293 



PHILANDEK. 



PHILOMELA. 



294 



from 4-5. Stamens 20-40, free, are shorter than the petals. Styles 

 4-5, united together, or more or less distinct Stigmas 4-5, oblong 

 or linear, generally distinct. Capsule 4-5-celled, many-seeded. Seeds 

 dust-like, inclosed in a membranous aril, oblong, and fringed at 

 one end. 



The plants consist of shrubs with white pedicillate flowers arranged 

 in a corymbose cyme, in a panicle-like manner, or sometimes in the 

 axils of their leaves, supported by bracts. 



The greatest number of species are indigenous in North America, 

 whence they have been introduced into the shrubberies of this country, 

 to which they form a highly ornamental addition. A species has also 

 been discovered in the Himalayas, at elevations of 6000 and 7000 feet, 

 of which there are two varieties, sometimes considered distinct species, 

 P. tomentofut being apparently only a more advanced state of P. 

 trijlorut. The best known species however ia P. coronariiu, com- 

 monly called Syriuga, which is so easy of culture, and found in most 

 gardens. It ia supposed to be a native of the south of Europe, but 

 it has hardly ever been found in a wild state, and even in these few 

 cases it may have escaped from cultivation. As one species has been 

 found in the Himalayas, there is no reason why other species should 

 not exist still farther to the north-west, as in the Hindoo-Koosh, and 

 that the Syringa may be found to be one of those plants which was 

 in early times introduced from some part of the Persian Region of 

 botanist* into the south of Europe. 



PHILANDER. [DIDELPHINA.] 



PHI'LEDON. [MlSLIPHAGID^E.] 



PHILE'MON, Vieillot's name for a genus of Birds (Anlhrocluera, 

 Vig. and Horsf., Meropi, Lath.) placed by Mr. G. R. Gray in his sub- 

 family Meliphaffince. 



PHILESIACEAI, PkUetiads, & small natural order of Plants belong- 

 ing to Lindley's class of Dictyogens. It has biaexual trihexapetaloideous 

 flowers, with consolidated carpels and parietal placenta. The species 

 are twining or upright shrubs, with ribbed or 1-nerved coriaceous 

 deciduous reticulated leaves. This order is nearly related to Smilacece 

 and Roxburghiacece, with which latter order it was combined by Lindley, 

 and also with A maryllidacea. The species are found in the southern 

 provinces of Chili. It has two genera and two species, Philesia 6ittt- 

 folia and Lapayeria rosea. The latter has eatable berries, and roots 

 useful as a substitute for sarsaparillo. 



PHILLIPSIA, a genus of Trilobitej, found in the Mountain-Lime- 

 stone Strata of England and Irvl tnd. (Portlock.) 



PHILLIPSITE, a Mineral, the primary form of which is a right 

 rhombic prism. It occurs crystallised only in macles which have much 

 the appearance of Harmotome. Cleavage imperfect. Fracture con- 

 choidaL Hardness 4 '5. It scratches carbonate of lime. Colour white, 

 flesh-red, or grayish. Streak white. Lustre vitreous. Transparent, 

 translucent, opaque. Specific gravity 2'0 to 2'2. This mineral occurs 

 with Gmeleuite in the county of Antrim, and at the Giant's Causeway ; 

 at Capo di Bove, near Rome ; in Sicily ; in the lavas of Vesuvius, and 

 at Marburg in Hesse, &c. The analysis from the last-mentioned place, 

 by Gmelin, gives 



Silica . 

 Alumina 

 Potash 

 Lime 

 Water . 



48-02 



22-61 



7-50 



6-56 



16-75 



-101-44 



PHILLY'KEA, the *iXAi/pea of Dioscorides, is a genus of Mediterra- 

 nean Evergreen Plants, many varieties of which are cultivated in our 

 gardens. They are much like the evergreen shrubs called A laternux, 

 from which however they are readily known by their leaves being 

 opposite, not alternate. Some botanists regard them as species of 

 oh' ve, to the fruit of which that of the P/Mlyrea has much resemblance. 

 The hardiest and handsomest variety ia P. obliqua ; the most tender 

 and the least beautiful ia P. angiutifolia. 



PHILOMELA, a genus of Birds belonging to the family Sylviadie. 

 P. Lutcinia, the Nightingale, is the most celebrated of the song-birds 

 of the Old World. This well-known species is the '\r$a>v of the 

 ancient Greeks ; Lutcinia of the Romans ; Rossignuolo, Rusignuolo, 

 and Usignuolo, of the Italians ; Rossignol of the French ; Ruisenor of 

 the Spanish ; Nachtigall of the Germans ; Nacbtergahl of the ' Fauna 

 Suecica ;' Nattergnle of Brunnich ; and Eos of the Welsh. 



