M AU 
vety long, is of one uniform colour. The breafl: 
and belly are white; the hands and feet are dufky 
and naked; and all the nails, except that on the 
inner toe of the hinder foot, are fiat. 
Thefe animals, which are of various colours, 
fometimes have white or yellow paws, and faces 
wholly brown or black.' They fleep in trees; 
live on fruits ; are very fportive, good-natured, and 
delicate; and their adtions indicate a ftrong refem- 
blance to the monkey kind. 
Maucauco, Black or Ruffed ; the Lemur 
Caudatus Niger of Linnseus. This animal is 
confiderably larger than a cat, and it's hair is 
much longer. It may eafily be diftinguiftied from 
the other fpecies by the hair round the neck {land- 
ing out like a ruff. It alfo differs in it's difpofi- 
tion, which is fierce and favage; and it makes 
fuch a loud noife in the woods, that the voices of 
two may be readily miftaken for thofe of a large 
troop. The colour of the whole animal is gene- 
rally black ; though fometimes there are varieties, 
v/hite fpotted with black. The irides are orange- 
coloured; and the tail is very long. 
This creature inhabits Madagafcar; and though 
naturally fierce, may be eafily domefticated when 
young. 
Maucauco, Little. This curious fpecies 
feems to be the rat of Madagafcar, defcribed by 
Buffon. It is fomewhat lefs than the black rat; 
it's head is rounded; it's nofe is fharp; and it's 
whiflcers are long. There are two canine teeth 
in each jaw, four cutting ones in the upper, and 
fix in the lower. The ears are large, roundilh, 
naked, and membranaceous ; and the eyes are very 
large and full. The tail, which is hairy, is about 
the length of the body; the upper part of the 
body is cinereous, the lower being white; and the 
Ipace round the eyes is dark. 
This animal is fuppofed to live in palm-trees, 
and to feed on fruits. It holds it's food with it's 
fore-feet like the fquirrel, is extremely lively, and 
rolls itfelf up in a ball when it fieeps. 
Maucauco, Flying ; the Lemur Volans of 
Linnsus. This creature has a long head, a fmall 
mouth and teeth, and little round ears. From 
the neck to the hands, and from the hands to the 
hinder feet, extends a broad fkin, like that of the 
flying fquirrel ; and the fame fkin is alfo conti- 
nued from the hinder feet to the extremity of the 
tail, which is included in it. The body, and the 
external part of this fkin, are covered with foft 
hair, hoary, or black and afii-coloured; and the 
legs are cloathed with foft yellow down. On each 
foot are five toes ; the claws of which being fien- 
der, fharp, and crooked, enable the creature to 
adhere very firmly to whatever it faftens on. 
This animal is about three feet in length; and 
it's tail, which is very flender, is a fpan long. It 
is a native of the Molucca iflands, and the Philip- 
pines, where it feeds on fruits. It is certainly 
a very diflinft fpecies from the bat and the flying 
fquirrel; but, from the ignorance of the form of 
it's teeth, it's genus is fomewhat doubtful, though 
placed among the Maucaucos on the authority of 
Linnaeus. 
MAVIS. The common appellation of the 
fong-thrufli, or throftle. 
MA UPvOUSE. A creature of the deer kind, 
mentioned by Joffelyn; and apparently fynony- 
mous with the Dama Virginiana of Ray: this, 
however, is by no means certain, the defcription 
of that naturalift being very imperfed. 
Vol. II. 
MEL 
MEDUSA. A genus of infe^fls of the order 
of gymnarthria. The body of the Medufa is of 
an orbiculated convex figure, of a gelatinous fub- 
ftance, and deftitute of hair; and the tentacula, or 
plicae, which fupply their place, are fituated in the 
centre of the under part of the animal. Natura- 
lifts have defcribed this genus under the name of 
urtica marina, and pulmo marina. Thefe ani- 
mals are fometimes feen fwimming in clufters on 
the furface of the fea ; and they are faid to confti^ 
tute the principal nourifhment of the whale. 
There are various fpecies of the Medufa ; but 
the mofl remarkable was that difcovered by Mr, 
Banks, on his paffage from Madeira to Rio de Ja- 
neiro ; which, when brought on board by means of 
the cafling-net, had the appearance of metal vio - 
lently heated, and emitted a white light. With 
thefe animals were taken fmall crabs, of three dif- 
ferent fpecies, entirely new, each of which yielded 
as much light as the glow-worm, though the crea- 
ture was lefs by nine-tenths. Thefe luminous 
animals gave that appearance to the fea which has 
been mentioned by many navigators, and for which 
various reafons have been affigned: it appeared to 
emit flafhes of light, exaftly refembling thofe of 
lightning; and fo frequent, thatfeveral were vifi- 
ble at the fame moment. 
MELANCHORYPHUS. A bird fo called 
by the ancients, in the nefl of which they tell us 
that the callais, or turquoife, was found. The 
whole feems to be a very ridiculous flory, and to 
be entirely founded on the refemblance of colour 
between that ftone and the eggs of this bird, 
which is generally fuppofed to have been the 
black-cap. 
MELANURUS. A fifh commonly caught 
in the Mediterranean; and fometimes, though 
feldom, in the Britifh feas ; called by fome writers 
occulata and occhiata. The body is oblong and 
rounded; die back is flightly prominent, and of a 
blueifh cafl; and the fides are of a filvery white, 
variegated with dufky tranfverfe flreaks. It fel- 
dom exceeds five or fix inches in length; and it's 
tail has a remarkable black fpot on it, whence it 
receives it's prefent name. 
MELAONES. A term ufed by fome writers 
to exprcfs a kind of worm found in meadows 
about the month of May; which, when bruifed, 
emits a mofl agreeable fmell. This name is alfo 
given by fome to a fpecies of beetle. 
MELEAGRIS. See Turkey. 
MELEAGRIS NUMIDA. See Guinea 
Hen. 
MELES. An appellation fometimes ufed to 
flgnify the badger. 
MELET. A name given by ichthyologifl:s 
to a fmall tranfparent fea-fifh ; called by fome au- 
thors hefpetus and anguilla ; and, by others, athe- 
rina. 
MELLITTA. A genus of the echini marini 
of the general clafs of the placentas; the diflin- 
guifhing charafters of which are, that the fhells 
are plain and flatted, their edges arched and waved, 
and the fuperficies marked with two or more ob- 
long apertures, reaching to the bafe. There are 
two known fpecies of this genus; a fmooth one 
with a circular vertex; and a fcutellated kind, re- 
fembling the fhell of the tortoife, and having a 
pentagonal vertex. 
MELOLANTHUS. An appellation given 
to a peculiar fpecies of beetle, found in all parts 
of Britain, and in many other countries^ among 
' Z trees 
