M U L M 0 L 
fins Confifi; of only two thick rays; the clorial fin 
is compofed of thirty-two foft rays; the anal fin, 
which extends almoft to the taii^ confifts of nine- 
teen rays, tiptwith white; and the tail is rounded 
at the end, and compofed of twelve branched 
rays. The colour of the body varies, foine being 
quite black, and others fpotted with white; but 
the general colour is a deep olive, beautifully 
marked with a ftill deeper. 
MULLER. An appellation given by foine 
authors to the fifli called in Latin the cataphrac- 
tus, and in Englifli the marled fifli or pogge. 
MULLET. A name a;iven in England indif- 
criminately to feveral kinds of fifn of different ge- 
nera: but the proper fenfe of the word is reilrained 
to the mugil, or cephalus, of the generality of 
authors; the cephalus of Ariftotle and the Greeks; 
and the ceftreus of Oppian and others. 
The diftinguifhing chara6lers of the Mullet, 
according to the Artedian fyftem, are thcfe: the 
branchiolleg^e membrane on each fide contains 
fix crooked bones, the upper one being the broad- 
ell, and hid under the covering of the gills, fo 
that only five are perceptible; thefcales are large, 
and cover the head and the opercula of the gills, 
as well as the reft of the body; the head is of a 
deprefTed figure in it's anterior part; and the body 
is oblong and comprefled. According to th.efe 
diftinftions, there is only one known fpecies of 
Mugil ; but Linnaeus, who makes it a genus of 
abdominaies, reckons two fpecies, the cephalus 
and albula. 
The Mullet is an excellent fifl-i for the table, 
tliough at prefent an unfafhionable one. The 
head is almoft fquare, and flat on the top; the 
nofe is blunt; and the lips are thick. It has no 
teeth, but only a fmall roughnefs in the upper 
lip ; and between the eyes and the mouth there is 
a hard callus. The pupil of the eye is black, en- 
circled v;ith a fmall filvery line ; the upper part of 
the irides is hazel-coloured, and the lower filvery. 
The form of the body is pretty thick; and the 
fcales are large and deciduous. The firft dorfal 
fin, which is placed near the middle of the back, 
confifts of four ftrong fpines ; and the fecond of 
nine foft branching rays: the perioral fin is com.- 
pofed of fixteen rays, the ventral of fix; and the 
tail is ftrongly bifid. The back is dufky, varied 
with blue and green ; the fides are filvery, marked 
v/ith broad dufky parallel lines, reaching from the 
head to the tail ; and the belly is filvery. 
Mullets are juftly ranked by Ariftotle air.ong 
the pifces littorales, or thofe fifii which prefer the 
fnores to the ocean. They are found in abund- 
ance on feveral of the fandy coafts of this ifland; 
and they particularly haunt thofe fmall bays which 
have influxes of frefli v/ater. They arrive in 
large flioals; and are fond of rooting in the fand 
or mud, after the maner of hogs, leaving their 
traces in the fliape of large circular holes. They 
are extremely cunning and ailive: when fur- 
rOunded by a net, the whole ilioal frequently ef- 
capes by leaping over it; for when one fets the ex- 
ample, the reft are fure to follow it. This pecu- 
liarity is noticed by Oppian; together with feveral 
other curious particulars, which feem to be lefs 
authentic. 
In the fouth of France, abundance of Mullets 
are taken in wiers made of reeds, and placed in 
the fhallows. Of the milts of the males, which 
are there called Alletants, and of the roes of the 
females, termed Botar, is made Botargo. The 
materials are- taken out entire; covered wr:h rih 
for four or five hours ; then flightly preffcd be- 
tv/een two boards or ftones; afcerv/ards waik-ed; 
and, laftly, dried in the fun for t.hirteen or four- 
teen days. 
This fifh was fom.etimes made the inftrument 
of a horrible punifliment for unfortunate gal- 
lants; and was in ufe both at Athens and Rome. 
Legibus Athenicnfium adulteri Encrga deprehenfi 
poena fuit Rapbanodqfis. Raphani loco utebantur 
nonunquam mugile pifce, interdumi fcorpione. 
Mullet is alfo a provincial appellation for the 
bird known by the name of the Anas ArfticaClufii. 
Mullet, Black. A name given by fome 
naturalifts to a fifli of the mullet kind, entirely 
black ; more frequently known by that of the por- 
tius pifcis. 
Mullet, Winged. An appellation given by 
fom.e authors to the hirundo pifcis, or fwallow- 
fifli; which, excepting in it's wing-fins, ftrongly 
refembles the Mullet. See Flying-Fish. 
MULLUS. The name of a fifh properly of 
the cuculus kind: of which there are two fpecies j 
the one called Mullus imberbis, the other Mullus 
afper. 
Linnreus makes the Mullus adiftin6l genus of 
the thoracic order of fifties : the characters of which 
are; that the heaci is comprefled, declining, and 
covered with fcales ; that the bran chiofteo;e mem- 
brane contains three bones; and that the body is 
covered with large deciduous fcales. He enume- 
rates three fpecies; the Mullus afper, the Mullus 
barbatus, and the Mullus imberbis. 
Mullus Asper. This is a fmall fifli, about 
the length and thicknefs of a man's finger, and of 
a beautiful red or fomewhat purpiifh colour. It is 
covered with fcales ferrated at their extremities, 
and obliquely placed. 
Mullus Barbatus. This fifh, which is 
caught in the Mediterranean, is reckoned ex- 
tremely delicious. It's ufual length is about fix 
or feven inches: the head is flatted; the body is 
pretty thick; the back is alfo flat; and from the 
head to the tail the fifii gradually diminifhes in 
thicknefs, fo as to refemble an obelifk in fhape. 
The fcales are ferrated at their edges, of a brown- 
ifn olive-colour, and eafily rubbed ofi?"; the eyes 
ftand high in the head; under the chin there are 
two very long beards; but iht jaws are deftitute 
of teeth. 
Mullus Imberbis. This fifh, which is ufually 
about four or five inches long, is covered with 
very large fcales of a rcddifh hue; the belly is 
fomewhat prominent; the eyes are large; the 
mouth is very wide; the jaws are rough like a 
fide ; and the tail is forkecl. Having no beards, 
from that circumftance the fifh receives it's name. 
MULTIVALVES. a general clafs of ihell- 
fifh, diftinguifhed from the univalves which con- 
fift only of one ftiell ; and the bivalves which con- 
fift of two, by their being compofed of three or 
more ftiells. 
There are fev/er fpecies of Multivalves than 
either of bivalves or univalves. A late accurate 
French conchyologift has ranked all the fpecies 
under the fix following genera: the echini, or fea- 
ep-fj-s: the vermiculi, or lea- worms; the balani, or 
centre-fliells ; the pollicipides, or thumb-fhells j 
the conchis anatiferte, or goofe-fhells; and the 
pholades. 
Da Cofta likewiie makes fix genera of Multi- 
valves j which he diftinguilhes by the names of 
pholades. 
