M U L 
M U L 
3VI U L 
> T liich are large and rounded ; the fins are 
blueish; the first dorsal fin, which is situated 
on the middle of the back, consists of four 
very strong rays : the second dorsal fin is 
placed opposite the anal, and has only soft 
rays ; the base of the dorsal and anal fin, as 
well as that of the tail, is scaly, and the tail 
is forked or lunated. 
The mullet is found not only in the Euro- 
pean seas, but in the Indian and Atlantic 
oceans. It is observed to assemble frequent- 
ly in small shoals near the shore, in quest of 
food, burrowing into the soft mud, and leav- 
ing the trace of its head in the form of a 
round hole. 
In the spring and early summer months, 
this fish, like the salmon, ascends rivers to a 
considerable distance ; and when preparing 
l'or these expeditions, is observed in shoals 
near the surface of the water, at which time 
the fishermen endeavour to avail themselves 
of the opportunity of surrounding them with 
their nets, which the fish are said to shew 
gf eat address in escaping from. 
The mullet is considered as an excellent 
fish for the table, though not a fashionable 
one in our own country.. Dr. Bloch informs 
us, that it is generally eaten with the addition 
of oil and lemon-juice. The spawn is often 
prepared into an interior kind of caviar, 
called botargo, by drying and salting it ; in 
which manner also the fish itself, in plentiful 
seasons, is occasionally preserved. See Plate 
Nat. Ilist. fig. 272. 
2. Mngil crenilabis, crenated mullet. Size 
of the common mullet; length about twelve 
inches ; colour whitish ; scales rather large, 
and marked by a dusky streak; upper lip 
gaping, lower bicarinated within, and both 
lips crenulated on the edges ; tins glaucous 
white, the pectoral marked at the base by a 
round black spot ; tail forked : native of the 
Tied Sea. T here are seveu other species. 
MUG-WORT, in botany. See Arte- 
MESIA. 
M U II L EN BERG I A, a genus of the class 
and order triandria digynia. T he calyx is 
one-leaved, minute, lateral ; corolla two- 
valved. There is one species, a grass of 
America. 
MU1D, a large measure in use among the 
French, for things dry. The mu id is no real 
vessel used as a measure, but an estimation 
of several other measures, as the septier, 
mine, ininot, bushel, &c. 
Mum is also one of the nine casks, or re- 
gular vessels, used in France, to put wine and 
other liquors in. The muid of wine is di- 
vided into two deini-muids, four quarter- 
nmids, and eight half-quarter miiids, con- 
taining 3b septiers. 
Ml) LB EllR Y See Morus. 
MULE, in zoology, a mongrel kind of 
quadruped, usually generated between an ass 
and a mare, and sometimes between a horse 
and a she-ass ; but the signification of the 
word is commonly extended to every kind of 
animal produced by a mixture of two differ- 
ent species. T here are two kinds of these 
animals: one from the he-ass and mare, the 
other from the horse and the she-ass. We 
call them indifferently mules, but the Ro- 
mans distinguished them by proper appella- 
tions. The first kind are the best and most 
esteemed, as being larger, stronger, and hav- 
ing least of the ass in Their disposition. The 
largest and stoutest asses, and the fairest and 
V OL. II. 
' finest mares, are chosen in those countries 
i where these creatures are most in use; as in 
Spain, Italy, and Flanders. In the last espe- 
cially, they succeed in having very stately 
mules from the size of their mares, some of 
them lb and some 17 hands high, which are 
very serviceable as sumpter-mules in the 
! army.- But since the Low-countries are no 
longer under the dominion of Spain, they 
breed fewer mules. T hese creatures are 
very much commended for their being 
stronger, surer-footed, going easier, being 
more cheaply maintained, and lasting longer, 
than horses. They are commonly of a black 
1 brown, or quite black, with that shining list 
i along the back and cross the shoulders which 
j distinguishes asses. In former times they were 
! much more common in this country than at 
present, being often brought over in the days 
of popery by the Italian princes. They con- 
; tinueci longest in the service of millers, and 
| are yet in use among them in some places, 
on account ot the great loads they carry on 
their back. As they are capable of being 
trained for riding, bearing burdens, and for 
draught, there is no doubt tliat they might 
; be usefully employed in many different ser- 
vices. But they are community found to be 
vicious, stubborn, and obstinate to a proverb ; 
‘ which whether it occasions or is produced by 
the ill usage they meet with, is a point not 
easily settled. Whatever may be the case of 
asses, it is allowed that mules are larger, 
j fairer, and more serviceable, in mild than in 
warm climates. In the British American 
colonies, both on the continent and in the 
islands, but especially in the latter, they are 
much used and esteemed; so that they are 
: frequently sent to them from hence ; suffer 
| less in the passage, and die much seldomer, 
than horses; and commonly yield, when they 
arrive, no inconsiderable profit. 
