325 



PHOLAS. 



PHYLLOSOMA. 



326 



PHOLAS. [PHOLADID.E.J 



PHOLIDOPHORUS, a genus of Fossil Fishes. [Fisa] 



PHONETtfUS, a genus of Foraminifera. 



PHONOLITE. [CLINKSTONE.] 



PHON Y'GAMA, a genus of Birds belonging to the family Corvida. 



PHORCY'NIA. [AcALEFHJi] 



PHO'KMIUM, a genus of Plants of the natural family of Liliacea, 

 tribe Agapanthece of Endlicher, Aiparagece of Liudley, contains only a 

 single species, which is remarkable for its useful product, so well 

 known under the name of New Zealand Flax, and which is found 

 indigenous in New Zealand and Norfolk Island. 



P. tenax has a coloured tubular perianth, of which the tube is very 

 short, and divides into six segments, of which the three inner are the 

 longest ; stamens six, inserted into the base of the tube, ascendiug, 

 exserted ; capsule oblong, 3-cornered ; seeds numerous, compressed ; 

 embryo in the centre of the seed, longer than half the albumen, with 

 its radicle next the umbilicus. The root is tuberous, fleshy, and 

 bitter tasted ; the leaves are numerous, all radical, linear-lanceolate, 

 five or six feet long, and from an inch and a half to two inches broad, 

 2-rowed, equitant at the base, leathery, and very tough. Its flowers are 

 numerous, showy, yellow-coloured, arranged on a tall branched panicle. 



The leaves of this plant yield a very beautiful and a very strong 

 fibre, which has been imported in considerable quantities under the 

 name of New Zealand Flax. It was expected to be much more 

 useful than it has proved to be, in consequence of its having the defect 

 of breaking easily when made into a knot. Being a plant of high 

 southern latitudes, it was supposed that it might easily be grown in 

 different parts of Europe. The French have attempted to cultivate it 

 near Cherbourg, Toulon, and other places, and it has been introduced 

 into Ireland, the moist insular climate of which is probably favourable 

 to its growth. It grew remarkably well for a number of years in the 

 Chelsea Botanic Garden, but was lulled by the severe winter of 1837-38. 

 Its cultivation has also been attempted in Australia, but has not yet 

 succeeded to any extent. 



PHO'RUS. [TROCHID*.] 



PHOS (De Montfort), a genus of Turbinated Oastropodous Molliuca. 



PHOSPHATITE, a name proposed for the native Phosphate of 

 Lime derived from organic sources, and usually called Coprolites. The 

 latter term conveys an impression which is evidently wrong, with 

 regard to large quantities of the phosphate of lime now obtained for 

 agricultural purposes. In that which is obtained from the Red Crag 

 fragments of bones of large size are constantly present, and it is 

 questionable if any portion of this phosphate has ever been excremeu- 

 titous matter. Hence the impropriety of the term coprolite. The 

 more probable origin of these masses seem to be that they are the 

 debris of a huge sepulchre of Celacea, sharks, and other animals, which 

 was formed previously to the existence of the beds in which these 

 remains arc now found. After deposition in this sepulchre, the animal 

 matter of the bones was gradually washed away, and the large quan- 

 tities of phosphate of lime found iu the water-worn nodules of the 

 Red Crag are thus accounted for. [COPROUTES.] 



PHOSPHORESCENCE. [LUMINOSITY is ORGANIC BEINGS.] 



PHOSPHORITE, a name for the native Phosphate of Lime obtained 

 in Spain. [APATITE.] 



PHOTOZITE, a name for Manganese Spar. [MANGANESE.] 



PHRAGMATURUS. [IGUANID&] 



PHRAGMI'TES, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Graminacece. P. communit, the Reed, is a plant formerly regarded as 

 a species of Arundo, but now separated from that genus on account of 

 its lower floret being male while the others are hermaphrodite, and its 

 rachis being fringed with long silky hairs. It is a tall plant with annual 

 stems and a perennial root, and is found exclusively in places over- 

 flowed even during summer. In such situations it is found abundantly 

 in Great Britain, and occurs all through Europe, is common in Siberia, 

 Japan, North America, and even Australia, forming thick coverts, and 

 yielding an abundance of stout durable grass of great value for the 

 purpose of thatching the roofs of buildings. This is undoubtedly the 

 GpayfUTqt of the Greeks. A second species is said to grow in Egypt, 

 and a third in the island of Mauritius ; the two Utter species are how- 

 ever little known. 



PHRAGMO'CERAS. [OnTHooEnATiDJ!.] 



