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MASSON 151 MATABELELAND son, and some critics rank him next to Shakespeare. His best plays are the "Duke of Milan," "A City Madam," "A Very Woman," "The Fatal Dowry," "A New Way to Pay Old Debts." He died in London, in March, 1640. MASSON, DAVID, a Scotch author; born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Dec. 2, 1822; educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and at the University of Edinburgh; be- came editor of Scotch provincial paper, and later joined the literary staff of W. & R. Chambers. In 1847 he settled in London, writing for the reviews, the "Encyclopaedia Britannica," and the "English Encyclopaedia," In 1852 he suc- ceeded Clough in the chair of English literature in University College; in 1865 became Professor of English Literature in the University of Edinburgh, a post he resigned in 1895. Masson edited "Mac- millan's Magazine" from 1859 to 1868. His first published work was his "Essays, Biographical and Critical" (1856), re- printed with later essays in three volumes (1874-1876). His great work is his pon- derous "Life of John Milton" (6 vols. 1859-1880). Other works are "British Novelists and their Styles" (1859) ; "Re- cent British Philosophy" (1865) ; the "Cambridge" edition of "Milton," with introductions, notes, and an essay on Mil- ton's English (3 vols. 1874; new ed. 1890), the "Golden Treasury" edition (2 vols. 1874), and the "Globe" edition (1877). Later works are "De Quincey" (1878) in the "Men of Letters" series, and his edition of De Quincey's works (14 vols. 1889-1891). In 1893 he became Historiographer Royal. He died Oct. 7, 1907. MASTER, in the navy, an officer who navigates a ship under the direction of the captain; he is selected from the list of lieutenants when he has qualified for the special duty. Also the captain of a merchant vessel. MASTER OF ARTS (abbreviated M. A. and A. M.), a degree conferred by uni- versities and some colleges. MASTER SINGERS. See MeisteR- SINGERS. MASTERS, EDGAR LEE, lawyer and writer; born in Garnett, Kan., in 1869, he was educated at Knox College, 111., and studied law in his father's office. He was admitted to the bar in 1891, and became a member of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar associations. His first work, "A Book of Verses," appeared in 1898. Then followed "Maximilian" (drama in blank verse, 1902) ; "The New Star Chamber and Other Essays" (1904) ; "Blood of the Prophets" (1905) ; "Al- thea" (a play, 1907) ; "The Trifler" (a play, 1908) ; "Spoon River Anthology" (1915); "Songs and Satires" (1916); "The Great Valley" (1916) ; etc. MASTIFF, a variety of dog of an old English breed, probably peculiar to the British Isles. It is the Dogtie de forte race of Buffon, the Canis molossus of Linnjeus, C. mastivus of Ray, and C. vil- laticus or catenarius of Caius. The head resembles that of the bulldog, but with the ears dependent. The upper lip falls over the lower jaw. The end of the tail is turned up, and the fifth toe of the hind food is frequently developed. The nos- trils are separated by a deep furrow. The bark is deep-toned, and the aspect of the animal grave and noble. MASTODON (mas'-), an extinct genus of proboscideans, closely allied to the true elephants. The crowns of the molar teeth have nipple-shaped tubercles placed in pairs, and from the number of these projections Falconer divided the genus into groups: (1) Trilophodon, and (2) Tetralophodon.^ Generally speaking, the two upper incisox's formed long curved tusks, as in the elephants, but in some cases there were two lower incisors as well. The genus ranged in time from the middle of the Miocene period to the end of the Pliocene in the Old World, when they became extinct. In America several species — especially that which, from the abundance of its remains, is the best known, M. ohioticus americanus, or giganteus — survived to a late Pleistocene period. In 1897 the skeleton of a mastodon, the largest yet discovered, was unearthed on a farm near New Paris, 0. It was found in what had evidently at one time been a morass, and was buried 10 feet below the^ surface, where from all in- dications it had lain for centuries. It was very nearly perfect, and though some of the bones crumbled away on ex- posure to the air, they were cleverly replaced. The mastodon is believed to have been for some time a contemporary of man. MASULIPATAM (ma-s6"li-pa-tam'), the principal seaport of Kistna district, Madras, British India, 215 miles N. of Madras city. Here the English estab- lished an agency in 1611, and after 1628 it became the center of their trade in those parts. Since 1841 the town has been an active missionary center. In 1864 a storm wave swept over it and destroyed 30,000 lives. Pop. about 45,000. MATABELELAND. See Rhodesia.