M Y I! 
M Y R 
M Y R 
24 S 
In its inode of life this animal resembles 
the rest of the ant-eaters, being generally 
found in the midst of some large ant-hill: it 
burrows with great strength and celerity 
tinder ground, when disturbed ; its feet and 
legs being most excessi vely strong and short, 
and wonderfully adapted to this purpose. It 
will even burrow under a pretty strong pave- 
ment, removing the stones with its claws ; or 
under the bottom of a wall. During these 
exertions, its body is strengthened or length- 
ened to an uncommon degree, and appears 
very different from the short or plump aspect 
which it bears in its undisturbed state. 
It cannot escape the observation of every 
scientific naturalist, that, in consequence of 
the discovery of this curious animal, the 
Din mean character of myrmecophaga is, in 
part, rendered inapplicable. Since, there- 
fore, the genera of manis and myrmecophaga 
differ only in the external covering (the 
former being coated with scales, and the lat- 
ter with hair), it would, perhaps, be not im- 
proper to conjoin the two genera, to add this 
as a new species, and to give as part of the 
generic character, corpus pi 11s, squamis, vel 
aculeis tectum. Or it might even constitute 
a new genus, which would differ from those 
of manis and myrmecophaga, in having the 
body covered with spines. 
M'i RMELEON, a genus of insects of 
the order neuroptera : the generic character 
is, mouth furnished with jaws, teeth two; 
feelers four, elongated ; stemmata none ; an- 
tenna; clavated, of the length of the thorax ; 
wings deflected; tail of the male furnished 
with a forceps consisting of two straightish 
filaments. Of this genus the species whose 
history is best understood is the myrmeleon 
formicaleo of Linnaeus, whose larva has long 
been celebrated by naturalists for its wonder- 
ful ingenuity, in preparing a kind of pitfal or 
deceptive cavity for the destruction of such 
insects as happen unwarily to enter it. The 
myrmeleon formicaleo, in its complete or fly 
state, bears no inconsiderable resemblance to 
a small dragon-fly, from which, however, it 
may readily be distinguished by its antenna;. 
It is of a predacious nature, llying chiefly by 
night, and pursuing the smaller insects iii the 
manner of a libellnla. It deposits its eggs 
in dry sandy situations ; and the young larva;, 
when hatched, begin separately to exercise 
their talent of preparing, by turning them- 
selves rapidly round, a very small conical ca- 
vity in the sand. Under the centre of the ca- 
vity the little animal conceals itself, suddenly 
rushing forth at intervals in order to seize any 
small insect which, by approaching the edge 
of the cavity, has been so unfortunate as to fall 
in ; and after sucking out its juices through 
its tubular forceps, throws it by a sudden ex- 
ertion to some distance from the cavity. As 
the creature increases in size it enlarges the 
cavity, which at length becomes about two 
inches or more in diameter. The larva, 
when full-grown, is more than half n inch 
long, and is of a flattened figure, broad to- 
wards the upper part, and gradually tapering 
to an obtuse point at the extremity, (t is of 
a brown colour, and beset with numerous 
tufts of dusky hair, which are particularly 
conspicuous on each side the annuli of the 
abdomen ; the legs are slender ; the head i 
and thorax rather small ; the tubular jaws 1 
long, curved, serrated internally, and very 
sharp-pointed. The whole animal is of an I 
unpleasing aspect, and on a cursory view 
bears a general resemblance to a tlat-bodied 
spider. When magnified, its appearance is 
highly uncouth. 
The ingenious Reaumur and Roesel have 
given accurate descriptions of this larva and 
its extraordinary history. JY^s one of those 
whose term of life, like thut*f the libellukc 
and ephemerae, is protracted to a very con- 
siderable space, since, it survives the first 
winter in its larva state, taking no nourish- 
ment during that time, and in the spring re- 
sumes its usual manner of preying. In pre- 
paring its pit, it begins by tracing an exterior 
circle of the intended diameter of the cavity, 
continuing its motion, in a spiral line, till it 
'gets to the centre, thus marking several vo- 
lutes in the sand, resembling the impression 
of a large helix or snail-shell ; and alter hav- 
ing sufficiently deepened the cavity by a repe- 
tition of this motion, it smooths the sides 
into a regular shape by throwing out the su- 
perfluous sand lying on the ridges; this it 
does by closing its forceps in such a manner, 
that together with the head, they form a con- 
venient shovel, with which it throws the sand 
with so strong a motion out of the cavity, 
that the grains often fall to the distance of 
near, a foot beyond the brink. The depth of 
the pit is generally equal to the diameter. 
When full-grown and ready to change into 
a chrysalis, the animal envelopes itself in a 
round ball of sand, agglutinated and connect- 
ed by very line silk, which it draws from a 
tubular process at the extremity of the body; 
with this silk it also lines the internal surface 
of the ball, which, if opened, appears coated 
by a fine pearl-coloured silken tissue. It 
continues in the state of chrysalis about four 
weeks, and then gives birth to the complete 
insect. 
