Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/772

* MOLLY MAGUIRES. 694 MOLTING. each other. Tlicse si^nis and passwords wpre given to the meiribers by the body-masters, wlio received them from the county dele- gate, who got them from the State tlelcgate, to whom they were furni.shcd by the national dele- gate or national board in New Vork City: to the latter they came quarterly from Ireland, by the hands of the steward of one of the transatlantic steamships. A central and governinj; or^mniza- tion known as •The IJoard of Krin' held i|iiarterly meetings in Kngland, Scotland, or Ireland. The final exposure, capture, and ])unishment of the Wolly Maguires was largely due to the energy and determination of Franklin B. Gowan, presi- dent of the Pennsylvania and Reading Coal and Iron Company, through the immediate instru- mentality of James McParlan. a detective, who joined the Jlolly Maguires and became acquainted with their members and the secrets of their or- ganization. Many iiieinbors of the organization were apiJiehended, tried, and condemned, and their execution — that of a number of them occur- ring on the same day — so alarmed the members of the order that it ceased to liave any extended inlluenee. Consult: Dewccs. The MoUy .l/c- guircs. the Oriii'in, (Iroirlh, and Char(ict< r of Ific bn/anization (Philadelphia, 1877) ; and Pinker- ton, The Molhi Maguires and the Detectives (New York, 1877). MOLLYMOKE. One of the many variants of iiiaHciiuuk. See Fi.'LMAR. MOLMENTI, mol-miin'te. Pompeo GiiERARno (l.s.'iJ — ). All Italian author, born in Venice. He studied law at Pisa and Padua, and practiced it in his native city, where he subseiiuently be- came professor of Italian literature at the Liceo Marco Foscarini, and first attracted attention by his critical essa.ys, Imitres-sioni Icftcrarir (1873), followed by a new series in 187'J. Of several historical works concerning 'enice, the Storia dl Vcnczia mlla rita prinita (1880: 4th ed. 1885 1 was honored with a prize. His studies in literary and art history resulted in the publication of monographs on Carlo Goldoni (1870): Antonio Foqazzaro (1000): on the painters (liorgione (1878), Tirpolo (188.-)), and Carpncrio (180.3): and of Stiidi e ricrrchr di storia c d'artc (1802 and 1807). besides which he also wrote a number of tales, such as .S(on'e vecchie (1883) and La dogaressa di Venezia (1884). MOLOCH. See IMolecii. MOLOCH, nuVlok. An extremely spinose lizard i Moloch horridun) of Western and South- ern Australia, belonging to the family .Agamid.'c (see .gama), and locally known as 'York devil' or 'mountain devil.' It" i.s 5 to 7 inches long, broad and Hat, and its thick skin is covered with spines and tubercles much like those of the American ■horned toad.' Tliis skin, which is yellowish, with reddish-brown blotches, is highly hydroscopic, alisorbing water like blotting paper. It inhabits sandy districts, ig quite harmless, and apparently lives entirely upon ants, which it catches in enormous quantities upon its long, glutinous tongue. Consult Saville Kent, The yaluralint in Aiislralia. See I'late with article Lizard. MOLO DI GIRGENTI. m./l,*, dA j/ir-jftn'tA. The former name of Porto Empedocle (q.v.), a seaport in Sicily. MOLOKAI, mo'16-ki'. One of the Hawaiian Ishuids. Sec MaWAIIA.N ISLANDS. MOLOKANI, muii'i-ka'ne (Kuss., pi. of moio- kanu, from moloko, milk). A Russian sect. It is said the name was given them in derision by the orthodox because, unlike llie latter, they do not observe fasts. They call themselves Spiritual Christians. They are rationalists, basing doc- trine and practice on the Scriptures interpreted by tlic individual judgment. As a eonsecpience much diversity of opinion prevails among them, a condition which they do not consider repre- hensible. They take the early Apostolic Churcli as dejiictcd in the New Testament for the model of their ecclesiastical organization and have no hierarchy or paid clcrgj'. A presbyter and as- sistants "are chosen from their own number to care for the sjiiritual and moral interests of the coiumuiiitv. At their religious services, held on Suiidav in" private houses, as they are not allowed to build churches, they sing psalms, read the Scrijitures. and engage in religious conversation. Doctrinal dilliculties and (luestions of interpreta- tion are freely discussed. They reverence .Tesus, but do not believe in His divinity, and consider the miraculous porti<ms of the New Testament narrative as fabulous. They have a system of strict supervision of the conduct of individuals. Ollenders against morality are admonislied in private or public, sometimes excluded from the religious meetings, or even expelled. They are described as intelligent, well versed in the Scrip- tures, and in moral conduct and material pros- perity decidedly superior to their orthodox neigh- bors." Because' of their princiide of private judg- ment and readiness to change their views, they are easily inlluenced by adventurers or fanatics; in several instances communities of them have been led astray by such individuals. They have also developed a tendemy to break up into dif- ferent sects, one of which has adojited many of the canons of the .Icwish religion : another has made the common ownership of jiroperty one of its principles. Their origin is uncertain. A vague tradition says the sect was founded in the six^tecnth century by foreign Protestant.s. Their original seat was in the south. They h.ave been persecuted by the Government, and many have been transpoi-ted to remote parts of the l''.mpire. Their number is estimated at several hundred thousand. MOLTING (MEng. moutcn. moiMcn, from I.at. iiiutarr. to change, frequentative of movcre, to move. Skt. »iir, to push), or KcDVSis. The process of periodically shedding the skin, or in- tegument, or its appendages, as hair or feathers; exuviation. Molting of Plumage im Birds. The change of plumage, or shedding of the old feathers, ami their replaceiuent by a new set. The whole plu- mage, says Dwight, may be renewed or only a part of it. In the ease of most of the passerine birds there are two seasons of molts peiuliar to the adults, a complete one, in all species, follow- ing the breeding season, and .■in incomplete molt which in certain species precedes the nuptial sea- son. "The first, the post-nuptial, restores the worn-out plumage, the second (when it is not suppressed), the pre-nuptial. adorns birds for the nuptial season." In a few species the pre- nupiial molt is complete, though usually the wing and tail are not involved, and often the