P~ 
MEL 
It has been found only at Prescati and 
St. Albano near Rome ; in rocks belonging 
to the newest fisetz trap formation. 
MELANTHIUM, in botany, a genus of 
the Hexandria Trigynia class and order. 
Natural order of Coronariae Junci, Jussieu. 
Essential character : corolla six-petalled ; 
filaments from the elongated claws of the co- 
rolla. There are ten species, of wftch M. 
virginicnra, Virginian melanthium, has the 
flower stalks from six to eight inches high, 
branching at top into three or four divisions, 
with two or three linear leaves below the 
flowers ; corolla of a dusky colour, rarely 
succeeded by seeds in England. Native of , 
Virginia and several parts of North Ame- 
rica. 
MELASTOMA, in botany, a genus of 
the Decandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order Of Calycanthemae. Melas- 
tom®, Jussieu. Essential character ; calyx 
five-cleft, bell-shaped ; petals five, inserted 
into the calyx ; berry five-celled, wrapped 
up in the calyx. There are sixty-seven 
species, of which M. acinodendron is a 
large tree, having many crooked branches, 
covered with a brown bark, and smooth 
entire leaves, above five inches long and 
two broad in the middle, with three deep 
veins eunning through them ; both sides are 
of alight green, the edges are sharply in- 
dented, ending in acute points ; the fruit 
grows in loose spikes at the ends of the 
branches, of a violet colour. Native of 
South America. 
> MELEAGRIS, in natural history, the 
turkey, a genus of birds of the order Gal- 
linas. Generic character : bill convex, 
short and strong ; head and neck covered 
with spoimy caruncles ; chin with a longi- 
tudinal membranaceous caruncle ; tail broad 
and expansile. Gmelin notices two spe- 
cies, and Latham five. The meleagris gal- 
lipavo, or wild turkey, is'a native of Ame- 
rica, tlie presumed origin of every species 
under the genus. In the northern parts of 
that continent these birds are found in 
flocks even of several hundreds, which, 
during the day-time, resort to the woods, 
feeding principally upon acorns, returning 
by night to some swampy grounds, where 
they roost upon the highest trees. In Ca- 
rolina they occasionally grow to the weight 
of thirty, and even, it is .said, forty pounds, 
and at Surinam they attain also a very con- 
siderable size. They are often taken by 
means of dogs, which, obliging them to run 
for a very considerable time, at length 
nearly exhaust their strength, and force 
MEL 
them to take refuge in the tops of th* 
tallest trees. Here, if within reach of the 
sportsman, they incur inevitable destruc- 
tion, as the preceding exertions have occa- 
sioned so great a lassitude as to preclude all 
further effort; and they drop one after 
another, submitting without the slighest re- 
sistance to their fate. Turkeys breed only 
once in a year, but wall produce a great 
number at a time, sometimes even so many 
as seventeen. The female sits with ex- 
treme closeness, and is very assiduous in 
maternal duties. The young, however, are 
very susceptible of injury, from almost in- 
numerable causes, from cold and wet, and 
even sunshine itself, which, when powerful, 
has often been known to prove fiital to 
them. They are reared, therefore, in this 
country witli great care and difficulty only, 
but in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk, 
are nevertheless considered as a profitable 
appendage to almost every farming esta-' 
blishment. From these counties they are 
driven to the metropolis at certain seasons, 
and urged on the road by long sticks with 
bits of red cloth waving at the end of them, 
the sight of which excites in these birds un- 
common terror. In their expressions of tlie 
strongest feelings, both of attachment and 
antipathy, they raise their train, and spread 
it nearly into a complete circle, uttering 
certain hollow and internal sounds, which 
produce a general agitation throughout the 
body. Collecting and displaying, in this 
manner, their whole dignity, they move 
'with a slow and ostentatious step, desirous, 
asitwere, to convince alike the objects of 
their love and hatred of their possessing su- 
perior power and consequence. See Aves, 
Plate VIII. fig. 8. 
MELIA, in botany, bead-tree, a genus of 
the Decandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Trihilat®. Meli®, Jussieu. 
Essential character : calyx five-toothed ; 
petals five ; nectary cylindric, bearing the 
anthers at its mouth ; drupe with a five- 
celled nucleus. There are three species 
large trees, growing naturally in the East 
Indies. 
MELIANTHUS, in botany, honey-flower, 
a genus of the Didynamia Angiospermia 
class and order. Natural order of Cory- 
dales. Rutace®, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter : calyx four-leaved, the lower leaf 
gibbous ; petals four, with the nectary 
within the lowest; capsule five-celled. 
There are three species, natives of the Caps 
of Good Hope. 
MELICA, in botany, melic-grast, a genus 
1 
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