It has commonly been asserted, that ani- 
mals produced by tiie mixture of two hetero- 
geneous species, are incapable of generating, 
and thus perpetuating the monstrous breed: 
but this, we are informed by M. Buffon, is 
now discovered to be a mistake. 
MULES, among gardeners, denote a sort 
of vegetable monsters produced by putting 
the farina fecundans of one species of plant 
into the pistil or utricle of another. The 
carnation and Sweet-william being somewhat 
alike in their parts, particularly their flowers, 
the farina of the one will impregnate the 
other, and the seed so enlivened will pro- 
duce a plant differing from either. An in- 
stance of this we first had in Mr. Fairchild’s 
garden at IJoxton, where a plant is seen nei- 
ther sweet-william nor carnation, but resem- 
bling both equally : this was raised from the 
seed of a carnation that had been impreg- 
nated by the farina of the sweet-william. 
These couplings being not unlike those of 
the mare with the ass, which produce the 
mule, the same name is given them ; and 
they are, like the others, incapable of multi- 
plying their species, This furnishes a hint 
for altering the property and taste of any 
fruit, by impregnating one tree with the fa- 
rina of another of the same class, e. g-. a cod- 
lin with a pear main, which will occasion the 
codlin so impregnated to last a longer time 
than usual, and to be of a sharper taste. Or 
if the winter fruit# are fecundated with the 
dust of the summer kinds, they will ripen be- 
fore their usual time. And from this acci- 
G g 
233 
dental coupling of the farina of one with ano- 
ther, it may possibly be, that in aa orchard 
where there is variety of apples, even the 
fruit gathered from the same tree differ in 
their flavour, and in the season of maturity. 
It is also from the same accidental coupling 
that the numberless varieties of fruits and 
llowers raised every day from seed proceed. 
MULLER, or Mullar, denotes a stone 
flat and even at the bottom, but round at 
top, used for grinding of matters on a marble. 
'Fhe apothecaries use mullers to prepare 
some of their testaceous powders; and paint- 
ers for their colours, either dry or in oil. 
MULLERIA, a genus of the class and or- 
der diadelphia deeandria. T he pericarp is 
elongated, fleshy, necklace-form, with one- 
seeded globules. There is one species, a tree 
of Surinam. 
MULLET, or Mo left, in heraldry, a 
bearing in form of a flat, or rather of the^jowel 
cf a spur, which it originally represented. 
MULLUS, surmullet, a genus of fishes of 
the order thoracici. The generic character 
is, head compressed, scaly; mouth beard- 
ed; gill-membrane three-rayed; body co* 
vered with large subdeciduous scales. 
1. Mullus ruber, the red surmullet, is 
principally found in the Mediterranean and 
northern seas, where it arrives at the length 
of 12 or 15 inches: its colour is an elegant 
rose-red, tinged with olive-colour on the 
back, and of a silvery cast towards the abdo- 
men. The surmullet is a fish of a strong and 
active nature, swimming briskly, and feeding 
principally on the smaller fishes, worms, and 
sea-inseets. It is generally considered as a 
very delicate fish, and is celebrated for hav- 
ing been the fashionable object of Roman 
luxury, and for which such enormous sums 
are reported to have been sometimes given ; 
though it is probable that the high estimation 
in which it was held by the antieut Greeks 
and Romans was more owing to a prejudice, 
entertained on account of its elegant appear- 
ance, than to its real merit as a food. The 
Romans practised a singular refinement in 
luxury, by first bringing the fish alive to the 
table in a glass vessel, in order that the 
guests might enjoy the pleasure of contem- 
plating the beautiful changes of its evanescent 
colours during the time of its gradual expi- 
ration; after which it was prepared for their 
repast. 
2. Mullus surmuletus, striped surmullet, 
of similar size and general appearance with 
the preceding, but marked on each .side hy 
two and sometimes three longitudinal yellow 
stripes: native of the Mediterranean, hut 
found occasionally in the Atlantic and other 
seas: in equal esteem as a food with the 
former, of which it has even been considered 
by some authors as a variety. 
3. Mullus Indieus, Indian surmullet. Size 
and habit of the common or red mullet ; co- 
lour extremely beautiful in the living fish, 
but fading very soon after death ; upper part 
of the head and back dark changeable pur- 
ple, growing faint on the sides, which are 
marked by a few longitudinal azure and 
golden lines, and by two oblong spots on 
each side ; the first situated about the middle 
of the body,, smallish, and of an opaline or 
changeable golden and white colour ;, the se- 
cond situated near the tail, larger,' and of % 
dark purple; abdomen white;' dorsal ti» 