The myrmeleon barbarus has antennae as 
long as the body; thorax spotted with yel- 
low. See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 291. 
MYROBALANS, a kind of medicinal 
fruit brought from the Indies. See Ma- 
teria Medica. 
M\ RODEN DRUM, a genus of the class 
and order polyandria monogynia. The cor. 
is five-petalled ; stigma, capitate, five-lobed ; 
per. five-celled. There is one species, a tree 
©t Guiana. 
MY RODIA, a genus of the monadelphia 
polyandria class and order; the calyx is single, 
one-leafed; cor. five-petalled; pist. one co- 
lumn of anthers undivided, drupe dry, two 
nuts. There are two species, shrubs of the 
West Indies. 
MYROSMA, a genus of the monandria 
monogynia class and order; the cal. is double, 
outer three-leaved, inner three-parted ; cor. 
five-parted : caps, three-cornered. There is 
one species, a shrub of Surinam. 
MYROXYLUM, a genus of the mono- 
gynia order, in the decandria class of plants. 
I he- calyx is campanulated ; the superior 
petal larger than the rest ; the germ, is longer 
than the corolla; the legumen monosper- 
nrtous. There is but one species, the peru- 
iferum, a native of Peru and the warmer 
parts of Africa. It is this shrub that yields 
the balsam of Peru, which is said to be ex- 
tracted from it by coction in water. This 
balsam, as brought to us, is nearly of the 
consistence of thin honey, of a reddish brown 
colour inclining to black, an agreeable aro- 
matic smell, and a very hot biting taste. 
Distilled with water, it yields a small quan- 
tity of a fragrant essential oil of a reddish 
colour ; and in a strong fire, without addition, 
a yellowish red oil Balsam of Peru is a very 
warm aromatic medicine, considerably hotter 
and more acrid than copaiva. (See Balsam.) 
its principal effects are to warm the habit, 
to strengthen the nervous system, and attenu- 
ate viscid humours. Hence its use in some 
kinds of asthmas, gonorrhoeas, dysenteries, 
and other disorders proceeding lrom a de- 
bility of the solids, or sluggishness and inac- 
tivity of the juices. It is also employed ex- 
ternally, for cleansing and healing' wounds 
and ulcers, and sometimes against palsies and 
rheumatic pains. There is another sort of 
balsam of Peru of a white colour, and con- 
siderably more fragrant than the former. 
Phis is very rarely brought to us. It is said 
to be the produce of the same plant which 
yields the common or black balsam; and to 
exsude from incisions made in the trunk, 
while the former is obtained by boiling. 
There is also a third kind, commonly called 
the red or dry. This is supposed to obtain 
a different state from the white, merely in 
consequence of the treatment to which it is 
subjected after it is got from the tree. It is 
almost as fragrant as the balsam of Gilead, 
held in so high esteem among the Eastern 
nations. It is very rarely in use in Britain, 
and almost never to be met with in our 
shops. 
MYRRH, a gummy resinous concrete 
juice. The plant from which this substance is 
obtained, is not certainly known. According 
to Bruce, it belongs to the genus mimosa, 
and grows in Abyssinia and Arabia. It is 
in the form of tears. Colour reddish-yellow, 
sometimes transparent, but more frequently 
opaque. T 'aste brittle and aromatic. Does 
not melt when heated, and burns with diffi- 
culty. With water it forms a veliow so- 
lution. The solution in alcohol becomes 
opaque when mixed with water. By distil- 
lation it yields oil. Its specific gravity is 
1.36. It is employed in medicine, and is 
soluble in alkalies. 
The medical effects of this aromatic bitter 
are, to warm and strengthen the viscera ; it 
frequently occasions a mild diaphoresis, and 
promotes the fluid secretions in general. 
Hence it proves serviceable in languid cases, 
diseases arising from a simple inactivity, ca- 
chectic disorders, and where the lungs and 
thorax are oppressed by viscid phlegm. 
Rectified spirit extracts- the line aromatic 
flavour and bitterness of this drug, and does 
not elevate any thing of either in evapora- 
tion; the gummy substance left by this men- 
struum lias a disagreeable taste, with scarcely 
any of the peculiar flavour of the myrrh ; this 
part dissolves in water, except some impuri- 
ties which remain. In distillation with water, 
a considerable quantity of a ponderous essen- 
tial oil arises, resembling in flavour the origi- 
nal drug. Myrrh is the basis of an officinal 
tincture. It enters the pilula; ex aloe et 
myrrha, the pilula; e gumini, the pilulae sto- 
machiae, and other formula;. 
MYRSINE, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the pentandria class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 
18th order, bicornes. The corolla is semi- 
quiuquefid and connivent ; the germen filling 
the corolla; the berry quinquelocular and 
