Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/74

Rh 62 M U R M U R by prohibiting communication between sick and healthy animals susceptible to the malady, and so preventing the formation of new infectious centres. Evasion or infraction of the legislative orders in force for the suppression of contagious diseases in animals is punishable by fine or imprisonment. (G. FL.) MURRAY COD. Of the numerous freshwater Perches inhabiting the rivers and watercourses of Australia the Murray Cod (Oliyorus macquariensis) is one of the largest, if not the largest, and the most celebrated on account of the excellent flavour of its flesh. In conferring upon the fishes of the new country familiar names, the early colonists were evidently guided by the fancied resemblance in taste or appearance to some fish of their northern home rather than by a consideration of their taxonomic affinities. These, as far as the Murray Cod is concerned, lie in the direction of the Perch and not of the Cod family. The shape of the body is that of a Perch, and the dorsal fin consists of a Murray Cod. spinous and rayed portion, the number of spines being eleven. The length of the spines varies with age, old individuals having shorter spines, that is, a lower dorsal fin. The form of the head and the dentition also resemble those of a Perch, but none of the bones of the head have a serrated margin. The scales are small. The colour varies in different localities ; it is generally brownish, with a greenish tinge and numerous small dark green spots. As implied by the name, this fish has its headquarters in the Murray river and its tributaries, but it occurs also in the northern parts of New South Wales. It is the most im portant food fish of these rivers, and is said to attain to a length of more than 3 feet, and to a weight of 120 K&amp;gt;. MURRAY RIVER, the largest river in Australia, rises in the Australian Alps about 36 40 S. lat. and 147 E. long., and, flowing north-westwards, skirts the borders of New South Wales and Victoria until it passes into South Australia, shortly after which it bends southward into Lake Alexandrina, a shallow lagoon, whence it makes its way to the sea at Encounter Bay by a narrow opening at 35 35 S. lat. and 138 55 E. long. Near its source, the Murray Gates, precipitous rocks, tower sheer above it to the height of 3000 feet ; and the earlier part of its course is very tortuous, broken, and uneven. Farther on it in some parts loses so much by evaporation as to become merely a series of pools. Its length till it debouches into Lake Alexandrina is 1120 miles, its average breadth in summer is 240 feet, its average depth about 16 ; and it drains an area of about 270,000 square miles. For small steamers it is navigable as far as Albury. Periodically it overflows its banks, causing wide inundations. Opera tions have lately been undertaken to render its mouth accessible for ships ; but, owing to the force of the southern ocean, navigation is difficult and dangerous. The principal tributaries of the Murray are those from New South Wales, including the Edward river, the united streams of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan, and the Darling or Callewatta. It was in 1829 that Captain Sturt traced the Murrumbidgee river till it debouched in a magnificent stream 300 feet wide. This stream, the Murray river, he followed down to Lake Alexandrina, but was compelled, after enduring great hardships, to return without discovering its outlet to the sea. In 1831 Captain Barker, while attempting to discover its outlet, was mur dered by the natives. In 1836 the discovery was made by Major Mitchell that the Darling flowed into the Murray. (See AUSTRALIA, vol. iii. pp. 105, 107.) MURRAY, or MORAY, JAMES STUART, SECOND EARL OP (1533-1570), regent of Scotland, was the illegitimate son of James V. by Margaret Erskine, daughter of the fourth Lord Erskine. While only in his fifth year he was appointed prior of the abbey of St Andrews in order that James V. might obtain possession of its funds. Under the tutorship of George Buchanan his intellectual training was carefully attended to, and as early as his fifteenth year he gave evidence of rare courage and decision by an impetuous attack on an English force which had made a descent on the Fife coast, and which he routed with great slaughter. In addition to the priory of St Andrews, he subsequently received those also of Pittenweem and of Mascon (France), but on reaching manhood he manifested no vocation for monasticism. The discourses of Knox, which he heard at Calder, won his high approval, and shortly after the return of the Reformer in 1559 Murray left the party of the queen-regent and joined the lords of the congregation, who resolved to adopt the bold measure of forcibly abolishing the Popish service. After the return of Queen Mary in 1561 he became her chief adviser, and his cautious firmness was for a time effectual in inducing her to adopt a policy of moderation and tolerance towards the Reformers. In 1562 he was created earl of Mar, and soon after married Lady Agnes Keith, daughter of the earl marischal. The earldom of Mar being claimed by Lord Erskine, he resigned the title and property and was created earl of Murray. After the defeat of Lord Huntly, leader of the Catholic party, who died soon afterwards, the policy of Murray met for a time with no obstacle or hindrance, but he awakened the displeasure of the queen by his efforts in behalf of Knox when accused of high treason, and, as he was also strongly opposed to her marriage with Darnley, he was after that event declared an outlaw and compelled to take refuge in England. Returning after the death of Rizzio, he found the sentiments of the queen towards him very greatly altered, and received a full pardon. On the abdication of Queen Mary at Lochleven he was appointed regent. The position was full of temptation and difficulty, but his con spicuous integrity and moderation, joined to unflinching courage and the utmost readiness of resource, proved to be adequate to what the circumstances demanded. When Mary made her escape from Lochleven, he occupied her attention with pretended negotiations until he had gathered his adherents in sufficient force, when he completely defeated her at Langside (13th May 1568) and compelled her to flee to England. Immediately afterwards he frustrated an attempt at insurrection by the duke of Chatelherault, whom he confined in the castle of Edinburgh. The dis appointed partisans of the queen resolved to have revenge, and one of their number, Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, shot him through the body at Linlithgow, 21st January 1570. The wound proved fatal, and he died the same evening. MURRAY, JOHN, M.D. (1778-1820), lecturer on chemistry and materia medica, was born in Edinburgh in 1778 and died in 1820. He was a clear and popular lecturer, and his books well represent the chemistry of the time, but he will be chiefly remembered on account of his opposition to Davy s theory of chlorine. In support of the old view that chlorine is a compound of oxygen and anhydrous muriatic acid, he attempted to prove experi mentally that muriatic acid gas contains combined water, and that chlorine contains oxygen. Dr John Davy con clusively proved that Murray s experiments were inac curate, and that all the phenomena can be perfectly well explained without assuming the existence of the unknown