MIL 
MILLEPEDES. A well-known infea, called | 
alfo afellus, a fpecies of onifcus; in Englifh, the 
wood-loufe. Ray defcribes feven different fpecies 
of this infeft, fome of which are very common, 
and others rare. They are of fovereign ufe in 
medicine; particularly the blue kind, which rolls 
itfelf up in a ball : but there is another fort of a 
pale brownilh grey colour, fmaller, flatter, and 
thinner than the forrrier; and having the laft divi- 
fion of the body> not annular, but pointed ; and a 
bifid tail, which pofl^effes nearly the fame qualities. 
They abound in cellars; and are alfo found under 
ftones and logs of wood in moift and cold fitua- 
tions. 
Millepedes are univerfally known to pofTefs the 
mofl: valuable medicinal properties: they are diu- 
retic and abfterfive; for which reafon they are not 
only frequently made ufe of in diforders of the kid- 
neys, but alfo in obftruflions of the vifcera, and 
particularly in the jaundice. They abound with 
a nitrous fait, which they probably derive from the 
earthy food on which they fubfift: this appears 
to be fomewhat volatilized by it's digeftion and 
circulation in the infeft; as falts of this kind al- 
ways are, in proportion to the digeftive powers of 
the animal into whofe blood they enter. This oc- 
cafions their deterfive powers to extend farther 
than the larger glands, and enables them to fcour 
even the minuteft pafTages ; and by keeping the 
nerves clear from vifcidities, and fuch matter as 
clogs their fprings, they are extremely efficacious 
in palfies, epilepfies, and all the numerous train of 
nervous diforders. 
Remarkable cures have been alfo performed by 
thefe infefts in flrumas, and inveterate tumours or 
ulcers ; but it is queftionable whether their virtues 
are fo confiderable as have been generally fup- 
pofed, at leaft when prefcribed in the cuftomary 
dofes : they are beft adminiftered in fubftance, or 
bruifed in white wine, the liquor being ufed after 
fettling. 
Millepedes, Greater, Livid. This infect 
is about half an inch long, and of an oval fhape: 
the body is entirely of a livid colour, except at the 
edges of the fegments, which arc whitilh ; and on 
each fide there is a whitifli fpot near the hinder 
legs. The fkin is tough and gloffy ; the legs are 
ihort; and the tail is blunt, without any divifion. 
Millepedes, Water. This fpecies is about 
half an inch long, and nearly a quarter broad. 
The colour is a pale brownifh grey; and the whole 
body is fo thin, that it feems almoft tranfparent. 
It is compofed of feven joints, exclufive of the 
head and tail; the tail is forked, and each fork is 
bifid at it's extremity ; the legs are flender, pretty 
long, of a pale brown colour, and tranfparent, be- 
ing feven in number on each fide; and the feelers 
confift of three joints each. This creature is com- 
monly found in ponds and ditches. 
Millepedes, Sea. This infect is an Inch long, 
and half an inch broad; the colour is whitilh; 
the back is fomewhat rounded; the belly is flat; 
and the fides are fharp. There are feven legs on 
each fide; the three pairs before are fmall and 
fmooth; but thofe behind are large, long, and 
hairy. The body confifl:s of feven joints, befides 
the head and tail; which lafl: is three-quarters of 
an inch long, and fomewhat of a triangular fhape, 
being marked with two convex parallel rays on 
each fide. 
MILLER'S THUMB. An Englifli appel- 
lation for the fifh called alfo the bull -head, the 
MIN 
Cott'usof ichthyologifts in general, and the Cottus 
Gobio of Linnaeus. It is commonly found in 
fuch clear fireams as water this ifland, and gene^ 
rally at the bottom, where it depofits it's fpawn in 
a hole formed for that purpofe. It leldom exceeds 
three inches and a half in length. The head is 
large, broad, and thin at it's circumference; and 
on the middle part of the covers of the gills there 
is a fmall crooked fpine, turning inwards. The 
eyes and teeth are fmall; the figure of the body 
grows gradually flender towards the tail ; the co- 
lour in general is duflcy mixed with yellow, but 
the belly is whitifh. 
MILLMOTH. An infeft approaching to the 
nature of the beetle, but having no flieath-wings. 
It is common in the houfes of millers and bakers, 
and other perfons who deal in flour. 
MILVAGO. An appellation given by Gef- 
ner, and fome other authors, to a fifli called by 
ichthyologifts in general milvus, and cuculus; 
and by fome lucerna, and the flying-fifh. It is a 
fpecies of the trigla; and difl:inguiftied by Ar- 
tedi under the name of the trigla with a bifid fnout 
at the extremity, and the fide-lines forked near 
the tail. 
MILVUS. The claffical name of a bird of 
the falcon kind. See Kite and Buzzard. 
_ MINOR, OR MINO. A curious Eafl: Indian 
bird, of which there are two varieties, a greater 
and a lefs, difi^ering principally from each othef 
in the colour of the bill, which in the lefl'er is a 
fine red, and in the greater a pale yellow. The 
irides are of a pale yellow hue, and a broad fl:ripe 
of yellow runs below the eyes from the back part of 
the head. The upper part of the body is black, 
with a few white marks on the exterior wing-fea- 
thers ; the under parts are more duflcy; the legs 
are of an orange colour; and the claws are black. 
This bird, with proper attention, may be taught 
to fpeak. 
MINNOW. An appellation fometimes given 
to a fmall fifli, the phoxinus of authors. In the 
Artedian fyfliem, this is a fpecies of the cyprinus; 
and in the Linnasan, the cyprinus phoxinus, with 
the dorfal fin confifl:ing of eight rays, a brown Ipot 
on the tail, and a pellucid body. The lateral line 
of diis fifli is of a golden hue; the back is flat, and 
of a deep olive-colour; and the fides and belly arc 
liable to confiderable variations, in fome being of 
a rich crimfon hue, in others blueifh, and in fome 
white. The body is flender and fmooth, the fcales 
being extremely fmall; and the tail is bifid, and 
marked near the bafe with a duflcy fpot. The whole 
length feldom exceeds three inches. The Min- 
now abounds in many of the fmall gravelly ftreams 
of this ifland. 
M1NX= An American animal of the otter 
kind, the Muftela Lutreola of [Linnasus, It has 
roundifli ears; a white chin; and it's body is co- 
vered with tawny and dufky hair, the ihort hairs 
being yellowifh, and the long ones black. The 
feet are broad, webbed, and covered with hair 5 
and the tail, which is dufky, terminates in a point. 
The late Mr. Collinfon, on the authority of a 
correfpondent, gives the fubfequent account of 
this animal. ' The Minx,' fays he, ' frequents 
the water, like the otter; and very much refembles 
it in fhape and colour, but is much lefs. It is 
capable of continuing longer under water than ei- 
ther the mufk-quafh, the mufk-rat, or the little 
beaver; yet it will leave it's watery haunts to rob 
our hen-roofts. It bites off the heads of poultry, 
and 
