 

 number of fmall tubercles, and thefe grow flat early, where- 

 as the tubercles or cones on the tooth of the maftodon being 

 much larger, the crown remains long mamillated. It was 

 this circumftance of the grinders being ftudded with points 

 that gave rife to the opinion of the maftodon being carni- 

 vorous. 



The number of grinders, according to Cuvier, are fix on 

 each fide, three above and three below. 



The ftrufture of the jaws indicates that the maftodon had 

 tuflcs like the elephant or morfe. The number of tulks 

 which occur with the teeth further confirms this opinion. 

 A (kull was found by Mr. Peale which proves this fact, 

 being furniftied with alveoles. The curvature of the dif- 

 ferent tuiks varies as much as in thofe of the elephant ; but 

 M. Cuvier thinks there is no ground for believing with 

 Mr. Peale, that the tufl<s turned downwards. 



Th^ head of the maftodon being of vaft fize, and rendered 

 exceedingly heavy by the teeth and tufks, which carried the 

 centre of gravity far from the point of fupport, the neck 

 was therefore neceflarilv (hort, like that of the elephant ; fo 

 that without a trunk it could not have reached the ground 

 with its mouth. Its tulks would alfo have deprived it of 

 the power of eating on th; ground ; it is therefore certain 

 that it muft have had a trunk like that of an elephant. 



From the remains of the maftodon, it appears there were 

 five fpecies, all of which are believed to be extinCl. 



1 . The great maftodon that we have been defcribing. 



2. The majlodon with narrow grinders. The remains of 

 this fpecies have been dug up at Semorre, and many other 

 places in Europe, and alfo in America. 



3. The little majlodon nv'ith fmall grinders. This fpecies 

 is much lefs than the preceding, and was found in Saxony. 



4. Majlodon of the Cordilleras. This fpecies was dif- 

 covered in South America by Humboldt. Its grinders are 

 fquare, and it appears to have been equal in fize to the great 

 maftodon. 



5. Humboldean majlodon. This, which is the fmaUeft fpecies 

 of the genus, was found in America by Humboldt. Thefe 

 five fpecies may be confidered as forming a diftintt and 

 hitherto unknown genus. 



The following are the dimenfions of the fkeleton of the 

 great maftodon found by Mr. Peale, and placed in the 

 Mufeum of Natural Hiftory in Philadelphia. 



Feet Inches 



Height over the (boulders ... 

 Do. over the hips . - - - 

 Length from the chin to the rump 

 From the point of the tufks to the end of the 1 



9 

 31 



o 

 o 

 o 



17 



5 

 2 



4 

 10 



tail, following the direftion of the curve 

 In a ftraight hne - - - 



Width of the hips and body 

 Length of the largeft vertebra 

 Of the longeft rib - - - 



Of the tulks - - - - 



Circumference of one tooth . - - I Oj 



The weight of the whole ftceleton is 1000 lbs. 



MATHEWS, in Geography, a county of Virginia, con- 

 taining 42 2 7 inhabitants, of whom 2098 were flaves in 1810. 

 MATHIOLA, or rather MattiiioIA, in Botany, 

 Brown in Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 4. 119. See our former 



article. Mr. Brown has reftored this meritorious name, to 

 defignate a new genus of his own, extracted from the more 

 hoary kinds of Cheiranthus, (fee that article,) n. 16, 17, 

 20, 24, 31, 28, and 15. We allow a difference of habit, 

 but fcarcely perceive a fufBcient charafter. 

 MATLOCK, 1. 14, r. 1811— 523— 2496. 



Vol. XXIII. 



MAURICE, 1. 4, add — The town contains 2085 inha- 

 bitants. 



MAURY, a county of Weft Tenneflee, containing 

 10,359 inhabitants, of whom 2626 were flaves in 1810. 



MAWS, St. In 181 1, the parifh of St. Juft contained 

 272 houfes, and 1639 perfons ; w'z. 751 males, and 888 

 females : 72 families being employed in agriculture, and 99 

 in trade, manufactures, and handicraft. 



MAYOMBA, or Majumba, Ca/f, a cape on the coaft 

 of Africa, in S. lat. 3" 34'. E. long. II' 13' 36". 



MEAD, a townfhip of Crawford county, in Pennfyl- 

 vania, containing 786 inhabitants. 



MEADVILLE, 1. 5, after houfes, add — 457 inha- 

 bitants. 



MECKLENBURG, 1. 2, r. 18,453 inhabitants, of 

 whom 16,264 were flaves in 1810 ; 1. 6 and 7, r. 14,272 — 



3494- 



MECONIC Acid, in Chmijlry. See Morphia, and 



Opium. 



MECRAN, or Mekran. At the end, Kidge or Kej, 

 add — The population of Mekran is formed of many different 

 tribes and independent chiefs, of which the Balouches are the 

 moft numerous ; a middle-fizedrace of men, fpare, mufcular, 

 and aftive, and armed with a match-lock, fword, fhield, 

 and dagger. The common language of the country is a 

 corrupt Perfian, mixed with Scindi, and the Balouches in 

 general are of the Soonee perfuafion. Thofe of the central 

 territories refide moftly in towns ; thofe of the lower 

 countries are fcattered over the plains, in hamlets of eight 

 or ten huts, built of branches of palm, and covered with 

 mats. The Balouches take, in general, but one wife, and 

 their chiefs four ; they are faid to have great influence in 

 the difputes of their tribes. The women of Mekran are 

 allowed to appear indifcriminately in pubhc. Mekran was 

 formerly under the dominion of Naffer Khan, the chief of 

 Kelat; but fince his death, in 1795, the authority of his 

 fon has ceafed, and of the dominions of his father he only 

 retains poffeflion of the fort of Kej. The whole force of 

 the country, it is thought, may amount to about 25,000 

 men, whom it would be impoffible to colleft or to induce to 

 concur in action. The revenues of this country are trifling. 



MEDFIELD, 1. 3, r. 786. 



MEDFORD, 1.6, r. 1443. 



MEDICAL Electricity. Since our remarks on medi- 

 cal eledricity (fee Medical Electricity) were written, a- 

 method has been announced, in lome degree new, of exhibit- 

 ing this remedy, which we ftiall very briefly notice here. This 

 confifts in employing a jar coated on the outfide with paper 

 tinfel, and inllead of a coating on the infide, having only a 

 fpiral coil of wire in contad with its furface. On making the 

 experiment, we find the fhock is modified and foftened by this 

 <:ontrivance. It appears, therefore, much better adapted for 

 adminiftermg what is commonly caUed i-ibratory fhocks, 

 (that is to fay, fmall Ihocks m very quick fuccefCon,) 

 than the jar commonly ufed for the purpofe. We omitted 

 to mention that this method of exhibitmg eledricity (called 

 vibratorv ) is commonly pradiled by ekaricians, chiefly from its 

 •^' requiring 



