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 Mel'ba, Nellie, a great prima donna, with wonderful clearness and purity of note, was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1865. She was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College at Melbourne; and afterwards studied singing in Paris under Mar-chesi. Her de'but was made in 1887 in Brussels as Gilda in Rigoletto; her London de'but in Lucia. Melba is a stage-name; her family name being Mitchell. She was married in 1882 to Charles Armstrong. She sang at the Opera in Paris from 1889 to 1892; and has since toured Europe, America and Australia. She perhaps is at her best as Lucia, Juliette, Ophelia or Nedda. Her voice is the purest soprano.

Melbourne (mel'bdrn), the most important city of Australia, the capital of the state of Victoria, is situated at the northern e d oi Port Philip Bay on both sides of the Yarra. Its streets are wide, crossing each other at right angles, with a great many fine buildings. It is the center of the railroads of Victoria, and has numerous factories, foundries and flour-milL. Its university, with three colleges, and a work-ingmen's college are the principal educational institutions. The exhibition-building, post-office, law-courts, the houses of parliament (costing $5,000,000), the royal mint, custom-house and the treasury are among the fine public edifices. Melbourne's growth has been rapid. It was first occupied by white men in 1835. I*1 I^Si, at the time of the discovery of gold in Victoria, it had a population of 25,000. In 1909 it numbered^ 562,300, including the suburbs. In 1888 an internaticnal exhibition was held on the hundredth anniversary of the settlement of Australia, which cost the

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colony $1,000,000. Melbourne was in 1901 visited by the duke of Cornwall and York (heir-apparent to the English crown) and his consort on the opening of the first parliament of federated Australia. See Lord Melbourne's Victoria and its Metropolis.

Melo'deon, a musical instrument somewhat like a piano in appearance, but depending upon a bellows and reeds for producing the music. It was first manufactured in the United States, over 20,000 being made in 1859, but is superseded by the cabinet organ, which is somewhat like the melo-deon. with many and great improvements.

Mel'on, the general name most commonly associated with muskmelons and watermelons, sometimes extended to include gourd-fruits in general. See MUSK-MELON and WATERMELON.

Mel'rose Ab'bey, a celebrated abbey in Roxburghshire, Scotland, situated near the town of Melrose, on the Tweed, 38 miles from Edinburgh. It was built in 1136 by David I, twice burned by the English, rebuilt in greater splendor and again destroyed by English invasions. It is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, e\en ir ruins, and in its prime was the most beautiful building in Scotland. The abbey has been celebrated by the writings of Sir Walter Scott, whose home, Abbots-ford, is in the vicinity an- is visited by many tourists. See Tk* Abbot and Lay of the Last Minstrel by Scott.

Melrose, Mass., a city of Middlesex County eight miles north of Boston, on the Boston and Maine Railroad. It is a growing town, and possesses schools, churches, public parks, halls, library, banks, hotels and club-houses. Its industries include the manufacture of rubber-boots and shoes, furniture, silver-polish and sewing-machine needles. Spot Pond, a natural reservoir, and the state reservation at Middlesex Fells attract visitors. Population 15,715.

Mel'ville, George W., an American engineer, was b-.^rn at New York, Jan. 10, 1841. He was educated at Brooklyn Polytechnic School, and entered the United States navy on July 29, 1861, as third assistant-engineer. He became engineer-in-chiet in 1887 and rear-admiral in 1899. He personally, by various inventions, contributed not a little to building up the new American navy. During his term 120 ships with a combined force of 700,000 horse-power were constructed under his supervision. In 1879 he joined the Arctic expedition under command of Lieutenant De Long, and commanded the boat's crew which escaped from the delta of the Lena. He afterwards recovered the records of the expedition and the remains of the unfortunate party which perished on the shores of Siberia. He received a gold medal by special act of Congress for his bravery and success. In 1885 he published In the Lena Delta, relating the experiences of the survivors of the Jeannette.

Mem'non, one of the heroes of the Trojan War, was, in Greek mythology, the son of Aurora. He led a band of Ethiopians to