From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordFlying beetles described through colour, smell, habitat and season.
- In the bookMacha gives only a flying worm, whereas Lumbrici Nitri adds an earthy or muddy habitat and slipperiness.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 32; facsimile PDF page 360.
Historical definition
Melaones, or Meloes, are flying beetles of a golden colour which give a sweet smell when rubbed; they are commonly found in meadows in May.
Meaning
This is one of the dictionary’s more descriptive animal entries. Its several marks belong together: flight, a golden colour, a smell released by rubbing, meadows and the month of May. Omitting the sensory or seasonal details would reduce the means of recognition supplied to the historical reader.
Use in the book
Macha gives only a flying worm, whereas Lumbrici Nitri adds an earthy or muddy habitat and slipperiness. The contrast shows the varying amount of descriptive evidence behind the book’s animal names.
Places to read
- MelaonesRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- MachaA creature defined by flight and the broad name worm.
- Lumbrici NitriEarth- or mud-dwelling worms whose name is explained by slipperiness.
In this edition
The historical description is preserved without assigning a modern species merely from the form Meloes.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 32; facsimile PDF page 360 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 360, Melaones