MINISTRY. 554 MINK. MINISTKY. A body consisting usually of the lioads of the chief executive or ailniinistra- tive departments of a government, and consti- tuting an advisory council of the sovereign. In several European countries there is a chief minister who has a certain precedence in rank and authority over his colleagues, and who is known as the premier or prime minister. In several others, the cliief minister hears the title of minister-president, and enjoys a cer- tain precedence in dignity over his colleagues, but exercises no authority over them. Every- where, the right of selecting the members of the ministry belongs to the chief executive. In those countries, like England, where the Crown is only the nominal executive, the head of the State selects only tlic prime minister, and in- trusts thtf selection of the others to him. In the Gorman Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, the Empire of .Japan, and the American republics, where the ministers are not res|)onsible to the legislature for their political policy, they are all appointed directly by the chief executive without being restricted to acknowledged party leaders. It is a general rule in European ('oun- tries that members of Parliament may, with the approval of their constituents, serve as min- isters. But whether nu'mbers of Parliament or not. ministers are entitled to sit in either House, and to participate freely in tlu' discussion of measures in which they are interested. In general, the term 'ministry' is synonymous with the term 'cabinet' (q.v.), but there are exceptions. Thus, in Oreat Britain, the 'minis- try' includes in addition to members of th-e cabinet, all those political undersecretaries who have seats in Parliament (at present about forty in number), and who are expected to re- sign when their policy is defeated in the House of Commons, while the 'cabinet' consists of a certain number of ministers (at present nine- teen) who control the policy of the government and preside over the chief administrative de- partments. Thus, it will be seen that not all the ministers are members of the cabinet. On the other hand, it may liappen that some mem- bers of the cabinet will have no administrative duties. Such members are known as ministers without portfolios. Departments of adminstra- tion over which ministers are generally placed are: foreign afl'airs. war. finance, justice, public odueation, public worship, navy, conunerce. post and telegraphs, and cohmies. In those countries where ministers are responsible to the chief exec- utive, they act independently of one another in the cnndiu-t of their administrative departments, and (heir responsibility is individual rather than collective. MINITARI, mO'nA-tJi're, or ninATS.. h*- diil'-a. . tribe of Siouan stock (q.v.), orig- inally a part of the Crow, whose language they speak, but from whom, for .some petty tradi- tii)ii:il (inarrel. they b)ng since separated. Since known to the whites they have resided nearly in their present position on the Missouri River in North Pakota in close alliance with the Mnniian and .rikarn (q.v.). They call thom- wlves nidalnn. their popular name being of Sioux or Mandnn origin, and said to signify 'pe<iple who have cro-ixed over the water.' Both they and a detached band of .rapaho were known to the French as lliofi ]'rnlre.<> (q.v.). They oc- cupied permanent stockaded villages of circular earth-covered log houses along the bluffs ot the Missouri, where they had fiehis of corn, pumpkins, and sunllowers, and made periodic excursions into the open plains to hunt the buffalo, at which times they lived in tepees. Like their allied triljes. they had elal)orate ceremonials and social organization. They have been uniformly friendly to the whites. In 1804 they were estimated at 2.500. but have decreased rai)idly. lirst from the smalljio.x of 1S.'57, and later from the diminislied food supply conse- quent upon the destruction of the buffalo. They number now about 4fi0, and live with the Man- d'Sin and Arikara, upon the reservation at Fort Bert hold. The population of the three tribes for some years has remained about stationary. The Minitari are the most industrious of the three, having the largest herds and earning nuire than the other two together. Consult JIatthew. Ethnology and Philology of the Hi- datsti Indiinis. MIN'IUM, or Red Lead. A beautifully scar- let crystalline substance consisting chielly of le.id ortho-phinibate, 2Pb().Pbt);. It is made by cau- tiously heating uuissieot or white lead in a rever- beratory furnace or in special barrel-shaped ovens open at both ends. If heated, minium gradually changes its color, becoming violet and ultimately black; but it regains its original color on cooling. If ignited in the air, minium is converted into the monoxide of lead. Minium is used as a mineral color, yielding a fine paint. It is also employed in the manufacture of Hint- glass. The commercial product usually contains more or less litharge and is often found adul- terated with iron oxide, brick-dust, red bole, powdered heavy spar. etc.. the most objectionable adulterant being iron. Minium has also been found native in certain localities in Great Brit- ain, Russia, etc. MIN'IVET. One of a group of about twenty species of small shrike-like birds of the Oriental region. The males are. in general, black and rose, while the females are gray and saffron. Consult Blythe. MamDinh mid liirds of Burma I London. 187.5); an<l other authorities on Oriental ornithology cited under Bird. MINK (probably from Swed. »i'iiik. mink). . y of several species of weasel-like animals of the genus Putorius. family Mustelida distin- guished from the martens, .stoats, etc.. by their semi-aqiuitic habits and certain peculiarities of dentition. The American mink ll'iitoriiis rison ) is foiuid throughout Xorth America, but especially in the northern and mountainous parts. The European mink (Putorius lutrrnhi). usually called 'norz' or 'miink.' occurs in Finland. Poland. Scandinavia, and Russia, and formerly extemled as far west as Central Gennany. The mink of Siberia (I'litoriufi Sihirica) is a (|uite distinct but little known species. The American mink is somewhat larger than the Eurojiean s))ecie8 (1.5 to IS inches long, besides the tail. inches), and is further distinguisheil by the black upper lip: in the European mink the up])cr lip is white. Minks are inhabitants of well-watered areas, haunting the banks of streatns and borders of jionds in search of their food, and making their hoiiies in burrows, which open near the water. They are excellent swimmers, having the feet
