MOT 
Morfes never venture on land till the coaft is 
clear of ice, and then they fometimes go afhore 
in amazing numbers. As foon as the firft arrives 
on dry ground, it will not move till another comes 
and forces it forward, by beating it with it's large 
teeth: this receives the fame treatment from the 
next} and fo on in fucceiTion till they are all landed. 
The hunters watch the landing of thofe animals 
on the Magdalene Iflands, in the Gulph of St. 
LaWrance; and, as foon as they find a fufficient 
number, for what they call a Cut, they go on 
fhore, each armed with a fpear, edged on one fide 
like a knife, and with it cut their throats. How- 
ever, particular care muft be taken not to Hand in 
the way of thofe that attempt to return to the fea, 
which they do with great agility, by tumbling 
headlong. They are fometimes difpatched for 
the fake of their oil, one animal fometimes pro- 
ducino; half a tun : and Buffon informs us, that he 
has feen braces for coaches made of their fkins, 
which are both elaftic and durable. 
Tiie Morfe produces one or two young at a 
time. It feeds on fea-herbs and fifli; and alfo 
eats fhells, which it digs out of the fand with it's 
teeth. It is faid to afcend rocks, or pieces of ice, 
by the affiftance of it's teeth, faftening them to the 
cracks, and by that means drawing up it's body. 
Excepting the human race, this animal feems to 
have no other enemy but the white bear, with 
which it often combats, and is generally vi6to- 
rious by means of it's enormous tufks. 
Morse, Indian; the Dugon of BufFon. This 
animal has two fhort canine teeth, placed in the 
upper jaw, pretty clofe to each other; it has four 
grinders on each fide of the upper jaw, placed at 
a diftance from the tufks ; and three on each fide 
in the lower jaw. It inhabits the Cape of Good 
Hope, and the Philippine IQands; and is faid to 
go afhore in fearch of green mofs. 
MOSCHELAPHUS. An appellation given 
by fome naturalifts to a creature of a mixed na- 
ture, faid to be generated between a ftag and a cow. 
Wagner tells us, that thefe animals are fome- 
times feen in the mountainous parts of Switzer- 
land ; as are alfo the hippotauri, produced by the 
copulation of a bull and a mare: but neither of 
thefe ever propagate their fpecies. # 
MOSCHIFERUM ANIMAL; the Mofchus 
Mofchiferous of Linnseus. An appellation fre- 
cjuently given to the creature from which we de- 
rive the perfume called mufk. See Musk. 
MOSCHUS. A genus of pecora in the Lin- 
njean fyftem; the diftinguilhing charaders of 
which are, that it has two long tufks in the upper 
jaw, and no horns. Linnaeus enumerates three 
fpecies, one of which is the Mofchiferum Animal. 
MOTACILLA. See Water-Wag-Tail. 
MOTH. A numerous and beautiful clafs of 
winged infe6ls of the butterfly kind, from which 
they are properly diftinguifhed by their feelers ter- 
minating in a fliarp point, and by flying chiefly in 
.the night; whereas butterflies, properly fo called, 
have clavated feelers, and feek their food and mates 
during the day. Hence they have alfo been dif- 
criminated by the names of diurnal and nofturnal 
butterflies. 
The ingenious Mr. Harris, who furnifhcd draw- 
ings and dcfcriptions of Butterflies, has alfo fa- 
voured us with the following fynoptical fyftem of 
thefe infeds. 
Vol. II. 
The Phalsns is that generation of the Lepidop- 
tera called Moths, whofe antennse diminilh to a 
point at the extremity. When at reil, their wings 
are deflexed over each other, the fuperior wings 
covering the inferior. The abdomen lieth be- 
tween the edges of the inferior wings, not in a 
kind of bed or groove, as in moft of the Papillio; 
and the legs have two thorn-like fliarp points at 
the middle joints of each. 
The Sphinx is alfo a term for a tribe or clafs of 
the Phalsense, which Mr. Wilks, in his Natural 
Hifl:ory, fays are between the Moth and the but- 
terfly; and Linnsus has alfo placed it between 
them in his Syfl:ema Nature, as a diitinil tribe or 
clafs. There is, however, no reafon why they 
fhould be feparated from the Phalange, as there 
is not a property or charafter belonging to thofe 
termed Sphinxes, but may be feen in many of the 
Phalsens. The antennce being thick in the mid- 
dle, and gradually leflening toward each end, is 
the charader by which they are alone to bediftin- 
guiflied; but this*"is not fufliciently confpicuous, 
even when clofely examined by a magnifying 
glafs; and it is obfervable that they have all the 
generical charafters of the Moth given as defcrip- 
tive above, though many fpecies of the Phal^nje, 
or Moths themfcives, have not. 
PLATE THE FIRST. 
Fig. I, The Large Tiger. The caterpillar of 
this Moth is about two inches and a half long 
when at it's full grov/th, black, but covered 
with long brown hairs. Their food is almofl: 
any thing which is vegetable ; they are very often 
found in gardens, but particularly among net- 
tles on banks, any time in April or May; for 
thofe of this fpecies are in the caterpillar fl:ats 
during the winter. The caterpillar, when full 
fed, fpins itfelf up in a white web, wherein it 
changes to a black chryfalis: in this it lieth 
for one month, at the expiration of which time 
it makes it's appearance in the Moth flate, 
which is very rich and brilliant. The fuperior 
wings are of a cream colour, fpotted with large 
clouds of a dark chocolate hue; and the infe- 
rior ones are of a beautiful fcarlet, ornamented 
with large fpots of black, which appear glofiVj 
like a piece of indigo when broken. The tho- 
rax is of a dark brown colour, as the fpots on 
the fuperior wings; and the abdomen is a bright 
fcarlet, having feveral marks acrofs the upper 
part. The eggs of the female are of a fine 
green colour, and laid in regular and exadl or- 
der; in number more or lefs: Mr. Harris once 
counted upwards of eight hundred and forty„ 
One remarkable circumfliance is, that the cater- 
pillars, when produced from the eggs, inft:cad 
of looking out for other food, devour the fhells 
from which they emerged the moment before. 
The female is larger by much than the male. 
Fig. 2. The Small Tiger. The caterpillars of 
the Small Tiger are produced by little round 
•fhining eggs, of a light green colour, which the 
parent Moth fixes to the food, about the latter 
end of June, in beautiful and regular order. 
When they appear from the eggs, they fepa- 
rate, and wander in fearch of food, or rather 
that part of the food they like beft, as they are 
fuppofed to be on it. Their chief aliment is 
chickweed and nettles, on which they feed till 
winter, when the inclemency of the weather 
2 D oblias* 
