M O U 
Fig. 1 1 . Housewife. The antennse of this Moth 
are finely peilinated : the eyes are black; and 
the prevailing colour is a light ,green. The fu- 
perior wing hath a darkifii green irregular bar 
crofling it's nniddle, and another bar of white 
between that and the outer edge ; and the mark- 
ings of the inferior wing have a faint refem- 
blance to thofe of the fuperior. 
There are feveral fpecies of this name; viz. the 
Crofs-barred Houfewife; the Large green 
Houfe-wife ; the Small green Houfewife ; and 
the above-defcribed. Although they are of dif- 
ferent fpecies, they all feed on white-thorn. 
Their caterpillars, which are of the luper kind, 
appear in the Moth ftate about the latter end of 
June. 
MOTH, FIELD. An appellation given by 
Reaumur to a fpecies of infeft, which refembles 
the Houfe-Moth in every refpeft, except in it's 
food: for, as the latter feeds on woollen, and 
makes it's neft or covering of that fubftance; this 
eats the leaves of trees, and in the fame manner 
forms a covering from their fibres and integu- 
ments. 
The Field-Moth undergoes the fame transfor- 
mations as the common kind; and differs from it 
only in it's food, which is more moift. Reaumur 
firft obferved it on the leaves of the afh. 
For a confiderable part of it's life, this infe6t 
Hands in need of no covering; but, like the afca- 
rides, m.aking it's way through the upper integu- 
ments of the leaf, it feeds on the parenchyma and 
juices ; and at length, when it has eat away all the 
fubftance of the leaf, it bites out a piece from each 
integument, and unites the edges all round with 
threads of it's own fpinning; thus making a com- 
pleat cafe or covering, by which it is defended from 
the injuries of the weather. This being accom- 
plilhed, it marches from it's former ftation in queft 
of food, and fixing on another leaf, remains there 
till the fubftance is confumed : after which it again 
changes it's place, and at the fame time it's cover- 
ing, which cofts it but very little trouble to renew. 
There are feveral varieties of this fpecies ; fome 
larger, and others fmaller. The largeft kinds 
make their coverings of various materials, and of 
different ftru£lures : thefe are ufually very rough, 
and apparently compofed of wliatever fubftanccs 
happen to be the neareft at hand. 
All thefe infe£ls might have been defcribed as 
dependants on the beetle and fly kinds; but as they 
poffefs this remarkable quality of feeding, and 
making themfelves cafes of different materials, 
like the tinea or Cloth-Moth, while in the worm 
ftate; and in this -condition are more obvious to 
the eye than the flies and beetles produced from 
them, many of which are fo fmall as to efcape ob- 
- fervation; the accurate Reaumur thought proper 
to defcribe them together, and in this their imper- 
feit ftate. He likewife annexes an account of 
another fet of animals fomewhat allied to them, 
to which he gives the name of pfeudo tinea, or 
falfe Moth. 
. MOUCHEROLLE. A name by which fome 
naturalifts cxprefs a fmall bird about the fize of 
the fparrow, and of the fame colour, but longer 
bodied: the wings are of a more duflcy colour 
\han the reft of the body ; the head is variegated 
with very minute black fpots ; the throat and belly 
ijre white, with a hmt reddifh tinge at their edges; 
Vol. II. 
M O U 
and the beak is black, ftraight, and ridged, fb as 
to appear triangular. 
This bird feeds on files and other infefts; and 
is common in the gardens and orchards of many 
parts of England. The vulgar confound it with 
the white-throat; but it differs from that bird in 
having it's tail of one uniform colour, whereas 
that of the white-throat is variegated. It alfo 
fomewhat refembles the beccifago, or petty-chaps ; 
but varies from it in having it's bill ridged and ' 
triangular, and in being deftitute of any green on 
it's plumage. 
MOUFFLON ; the Capra Ammon of Lin- 
nasus. An animal of the fheep kind, found in 
the moft uncultivated parts of Greece, Sardinia, 
and Corfica; and in the defarts of Tartary. It is 
by nature extremely wild, though it retains all the 
marks of the primitive race, and has a6lually been 
known to breed with the domeftic animal. 
The MoufBon, or Mufmon, as it is fometimes 
called, though covered with hair, bears a ftronger 
refemblance to the ram than to any other animal. 
Like that creature, it's eyes are placed near it's 
horns; and it's ears are fhorter than thofe of the 
goat. In it's horns, it alfo refembles the ram, as 
well as in all the particular contours of it's form: 
but particularly there is a ftriking fimilitude in it's 
horns, which have three fides, as in the ram; are 
of a yellow colour, and bend backwards behind 
it's ears. The muzzle, and the infide of the ears^ 
are of a whitifh hue, tinftured with yellow; but 
the other parts of the face are of a brownifh grey. 
The general colour of the hair of the body is 
brown, approaching to that of the red deer; and 
the infides of the thighs and belly are whitifh, tinc- 
tured with yellow. 
The whole form of this animal feems better 
calculated for agility and ftrength than that of the 
common flieep. The Moufflon can very well 
exift in a lavage ftate, and maintain it's rights, 
either by force or fwiftnefs, amidft all the animals 
that live by rapine. On account of it's fpeed, 
many have been inclined to rank it rather among 
the deer than the flieep kind; but in this they are 
certainly miftaken, as the Mouffton has a mark by 
which it is entirely diftinguifhed from that fpecies, 
namely, that of having undeciduous horns. 
There is a ftrong refemblance between the male 
and the female of this fpecies; but the female is 
lefs than the male, and her horns never grow to 
the fame magnitude as in the ram. In fome, 
thefe are feen to meafure, in their convolutions, 
above two ells in length: with thefe they often 
maintain very furious battles among their own 
kind; and fometimes they are broken in the con- 
fiia. 
When the Moufflon ftands on plain ground, 
it's fore-legs are always ftraight, while it's hinder 
ones feem bent under it; but, in cafes of more ac- 
tive necefTity, this feeming deformity is removed^ 
and it moves with great fwiftnefs and agility. 
Such is the fheep in it's favage ftate; a noble, 
bold, and beautiful animal. But the moft fightly 
animals are not always the moft ufeful to man. 
Human induftry, in order to improve it's utility, 
has certainly deftroyed it's gracefulnefs. 
MOUSE. A genus of animals of the order of 
glires, in the Linnsean fyftem; the diftinguifhing 
charadter of v^'hich is, that the lower fore-teeth are 
fubulated. 
Mouse, Common; the Mus Mufculus of Lin- 
nxus. This timid, cautious, aftive little ani- 
mal, is entirely domeftic, being never found in 
2 F fields; 
