MIDWAY ISLAND. 469 MIEROSLAWSKI. sUtU'd as 1254 miles and to Guaiu as 2593 miles. Tlif island is little move tlian a rock rising at its highest point less than .50 feet al)Ove the sea and about one and one-eighth miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide. MIDWIFE, and MIDWIFERY. See Ob- stetrics. MIDWIFE FROG, or Ubstetrical To.d. A smoutli toail-like terrestrial frog {Alytes ubsietri- caiis) of the family Discoglossida?, found along the Mediterranean coast, and numerous and ubiquitous. From March to August the double tall-niite of the male,, sounding like a small bell, is heard, but it is diliicult to see the performer. The remarkable feature of this frog's life, how- ever, is its egg-nurture. When the female is ready to extrude her eggs, which are of large size and "attached to one another, in two rosary-like strings, to the number of several dozen, the ac- cepted male mounts upon her back. During the e.xpulsion of the eggs they are fecundated by the male, who then pushes his hind linilis through the tangled mass, after which he releases the female, and retires to his hole dragging with him the burden wrapped about his legs. He conies out each night to feed and to moisten the eggs MIDBIFE FROG. in the dew or the nearest puddle, and after about three weeks, when the eggs are nearly ready to hatch, he takes them into the water, where lie re- mains until the tadpoles escape through the softened envelopes. Broods born in early sum- mer mature the same autumn, but later broods remain as t-adpoles until the following May. A second species {Alytes cisternasi), of similar haliits, occurs in Central Spain and Portugal. MIEE, mg-ar'. A Mexican town, situated on the Rfo Grande, 110 miles in a straight line from its mouth (ilap: Mexico, J 4). It is noted in connection with an attempted invasion of Mexico by Texans in 1842. Population, 4000. MIEKES, me-a'ras. A mining town of North- ern Spain in the Province of Oviedo. It is situ- ated miles southeast of the City of Oviedo, among forest-covered mountains, and is sur- rounded by gardens and orchards. It has a score of mines and extensive factories for iron and chemical products. In the neighborhood are im- portant mines of coal. iron, and cinnabar. Popu- lation, in 1000, 17.867. MIEREVELT, me'if-velt, MicniEL .Tan.sze ( l.')(i7-10.")l). A Dutch painter, born at Delft. He was a pupil of A. van jlntfoort, called Pdock- landt. of Utrecht. He rece' ed a pension from the Archduke Albert of Au;; la, at whose Court he lived in Delft. Miorevelt's portraits are in many of the museums. They are of varying im- portance, as he was often assisted by hi^ pupils, particularly by his son. Pieter van Mierevelt (l,JUUl(i23) , wlio imitated the manner of his father with much success. Among the best por- traits by the elder Mierevelt are those of Wil- liam of Orange, and others of the Princes of Orange, John Barueveldt, and several of the Prince of Nassau. MIERIS, me'ris. A family of Dutch painters. Fra.xs van- Mieris, the elder (1035-81), a genre painter, was born in Leyden, April 12, 1G35. He was a pupil of Torenvliet, of Gerard Dou, and of Adri;wi van den Tempel. His pictures are char- acterized by elegance of drawing, and his coloring is clear, delicate, and rich, especially in painting velvets, satin, and other ricli stutTs. They are treated too superficially and smoothly, however, to lie strong. His principal works include the '•Lady in the Crimson Jacket," National Gallery, London: '"Lady at Her Toilet," "Two Ladies Drinking Tea,"" "Interior of a Household." and a "Male Portrait," in the Louvre; "Boy Blowing Soap-Bubbles" and "Artist and His Wife" (1(563), in the Hague Museum : a "Lady Writing a Letter" (1680); a "Lady Plaving Guitar," Amsterdam Museum: the "Soldier" (1062) ; "Woman Faint- ing," Munich Gallerv; and the "Tinker," Dres- den Gallery.— Jan v."n Mierls ( 1660-00) , a genre and portrait painter, son and pupil of Frans the elder; he studied also under Lairesse. Ex- amples of his work are an "Assembly of Ladies and Gentlemen with Lute-Player," Gotha Mu- seum; "Surgeon Dressing a Wound," Hermitage, Saint Petersburg. — Willem van Mieris (1662- 1747), a genre and mythological painter and sculptor, was born in Leyden, the son and pujiil of Frans the elder. His work represents the school in its decline, and is inferior to his father's in drawing and impasto. He also modeled statu- ettes and vases adorned with bas-reliefs. Among his works are the "Trumpeter," the "Poultry Dealer," and the "Merry Toper," all in the Dres- den Gallery. — Feans van Mieris, the younger (1689-1763). A genre painter and writer. He was the son and pupil of Willem, and a distin- guished antiquary, and published works of merit on numismatics and history. His books in- clude the Historic der nederlandsclu- vorsten (1732-35) and Groot clmrtcrboek der graven ran Holland, van Zeeland en h^ren van Yries- Innd (1753-56), Among his paintings are the "Pharmacy" (1714), Amsterdam Museum; por- trait of his father (1737). Copenhagen Gallery; and the "Fishmonger" (1747), Rotterdam Mu- .seum. MIEROSLAWSKI, ni.ve'r6-sl;iv'ske, Ludwik (1814-78). A Polish revolutionary leader, born at Nemours. France. He was the son of a Polish officer in the service of France, received his edu- cation at the military school in Kalisz. and joined the Polish insurgents in 1S30. Jlieroslaw- ski distinguished himself greatly, and was made an officer, serving until the fall of Warsaw, when he .settled in Paris. Here he published a number of books in Polish and French, particu- larly a military history of the Revobitiou in Po- land. In 1846 he was at the head of another rev- olutionary movement in Poland, which resulted in his being captured and sentenced to deatli. From this fate he was rescued by the outlireak of
