Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/322

* MELANISM. 288 MELBOURNE. The prevailing coloring matters in the pigments of mammals are the dull-colored melanins. The origin of these melanins is wrapped iu doubt. The dark coloring matter of silkworm moths and other insects is probably due to the waste products of the blood. It has been thought that in mammals the pigment is directly derived from the ha'nioglobin of the blood. Floyd, however, has shown that the skin of the negro contains about twice as much iron as the white skin, ap- parently due to the proteid present in the pigment granules. Another physiologist (Delepine) thinks tluit the melanin is elaborated out of the plasma of the blood, and is not a derivative of the hirmoglobin, but that the latter may itself be manufactured from some antecedent variety de- rivative of melanin (Newbigin). Bibliography. Newbigin. Color in Xature (London, 1808) ; Delepine, "Origin of Melanin," in Journal of Physiology, vol. xi. (1890). MEL'ANITE (from Gk. //f?.af, melas, black). A name given to the black or common garnet (q.v.). MELANORBHCE'A (Neo-Lat., from Gk. fii'/ac, mi-las, black + pnia, rhoia, a flowing, from pc'tv, rhrin, to flow). A genus of trees of the natural order Anacardiacea To this genus be- longs the black varnish tree {Mrldiu/rrha'a usi- tata) of Burma and the northeast of India, called Theet-see or Zitsi in Burma, and Klww in Manipur. a very large tree, attaining a height of 100 feet, with large, leathery, simple, entire, deciduous leaves, and a.illary panicles of flow- ers. It yields a viscid, rust-colored jiiiee, which liecomes black on exposure to the atmosphere, and is excessively acrid, causing swellings with much pain and fever if it touches the. skin. It is much valued as a varnish for painting vessels intended to contain liquids, utensils, and also as a size-glue lu gildijig. See the article on Vabxisii Trke. MELAPHYKE (from Gk. ft;?.ag, melas. black 4- TTop-fvp-iriK, por-phiir-itrs. porphyry). A term formerly much employed for basalts of pre- Tcrtinry age. See Basalt. MELAZZO, ma-fal'sft. A city of Sicily. See !MlLAZZ. MEL'BA, Xellie (186.5—). An Australian operatic soprano. Her family name is Mitchell, and Melba is an adaptation from .Melbourne, in which city she was born. She studied under Marchesi, and made her first pulilic appearance . as Gilda in A'/f/o/c/^o at Brussels in 1887. A bril- liant coloratura singer and of a very attractive personality, she hecamc known and adnjjred in every great city of the world, being especially successful in grand opera in America. Her first appearance in this countrj' was at the Metro- politan Opera House, New York, in 18!i;!. in hurin lit liaiiitiK-rmoor. She gained unusual distinction in the roles of Ophelia. N'edda in / Pariliacri, .fiiliette. T.ucia. ami Elisabeth. MELBOURNE, mell.nrn. The capital of Victoria, .ustralia. situated chiefly on the north bank of the Yarra. about nine miles by water and two miles hv land above its outlet in Hobson Bay (Map: Victoria. E 4). The bay is the northern bend of the spacious inlet near the southeastern extremity of the continent, known ns Port Phillip, the entrance to which is 40 miles south of the city. Melbourne occupies the first rank among British colonial ports, and is the most important trading town of the Southern Hemisphere. It is the centre of a dozen converg- ing lines of railway, several, however, being only suburban lines. It is the see of a Roman Catholic archbishop and of a Protestant hisliop, and the seat of various consuls, including a United States consul-general. The city is laid out with straight, wide, and regular streets, well paved or macadam- ized, and supplied with gas, electric lighting, street railways, and fresh water. Jlelhourne University has an annual State endowment, and possesses valuable scholarships and exliil)itions. Its building is huge, in the slia])e of a parallelo- gram, surrounded by extensive grounds. The ])ost-otlice, a magnificent structure, in the Italian style, elaborately ornamented, was built in 1859. The Tarliament houses, erected in 18.").)-01. cost $5,000,000. The town hall is a fine building with a large assembly room equipped with a splendid organ. The chief institutions besides these are the hospital, the benevolent asylum, the immi- grants' home, the servants' home, the orphan asylums, the lying-in hospital, ti-casury. county and city courts, public library, including the National Picture Gallery ami Museum of Sculp- ture, custom-house, barracks, Scotch College, and many other educational establishments, literary and scientific institutions and societies. There are .several theatres, ]uil)lic parks, and fine botanical and zoological gardens. The Yan-Vean water-works, by means of which water is conveyed from a distance of 18 miles, were opened in 1857, Water-works and street railways are iiiunici])al property. The cliief in- dustrial estahlisliments are flour mills, tallow- boiling works, tanneries, woolen and cloth fac- tories, breweries, brass and iron foundries. The suburbs included in the metropolitan area extend for over 10 miles along the shores of the spacious and beautiful liay of Port Phillip, which is 35 miles long by about 25 miles liroad. The entrance to Port Pliillip. which is only two miles wide, is formed by two projecting an<l strongly forti- fied promontories, called the Heaiis. Vessels drawing IG feet reach Melbourne at ordinary tides. About one mile of wharfage extends along the north side of the Yarra. In the outer har- bor there are about 25.000 feet of berthing, rang- ing in depth from fi to 27 feet at low tide. The chief exjjorts are g'lld, silver, wo(d. hides, cattle, and sheep. Six-sevenths of (he entire commereeof the State is carried on by ^Melliourne. For further information regarding trade, etc.. see 'utoria. Melbourne was first colonized in 1835, and re- ceived its name in 18.'i7 from Lord Melbourne, then the British Prime Minister. It became the see of a bishop in 1847, and in 1851 the capital of the newly formeil colony of Victoria. The discov- ery of gold in Victoria in 1851 gave an extraor- dinary impetus to the material prosperity of Mel- honrne. The colonial centenary was eonimenio- rated at Melbourne in 18S8 by an iiilcriiational exhibition. The first Federal Parliament of the .ustralian Comnionwealtli was opened in the Ex- hibition buildings on Wednesday. May S, Iflftl. by the Duke of York, Mell)ourne lieing chosen as the temporary capital pending the choice of a seat on federal territory in New South Wales, Population, within municipal limits, in 1001, fi8.:!7!': including suburbs, which comprise sixteen municipalities, in 1800. 400,000: in 1001, 404.- 100. Consult Finn. Chronicles of Earhj Mel- bourne (Melhourne. 1880).