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and austere, and it is not eaten until it has begun to decay. Japan medlar (Bot.), the loquat. See Loquat. -- Neapolitan medlar (Bot.), a kind of thorn tree (Cratægus Azarolus); also, its fruit.

An extinct quaternary mammal, of great size, allied to the sloth.

An extinct gigantic quaternary mammal, allied to the ant-eaters and sloths. Its remains are found in South America.

A large aquatic American salamander of the genus Necturus, having permanent external gills.

, the menstrual revolution of the moon; pertaining to monthly changes; as, the menstrual equation of the sun's place.

the meridian in Mercator's projection, corresponding to each minute of latitude from the equator up to 70 or 80 degrees; tabulated numbers representing these parts used in projecting charts, and in solving cases in Mercator's sailing.

was intended to be, and is very nearly, the ten millionth part of the distance from the equator to the north pole, as ascertained by actual measurement of an arc of a meridian. See Metric system, under Metric. Common meter (Hymnol.), four iambic verses, or lines, making a stanza, the first and third having each four f…

ss, it is called a divided-object-glass micrometer, and when the instrument is large and equatorially mounted, it is known as a heliometer. -- Double refraction micrometer, a species of double image micrometer, in which the two images are formed by the double refraction of rock crystal. -- Filar, or Bifilar, micromet…

d flies of the Chironomus, and allied genera, which do not bite. Their larvæ are usually aquatic.

folium) with white flowers and finely dissected leaves; yarrow. Water milfoil (Bot.), an aquatic herb with dissected leaves (Myriophyllum).

The angel fish (Squatina).

erable irritation and swelling, with some pain. The larvæ and pupæ, called wigglers, are aquatic. [Written also musquito.] Mosquito bar, Mosquito net, a net or curtain for excluding mosquitoes, -- used for beds and windows. -- Mosquito fleet, a fleet of small vessels. -- Mosquito hawk (Zoöl.), a dragon fly; -- so cal…

iment and mud in the water can settle for removal. -- Mud eel (Zoöl.), a long, slender, aquatic amphibian (Siren lacertina), found in the Southern United States. It has persistent external gills and only the anterior pair of legs. See Siren. -- Mud frog (Zoöl.), a European frog (Pelobates fuscus). -- Mud hen. (Zoöl.…

A small herbaceous plant growing on muddy shores (Limosella aquatica).

A North American aquatic fur-bearing rodent (Fiber zibethicus). It resembles a rat in color and having a long scaly tail, but the tail is compressed, the bind feet are webbed, and the ears are concealed in the fur. It has scent glands which secrete a substance having a strong odor of musk. Called also musquash, musk be…

Floating in water, as the leaves of water lilies, or submersed, as those of many aquatic plants.

A genus of aquatic hemipterus insects. The species feed upon other insects and are noted for their voracity; -- called also scorpion bug and water scorpion.

Any one of several species of small aquatic salamanders. The common British species are the crested newt (Triton cristatus) and the smooth newt (Lophinus punctatus). In America, Diemictylus viridescens is one of the most abundant species.

, 2. -- North pole, that point in the heavens, or on the earth, ninety degrees from the equator toward the north. -- North preceding. See Following, a., 2. -- North star, the star toward which the north pole of the earth very nearly points, and which accordingly seems fixed and immovable in the sky. The star a (alph…

The distance of any heavenly body from the equator northward; north declination.