It is the Lutcinin of Gesner, Aldrovandus, Willughby, Ray, and 

 Brehm ; Mutacilla Lutcinia of Linnams ; Sylvia Luscinia of Latham 

 and others ; C'urruca Lutcinia of Fleming ; and Philomela, Luacinia of I 

 Selby, Gould, and Swainson. 



The Nightingale, or Night-Singer, is a migratory bird, visiting us 

 early in the spring (about the middle of April), and leaving us about 

 August or September. The male birds arrive first, and are instantly 

 ought after by the bird-catchers, who generally make the most of the 

 interval of ten clays or a fortnight that elapses before the arrival of 

 the females, well knowing that those males which are taken after they 

 have paired seldom survive. The bird-fanciers have a notion that a 

 Surrey nightingale possesses the finest quality of tone. To dwell 

 upon the richness and variety of its song, a subject which has 

 ycd the pens of poets of all ages, and of all countries where the 

 I'ir'l is known, would be superfluous hero ; but there are points con- 



nected with the habits and geographical distribution of the bird which 

 require notice. 



' 





Nightingale (Philomela Liiscihia, Selby). 



M. Temminck states that the Nightingale haunts woods, thickets, 

 and gardens ; that it is common in nearly all the parts of Europe to 

 Sweden inclusive ; and that it migrates hi winter into Egypt and Syria. 

 Hasselquist saw it among the willows of Jordan and the olive-trees of 

 Judea. Mr. Strickland saw it at Smyrna on the 5th of April. Prince 

 C. L. Bonaparte notes it (' Specchio Comparative ') as common in the 

 neighbourhood of Rome, which it leaves in winter only. 



Pennant (' Arctic Zoology ') says that it visits the temperate parts 

 of Russia, and even some parts of Siberia, The same author (' British 

 Zoology ') remarks that the Nightingale is a species that does not 

 spread itself over our island. " It is not," says Pennant, " found in 

 North Wales, or in any of the English counties north of it, except 

 Yorkshire, where it is met with in great plenty about Doucaster. It 

 has also been heard, but rarely, near Shrewsbury. It is also remark- 

 able that this bird does not migrate so far west as Devonshire and 

 Cornwall, counties where the seasons are so very mild that myrtles 

 flourish in the open air during the whole year ; neither is it found in 

 Ireland. Sibbald places Nightingales in his list of Scotch birds ; but 

 they certainly are unknown in that part of Great Britain, probably 

 from the scarcity and the recent introduction of hedges there ; yet 

 they visit Sweden, a much more severe climate." The editor of the 

 hist edition of the ' British Zoology ' states that in 1808 a Nightingale 

 was several times heard in the gardens of the Earl of Lousdale, ia 

 Fisher-street, Carlisle. M. Nilsson notes its arrival in Sweden by the 

 1st of May. Montagu informs us that it is said to be found only as 

 far north as Yorkshire (his observations being confined to Britain), 

 and certainly not farther west than the eastern borders of Devonshire; 

 although they are plentiful both in Somersetshire and Dorsetshire. 

 Mr. Yarrell (' History of British Birds ') says : " When we consider 

 that this bird extends its visits during the summer as far north as 

 Russia and Sweden, its very limited range in this country is unac- 

 countable. It is found in Sussex, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, and the 

 eastern part only of Devonshire, along the line of our south coast. 

 It has been heard about Teignmouth and Exmouth, but no farther 

 west in that direction. In North Devon it has been heard near Barn- 

 staple, but not in Cornwall or Wales. A gentleman of Gower, which 

 is the peninsula beyond Swansea, procured from Norfolk and Surrey, 

 some few years back, some scores of young Nightingales, hoping that 

 an acquaintance with his beautiful woods and their mild climate would 

 induce a second visit ; but the law of nature was too stroug for him, 

 and not a single bird returned. Dyer, in his ' Grongar Hill,' makes 

 the Nightingale a companion of his muse in the vale of Towey, or 

 Caermarthen ; but this is a poetical licence, as the bird is not heard 

 there." 



Mr. Yarrell, who remarks that it is not included by Mr. Rylands in 

 his ' Catalogue of the Birds of Lancashire,' though it has been heard 

 as high up as Carlisle, but no farther, goes on to state that on the 

 eastern side of our island the bird frequents Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, 

 some of the more wooded parts of Lincolnshire, and several parts of 

 Yorkshire ; but not higher than five miles north of the city of York, 

 as he learned from his friend and correspondent Mr. Thomas Allis. 

 Mr. Yarrell states his belief that it has not been heard in Scotland or 

 in the Scottish islands, which, ho adds, considering that it visits 

 Denmark, is extraordinary. 



The following is a description of this bird : Rich brown above ; 

 rump and tail with a reddish tinge ; throat and middle part of belly 



