pholades, anatifer^^ balaiii, piddocks^ varniicleSj 
and acorns. 
MUNGATHIA. An appellation given by 
fome auditors to a fpecies of Indian f^^rret, of a 
reddifh grey colour; called alfo Mungo. 
MURiENA. In the Linnsan Yyftcm, the 
Mursena conftitutes a genus of the order of apodes, 
diftinguillied by a fmooth body, lubulous nof- 
trils, ten bones in the branchioftege membrane, 
eyes covered with a flcin, a roundifh body, and 
fpiracles near the head or pe6loral fins. Tliis 
genus comiprehends feven fpecies. 
Artcdi thus charafterizes fifhes of this genus: 
they are of the malacopterygious, or foft-finned 
kind; the branchioftege membrane on each fide 
contains ten flender and curved bones; the fora- 
mina of the noftrils are two, placed in the very 
fummit of the fnout, one on each fide; the body 
is long and cylindric; and in fome fpecies there 
are three fins, in others two, and in fome only 
one. 
The fpecies of Murjena enumerated by Artedi 
are fix. See Eel. 
Lexicographers in general give ns the word 
Lamprey as the EngliOi of Mmxnz ; but the Mu- 
rsena and Lamprey, in Latin Lampetra, are two 
very different fifhes. The word Murf?na is de- 
rived from the Greek verb Murein, To fiow; and 
applied to this fifh becaufe of it's flippery nature, 
which renders it difficult to be feized. 
MuR^NA is alfo ufed by Albertus to exprefs 
the common fmall lampron, the lampetra parva 
fluviatilis of authors. This is one of the Petro- 
myza of Artedi; and is diftinguilLed by that in- 
genious ichthyolcgift by it's having only one row 
of very finall teeth in the verge of the mouth, be- 
fides the larger lower ones. 
MUREX. A genus of fhell-fifh of the tefca- 
cea order of worms, in the Linn^an fyftem; the 
charafters of which are: the fhell is univalve and 
fpiral, befet with (harp fpines and tubercles, v/ith 
a rough clavicle exerted near the fummit in moft 
fpecies, but in fome depreffed ; the mouth is al- 
ways expanded, and fometimes furniflied with 
teeth; the lip is fometimes digitated, at others 
elated, folded, or jagged; and the columella is 
fometimes rough, and at others fmooth. The in- 
clofed animal is a limax. 
Notv/ithftanding thefe are the general charac- 
ters of the Murex, and that all the fpecies have an 
oblong mouth, and the body covered v;ith tuber- 
cles; there are, under this extenfive character, four 
fpecific variations of figure: the firft" isfeen in the 
alated Murex, which has no fpines ; the fecond is 
in the fpider-fhell, vv'hich has a very remarkable 
feries of fingers or hooks; the third is in the hel- 
met-fl)ell, which, according to fome, conftitutes 
a true fpecies of Murex ; and the fourth is in the 
furrowed Murex^ which has no wings, protube- 
rances, nor fpines, but only a fiat head, and an 
oblong dentated mouth. 
Da Cofta, in his Elements of Conchology, di- 
vided the family of Murices into four genera: the 
Murex, rocks, or ihofe fhells which have a long 
and equally narrow mouth, and are externally very 
rugged ; the rhombi, whofe fubordinate charafter 
is, that their general fhape or contour is rhombic; 
-the alatae, or winged ftiells, whofe lips extend into 
a large flap or wing; and the aporrhaidse, or 
winged fhells, whofe flaps or wings are marginated 
with large fpikes or procefTes like fingers, as the 
fpiders and others. 
MVS 
Other conchyologifts divide the Murlcc? into 
fuch as have remarkably prominent tubercles or 
ipines ; thofe which are nearly fmooth, but have i 
rough clavicle and a crooked beak; fuch as have 
digitated lips; and thofe which have alated' and 
laciniated lips. Linnsus enumerates no lefs than 
fixty-one fpecies of the Murex. 
The ancients were furniflied with their fineft 
purple dye from a fifli of the Murex kind; and 
therefore they exprefled the purple colour by the 
word Murex. 
Murex Mutiani. ' An aDpellation given by 
fome authors to the genus of Ihells knovv'n by the 
moderns under tlie name of porcelains and con- 
chjE venerefE. See Porcelain Shell. 
MURRE. A provincial name for the razor- 
bill, 
MUS. In the Ifmnsan fyftem of zoology, a 
diftinft genus of animals of the order of glires, in- 
cluding the whole of the moufe and rat kinds. 
The generical charafter is, that the lower fore- 
teeth are awl-fhaped. Linnaeus enumerates 
twenty- one fpecies. 
Mus Alpinus. An appellation given by 
many naturalifts to the mountain-rat, more com- 
m.only known by the name of the marmotto. 
Mus Araneus. See Shrew. 
Mus Marinus. See Aphrodita. 
Mus NoRWEGicus. An appellation fometimes 
given to the Norway rat, called alfo the lemming. 
Mus Pharaonis. An Egyptian name for the 
ichneumon, a creature of the weafei kind; which 
in that country is treated with uncommon refpeft, 
becaufe of it's deftroying ferpents and other nox- 
ious animals. When domefticated, it ferves in- 
ftead of a cat. See Ichneumon. 
MUSCA. The claffical name for the fly. 
See Fly. 
MuscA Crabroniformis and Rapax. Names 
fcmetimxs ufed to exprefs the hornet-fly. See 
Asilus. 
Musca Vespiformis. See Wasp-Fly. 
MUSCICAP A. An appellation given by Al- 
drovandus, and fome others, to the ftone-chatter 5 
making that bird, which is properly an oenanthe, 
one of the fpecies of that genus of the fly- 
catchers. 
Muscicapa is alio a name given to the 'fly- 
catcher. See Fly-Catcher. 
MUSCLE. An Englift appellation for the 
Mytul us or IMytilus; a genus of fhell-filli belonp"- 
ing to the teftacea clafs of worms, in the Linn^am 
fyft-em: the charafters of which, according to 
fome conchyologifts, are; that the fhell is bivalve, 
of an oblong form, terminating in a point, and 
having it's two extremities equal. It is fome- 
timics fmooth, at others rough; in fomie fpecies 
flat; in others elate; and in fome the beak is elate. 
LinnfEus, however, gives the fubfequent charac- 
ters of theMytilus: that the animal is an afcidiaj 
the fhell bivalve, and often affixed to fome fub- 
ftance by a beard; and that it's hinge is without: 
a tooth, marked by a longitudinal hollow line. 
This great naturalift enumerates twenty fpecies^ 
many of which are found on the Britifii fliores. 
Muscle, Cop,imon ; the Mytilus Edilis of Lin- 
njEus. This fpecies is diftinguiflied by a ftrono- 
fliell, nightly incurvated on one fide, and angu- 
lated on the other; the end near the hinge being 
pointed, and the other rounded. When the epi- 
dermis is taken off, it is of a dee-^p blue colour, 
Thefe Ihells, which are found in immenfe beds, 
boti) 
