PEA. 



PECTINID^. 



TU bird* known to the ancifnU under the name of MtUagrida 

 mA <MhM A'WM/MW belonged to thU genus. They *n all natives 

 at Africa, living principally on beniw, mull slugs, *c. 



V jsfchswrM (the OsJlina <li Numi.lia of the Italian* ; Poulle de la 

 and Pnntade Meleafride of the French ; Pintado of the 

 ; Pert Huhn of the Germans; and Pearl-Hen, Guinea Hen, 

 Guinea Fowl of the Engliah) U too well known to need 



The bird ha* been spread very widely, and few poultry-yard* are 

 without it In Jamaica, where they do much mischief to some of 

 the crop*, they have rwumed their wild habits, and are shot like 

 other gamp. 



rirfofa is the PeinUde a Croto and Peintade HuppiS of the 

 Franco, and Created Pintada of Utham ; it in the gonus (iutlera of 

 WagUr. It U le than the Common Guinea Fowl. Head and neck 

 bare, of a dull or leaden blue shading into red on the bead, which is 

 ornamented with a en* of looee hair-like feathers of a bluish-black, 

 I l il of the hard ea*que of the common species; this crest advances 

 forward u far ai the no.triU, but the feather, mostly turn backwards. 

 General plumage blui.h tlack ipotted with gray ; there are from four 

 to six spots on each frather ; quills pale yellowish-brown ; edges of the 

 pore white, showing well in contrast with the rest of the 



It U a nalire of Africa, in Great Namaqua Country. 



representing only the posterior shell-muscltf of other bivalves. 

 Woodward.) 



The principal genera referred to this order nnPedtn, Ottrea, 

 lima, f lacuna, Anomia, Placnnomia, J/innila, Sjiondylut, and 



Crested Pintada (\*mula crulala). 



Mr. Swainion is of opinion that the Spotted-Winged PinUda is a 

 disUnet apectea, which he names A'. macWi;>cnnu. 



I'KA. [I'l-.tM] 



PEACH. [AiiroDALCa.] 



I'KACOCK. [PAVOJUD*.] 



PEACOCKOTONE. [Arun>iu.l 



PEAR. (Pries] 



PEARENCRINITE. [EscKixrm.1 



PEARL. [SHELL] 



PKAHLASH. IPoTAMit-H.] 



PEARL-OYSTER. (AvicfLA.1 



PEARL-SPAR, a variety of Dolomite occurring in peaily rhombo- 

 teiroos with carved faocm. [DOLOMITE.] 



PEARL-8TONE, a form of volcanic lava, having a grayish colour 

 MlpeariylaHr*. 



PEAT. fBoa] 



PEBA. [AMMA 



PEIIKLK. M OTCK "[AoAIfc] 



PECAM-NL-T. [CAJHU.] 



PECCARY. [SI-ID*. J 



CORA, the nun* given by Linmcui to his fifth order of .Worn 

 M(M. (MAMMALIA; MAMMAUWT.] 

 |l'rcTixii>*.1 



Tl X A -Rl A (Umarck), a nnas of A n^tintida, Cuvier's fourth 

 family of hi. Annelid- Tubkofa^ the fii order of 1 

 [Axurui.A J 



I'rXTIXfllKAXCHlATA, Cuvirr's sixth order of 

 [MALACULOT.T.] 



. Pl ;' ' '-TliKin.K. afiimUyofConchiferous^ottMea, 



wbucb the common o,rtr belongs. It has the following cha 

 -Shell inmuivalve, slightly inequilateral, free or adherent, 

 ""* T alv i beaks orntral, straight ; ligament internal 

 LL Ml l5L lm L r ^ on , "?! b.hind_th. oU,; 



(Lamarck). Animal subrotund, not thick ; lobes of the 

 mantle Terr delicate, disunited throughout, thickened on the borders, 

 aud furnished with many rows of ieshy cilia, between which are 

 regularly disposed a aeries of smooth oculiform tubercles ; brancbiio 

 'arge, decomposed into detached filament* ; the small foot dilated at 

 its extremity ; mouth rather large, oval, surrounded with projecting 

 and deeply-cut lips, and furnished on each side with a pair of triau- 

 ;ular palps, truncated at their extremity. (Desbayes.) Shell free, 

 regular, inequivalve, auriculated ; lower margin transverse, straight ; 

 umbones contiguous ; hinge toothless ; cardinal pit entirely internal, 

 trigonal, and receiving the ligament. (Lamarck.) 



