O R 
being light and nutritive j but their nofes are 
efteemed the greateft delicacy in all Canada: their 
tongues alfo are excellent, and frequently imported 
from Ruflia. Their fldns make excellent buff- 
leather; and Linnffius afferts that it will refift a 
inufket-bull. Their hoofs were formerly fup- 
pofed to pofTefs great efficacy in curing epilep- 
fies; and it was pretended that the elk, being fub- 
jed: to that difeafe, cured itfelf by fcratching it's 
ear with it's hoof. See Elk. 
MORDELLA. An appellation given by 
fome writers to the ear-wig. 
MORDELLA is alfo the name of a genus of 
four-winged flies, of the coleoptera order of infe£ls : 
the diftinguifhino; chara6lers of which are: that the 
• It* 
antennae are filiform and ferrated; that the head is 
defle(fled under the neck; that the palpi are com- 
preffed, elevated, and obliquely truncated ; that 
the elytra are bent down towards the apex; and 
that the fore-thighs are broad at the bafe of the 
abdomen. Linnseus enumerates fix fpecies. 
MoRDELLA, Oblong, Black. This fpecies is 
about half an inch long, and a quarter of an inch 
broad: it has a flender pointed tail, and a fmall 
head ; the cafes of the wings are of one uniform 
colour ; the breaft is fmooth, and very convex ; and 
the feelers are flender, truncated, and jointed. 
The body grows gradually iinaller towards the 
tail, where it terminates in a fharp thorn or prickle, 
which is black like the body, and extends beyond 
the extremity of the wings. The legs are long 
and flender, by which means It leaps very nimbly. 
Mordella, Roundish, Opake Black. The 
head of this fpecies is fmall; and the breaft raifed, 
being of a dufky deep black colour, but not gloffy : 
the cafes of the wings are of the fame hue, and 
fomewhat fhorter than the body ; but the legs are 
flender and long. This infeft is common in 
gardens. 
Mordella, Shining Blue, Oval-Bodied. 
This fpecies is not much larger than a flea: the 
body is fhort, and nearly of an oval form; the 
breaft and back are both very convex and fmooth, 
and of a deep beautiful gloify blue colour; the 
legs are long; the thighs are thick, robuft, and 
whitifli; and the lower part of the legs is of an 
iron-grey colour. 
Mordella, Roundish Black, with a brafTy 
tin<5lure. This fpecies is lefs than a flea; and 
entirely of a very deep glofTy black colour, with a 
fine metalline yellowifh cafi : the belly and legs 
are of the fame fine black hue, but without the 
yellow tinge; and the cafes of the wings, which 
are ftriated, confift of five fmall yellow fpots. 
This animal frequents gardens early in thefpring. 
MORDILAPIS. An appellation given by 
fome writers to the loach, a fmall fifh often found 
under ftones in fhallow waters. 
MORGRAY. A fifli of the galeus kind, 
called alfo the rough hound-fini ; the Catulus Mi- 
nor of Salvian ; and theMuftelus Stellaris Tertius 
of Bellonius. This fifli is of a pale, and fomewhat 
reddifh grey colour, fpotted with brown and white; 
the belly is of a filvery white hue; the body is long 
and round; the fkin is very rough; and the flefh 
is extremely firm, and finely flavoured. 
The Morgray is the fmalleft of this genus of 
fifhes, feldom weighing above one pound and a 
half: it is common in the Mediterranean; and is 
frequently expofed to fale in the Italian markets. 
MORHUA. An appellation given by ibme 
ichthyologifts to the common cod-fifh. 
MORILLON, A fpecies of duck, apparently 
MOR 
the fame with the roiTo capo, a fmall red-headed 
wild fowl. 
MORINELLUS. The clafTical appellation 
for the dotterel. 
MORMYLUS. A fpecies of fifh of the fpa- 
rus kind, with the upper jaw longeft, and twelve 
parallel tranfverfe black lines on each fide. 
MORMYRUS. A genus of abdominal fifh, 
with a fmooth head, feveral emarginated teeth, 
a linear aperture in the gills with a cover, and a 
fquamofe body. There are two fpecies, both in- 
habitants of the Nile. 
MORRIS; the Leptocephalus of Grono- 
vius. A fifh fo called by Pennant in honour of 
his friend Mr. Morris, who firft difcovered it. 
This curious fpecies, which was caught near 
Holy-Head, was four inches long; the head was 
very fmall ; the body was compreffed fideways, ex- 
tremely thin, and almoft tranfparent, about the 
tenth of an inch thick, and in the deepeft part 
about the third of an inch. Towards the tail it 
grew more flender, and terminated in a point; 
and towards the head it floped down. The eyes 
were large; and the teeth in both jaws very fmall. 
The lateral line was ftraight ; and the fides were 
marked with oblique ftrokes. The apertures to 
the gills were large; it wanted the pedloral, ven- 
tral, and caudal fins ; the dorfal fin was extremely 
low and thin, extending the whole length of the 
back; and the anal fin extended to the fame dif- 
tance from the anus. 
MORSE; the Trichccus Rofmarus of Lin- 
nsEus. This animal, which is fomewhat of the 
feal kind, has a round head; a fmall mouth; and 
very thick lips, covered both above and below 
with pellucid briftles as thick as ftraws. It has 
two fmall fiery eyes; and two large orifices inftead 
of ears. The neck is fliort; and the body is 
thick in the middle, but tapering towards the tail. 
The fkin is thick and wrinkled, and has fhort 
brownifh hairs thinly difperfed over itj the legs, 
which are fliort, have five toes on each, all con- 
nefted by webs, with fmall nails on them; the 
hind feet are very broad; and the hind legs are 
ufually extended on a line Vs^ith the body. The 
length of this creature, from the nofe to the tail, 
is from twelve to eighteen feet; it generally mea- 
fures ten or twelve feet round in the thickeft part 
of the body; and the tail is extremely fhort. The 
teeth are generally from two to three feet long; 
and the ivory is held in greater eftimation than that 
of the elephant, being both whiter and harder. 
On the coaft of the Icy Sea, where it is feldom 
molefted, and confequently has time to attain it's 
full growth, the teeth have been fometimes found 
of the weight of twenty pounds each. 
Thefe animals inhabit the coaft of Spitzbergen, 
Nova Zembla, Hudfon's Bay, the Gulph of St. 
Lawrance, and the Icy Sea. In fome places they 
appear in herds of hundreds at a time. Being 
very timid creatures, they always avoid thofe 
places which are much frequented by mankind. 
They are extremely fierce when enraged; and, 
wounded in the water, endeavour to fink the boat 
of their adverfaries, either by rifing under it, or 
by ftriking their large teeth into it's fides. They 
roar very loud; and follow their afTailants as long 
as they can keep their boat in view. They are 
often feen fleeping in large companies, on an 
ifland of ice; and, if difturbed, plunge into the 
fea with vaft impetuofity : at fuch times it is dan- 
gerous to approach the ice, left they fhould tum- 
ble into the boat, and overfet it. 
Morfes 
