PELASOIANS 



Pelargonium. Leaves and dower 

 cluster* 



by gardeners. Most of the Polar 

 ..mums are natives of S. Africa, 

 a few of Australia, and were in- 

 troduced into Hntum at different 

 dates from Itl.TJ onwards. The 

 general method of cultivation IB 

 by autumn struck cuttings kept in 

 sandy soil in a cool frame during 

 winter, and placed in gentle beat 

 in early spring, or by seed sown in 

 March in gentle heat. Solutions of 

 nitrate of soda, cow manure, and 

 soot-water are all valuable stimu- 

 lants when growth has developed. 



Pelasgians. Name loosely 

 given to the people who inhabited 

 ancient Greece prior to the 

 Achaeans (q.v. ). Their exact iden- 

 tity is uncertain. Probably they 

 were a branch of the Mediterranean 

 race, a dolichocephalic or long- 

 skulled dark type, remains of 

 which are found in many parts of 

 Europe and N. Africa. 



Pelecypoda (Greek pelekya, 

 hatchet ; pous, foot). Class of the 

 Molluscs, alternatively termed 

 Lamellibranchiata, and more popu- 

 larly bivalves. The general form 

 and structure of the animals and 

 their shells arc exhibited by such 

 familiar species as the cockle, 

 mussel, scallop, and oyster. See 

 Bivalves ; Cockle ; Mollusca ; 

 Oyster ; Pecten, etc. 



Pelee, MONT. Volcano of Mar- 

 tinique, French West Indies. Small 

 eruptions had been recorded in 

 1762 and 1851, and in 1002 a dis- 

 astrous ebullition occurred. In 

 April, the real crater, then known 

 as the Dry Lake, opened, and part 

 of the bounding cliffs, 1.600 ft. in 

 height, was disturbed. Eleven days 

 later an avalanche of black mud 

 destroyed some sugar plantations. 

 Three days later, May 8, the first 

 great eruption destroyed St. Pierre 

 and 30,000 people ; on Aug. 30 a 

 second eruption destroyed two 

 villages and 2,500 people. On the 

 last occasion an obelisk or 'rock 

 was protruded 800 ft. above the 

 new cone ; it later disappeared. 

 The new cone is 4,400 ft. in altitude. 



0031 



PeleuB. In Greek legend, king 

 ! hoa*aly, and 



father <>f Arlullr*. His wife was 

 Thetis, a tea-deity, daughter ol 

 Nrreus. At firat the refuted 

 1'rlrun. and when he laid hl<l <>( 

 her she tried to escape by aasum 

 t shapes. Peleus won 



. ith thf . 



Chi ron, the rentaur. The w< 

 of iVIi-us ami Th.-ii* wan of great 



.tioenoe, all the godH 

 invited, except Kris, the goddeM of 

 Discord. ce Paris. /Von. Pee lew**, 



Pelew OK I'ALAU ISLANDS. 

 Group in the Pacific Ocean. They 

 f th- Philippines and VV. 

 of the Carolines. Consisting of 26 

 islands, mostly of coral foe 

 and many uninhabited, the total 

 area is 170 sq. m. and the pop. 

 about 10,000. The largest is 

 Babelthuap, with a pop. of 3,100. 

 They yield phosphate, copra, beche 

 de mer, and turtle shells ; tropical 

 fruits abound. They were sold 

 by Spain to Germany in 1899. 

 During the Great War the islands 

 were occupied by the Japanese, by 

 whom they are now administered 

 See Caroline Islands ; Yap. 



Pelham, HKNRY (c. 1696-1754). 

 British statesman. Younger son 

 of Thomas Pelham, made Baron 

 Pelham in 1700, he was educated 

 at Westminster School and Hart 

 Hall, Oxford. His eldest brother 

 was Thomas Holies Pelham, who 

 became duke of Newcastle, and 

 the two were inseparably associ- 

 ated in public life. 

 He became M.P. 

 for Seaford, 1717, 

 and in 1721 a 

 lord of the trea- 

 sury under Wai- 

 pole. In 1724 he 

 was made secre- 

 tary at war, and 

 in l"730 paymaster 

 of the forces. In 

 1743 he became 

 prime minister 



Henry Peluam. 

 Brituh statesman 



' t i I'^N 



andch.i 

 of the ex- 

 chequer. Dur- 

 ing hi 



of o f f 1 1 -. 

 eleven yearn. 

 he followed 

 the financial 

 policy 



pole, ecoii'iiny 

 ne and 

 abroad. II 

 died March 6, 1754. See New- 

 castle; consult also Memoirs of 

 the Administration of H. V. 

 ham, W. Coxe. 1829. 



Pelias. In Greek legend, king 

 of lolcus, the throne of which he 

 had seized from Aeson. \\ln-n 

 Jason, son of Aeson, came to claim 

 lolcus, Pelias sent him in search 

 of the Golden Fleece, in the hope 

 that he would perish. See Argo- 

 nauts ; Jason ; Medea. 



Pelican (Pelecanus). Small 

 genus of about six species of large 

 birds. Thej^ extended wings mea- 

 sure from 10 ft. to 15 ft. between 

 their tips. The hind toe is turned 

 forward and united by a web to 

 the other three. Their food is fisli , 

 \\hii-h they seek in the shallow 

 waters of rivers and lakes, and 

 the structure of the somewhat 

 weak bill and neck is well adapted 

 to the capture of such prey, the 

 long upper mandible being hooked 

 at the tip, and the lower mandible 

 carrying a large pouch formed 

 bv the loose, naked skin of the 



Pelican. White and. top ruht. 

 crested species ol the bird 



tr flt. r.X.3. 



neck. When the bag is full, the 

 bird retires to a rock to consume 

 the contents, or to the nest, where 

 the young feed themselves l-y 

 thrusting in head and neck The 

 nest, with two white eggs, is 

 placed on the ground among reeds. 

 The genus has representatives in 

 Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. 

 Pelion. Mountain range of 

 an. ifiit (in-i-. .-. It isintheThes- 

 salian district of Magnesia, near 

 the coast, S.E. of Mt, Ossa. It is 

 famous in Greek mythology as the 

 scene of the conflict between the 