The Pectens are widely diffused, and species are to be found in the 

 seas of most climates. Though there is a general similitude in the 

 shells of all the numerous species which at once shows to what genus 

 the animal belongs, the varieties of form and colour are infinite, and 

 the species are in many instances very difficult to be defined, tli"ii_-!i 

 the eye of an acute observer will at once determine differences which 

 the pen cannot convey without some difficulty, if it succeed in making 

 the differences understood at all. The colours of some ore most vivid 

 nnd beautifully variegated, whilst those of others again are sombre. 

 The shells of some are stout and heavy, of others light, and some are 

 nearly as transparent as gloss (P. viirtut, Grey, and /'. ritrnu, King, 

 for example). The depths at which they have been hitherto found 

 range from the surface to 20 fathoms. /'. vitreva (King), which 

 occurred everywhere in the Strait of Magalhaens, was found attached 

 to the leaves of FtKtu giyanteut, aud formed, with other molluscs, 

 the food of the Steamer or Kace-Horse Duck (Micropterus brachyptcriu 

 and M. Patachonictu). The bottoms haunted by the I'cctena have 

 been found to be sands, sandy-mud, and mud. 



As an article of food, the species of this genus are generally useful. 

 On our own southern coasts, where the sea is prodigal of its con- 

 tributions to the table, Pectens are considered a delicacy, and when 

 well treated by a good cook make a rich aud sapid dish, as might be 

 expected from the name of them when so prepared, ' Quins.' The 

 St. James's Cockle-Shell (P. Jacobmai) was formerly the badge of the 

 pilgrim who had been to the Holy Land. 



Linnieus separated this extensive genus, that i., the Pectens properly 

 so called, into three sections : 1. The Auriculated Equilateral Pectens. 

 2. The Pectens with one auricle ciliato-spinous within. 3. (Including 

 Lima) Pectens with their valves more gibbous on one side than on the 

 other. Of the first of these, P. Jacobmu aud P. J'leuronccta are 

 examples ; of the second, P. Pallium, the well-known Ducal Mantle 

 of collectors ; and of the third, P.jlai-icaia and P.fatciata (Linn.). 



Lamarck divided the genus into two sections only : the first con- 

 taining the species with the auricles equal or nearly equal ; the second 

 consisting of those which have the auricles unequal The species cited 

 as examples of the first and second divisions of Linnicus will serve as 

 illustrations of this arrangement. 



M. De Bloinville separates the Pectens into four subdivisions : 

 1. (Les Pelerines) Those species which are very inequivalve, the left 

 valve being very flat (P. Jacobmu, &c.). 2. (Les Soles) Equivalve 

 species which do not gape (P. Pleuroncctct). S. Species whose two 

 valves are nearly equally concave, but the right rather the least, and 

 having its inferior auricle less wide than that of the left, so as to pro- 

 duce a sort of notch, for the passage of the byasus, as he thinks 

 (P. ffibbui and /'. glaber). 4. Species with strise parallel to their 

 border (/'. orbicularii, fossil). 



Mr. G. B. Sowerby makes the divisions five : 1. Both valves convex, 

 equal or nearly in siie (P. taiyidiu). 2. One valve flat, the other deep 

 or convex (P. Jacobmu). 3. Both valves rather convex, not meeting 

 all round (P. Picuronccta). 4. Both valves convex, but unequal in 

 siie (P. bifront and P. aurantiaciu). 6. Irregular, apparently adherent 

 by th" outside, but only taking the form of whatever it is attached to 

 in consequence of being close pressed to it (P. Puiio, Jfinnitet). 



The same author states his belief that all the Pectens are attached 

 by a bytsus, although it is seldom observed, even in the living 

 specimens. 



The following sub-genera have been formed from this genus : 

 Xtitlitai (Drouet), Pallium (Schuui.), //innilci (Defr.), and Hcmitectui 

 (Adams). Woodward gives the number of recent species of Pcclm 

 as 120, and the fossil species as 460. 



/'. Jacobttttt. Shell iuequivalve, rather flattened above, with from 

 14 to 16 angulated rays; those of the lower valve longitudinally 

 sulcatcd. Often agreeably variegated. 



It is a native of the seas of Europe, but not of the British Island*. 

 It in fo>il in Italy. 



/'. I'lcitronecla. Shell sub-equivalve, rather thin, smooth externally, 

 somewhat convex on both sides. This species has the upper valve 

 always coloured, generally reddish or rich reddish-brown, and the 

 lower one white, whence iu name. In the inside of the valves are 

 projecting radiated somewhat distant ribs. 



It U fouud in the East Indian seas, and fossil in France, at St 

 Paul-TroU-Ch&leaux, in the department of DrOinc. 