PHRO'NIMA, Lattreille, a genus of Amphipodous Cnutacea. It 

 has two very short setaceous antenna: composed of a small number of 

 joints. Four first feet (mftchoires exte'rieures of Latreille) in the form 

 of small compressed arms, terminating in a point, and dentated below : 

 the two interior the smallest, and annexed to the head. 



P. tedentaria (Cancer sedentarius, Forsk. ; Cancer gammarelliu leden- 

 tarius, Herbst.), has a transparent body, which is nacreous and dotted 

 with reddish. Length not exceeding an inch. 



It lives at some distance from the coast, and keeps, according to 

 M. Risso, in the interior of the body of Radiata belonging to the 

 genera Pijrotoma and Berije. Found in the Mediterranean and near 

 Hurray in Zetland. 



P. Cuttot is smaller than the preceding, and very white. Found 

 near Nice, in the interior of Medusa (Eyuorca and Geronia of Pciron 

 and Lcsueur). (Risso.) 



I 'I (RO 'SINE, Risso, a genus of Amphipodous Cnutacea, namely, 

 those furnished with four antenna:. The two superior antenna: are 



large and spoon-shaped ; two lower antenna;, setaceous and very small. 

 The ten feet properly so called monodactyle, formed of five flattened 

 joints : the first pair short, delicate, and hooked ; the second a little 

 shorter than the third; the fourth very large, with its first joint wide 

 and oval, the two following triangular, the fourth oval and spiny, and 

 the last long, pointed, arched, and falciform ; the fifth pair shorter 

 than the preceding, but of the same form. (Desm.) 



P. semilunata has an oblong body, yellowish anteriorly, red poste- 

 riorly ; the head is provided with two small horns, which form a sort 

 of crescent ; eyes small. Total length seven to eight lines. 



This species is rather rare in the neighbourhood of Nice, where it 

 appears in the spring at the season of reproduction. It inhabits deeps 

 on a sandy bottom. Eggs transparent. 



P. macrophthalma has an oblong violet-red body, with a transparent 

 head ; no horns. Found on P. Pyrosoma, in February and July : at 

 the latter period, the female is loaded with a quantity of very small 

 globular eggs. (Risso.) 



PHRYGANEA. [NEUROPTEHA.] 



PHRYNOCEPHALUS. [DRACONINA.] 



PHRYNOSOMA. [IOUANID.K.] 



PHYCIS, a genus of Fishes belonging to the family Oadidce. It has 

 an elongated body ; two dorsal fins, the first short, the second long ; 

 ventral fins with a single ray only at the base, afterwards divided j 

 chin with one barbule. 



P. furcatw, the Forked Hake, the Hake<Dame, the Common Fork 

 Beard, is a rare fish on the British coasts. It has been taken most 

 frequently in Cornwall. It is about two feet iu length, but not very 

 good eating. 



(Yarrell, British Fiihet.) 



PHYLLASTREPHUS. [MERULID*.] 



PHYLLIDIA. [INFEROBRANCHIATA.] 



PHYLLIDIANS (Lamarck), a family of Qasteropodous Mollusca, 

 including the genera Phyliidia, Chitonellus, C/tiion, Patella, Palelloidea, 

 and Siphonaria. [CHITONIDJE ; PATELLID.E.] 



PHYLLITE, a name for Ottrelite. [OTTRELITE.] 



PHYLLOTJIUM is that organ which in the greater part of the 

 Australian Acacias, or Wattle-Trees, stands in the place of leaves. 



[LEAF.] 



PHY'LLODOCE, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Ericaceae. It has a 5-parted calyx, an ovate corolla with a contracted 

 5-toothed mouth, 10 stamens inclosed, slender glabrous filaments 

 longer than the anthers, short truncate cells opening by pores at the 

 apex. The seeds are compressed and shining. The species are small 

 evergreen shrubs, natives of the north of Europe, Asia, and North 

 America. 



P. caentlca has linear leaves with denticulated margins, glandular 

 hairy peduncles ; calycine lanceolate-acute segments ; anthers three 

 times shorter than the glabrous filaments. The stem is from 4 to 5 

 inches high, detenu inately branched, naked below, densely hairy above. 

 The flower is large, pale, bluish-red ; the peduncles terminal, aggregate, 

 and simple. The plant is a native of Perthshire and the north of 

 England. There are three other species of Phyllodoce, which are 

 natives of North America, 



(Babington, Manual of British Botany.) 



PHY'LLODUS, a genus of Fossil Fishes. [FiSH.] 



PHYLLOPA. [BRANCHIOPODA.] 



PHYLLO'PODA (Latreille), a section of Entomostracoua Crustacea. 

 [ENTOMOSTRACA.] 



PHYLLOSO'MA, a family of Crustacea called by Milne-Edwards 

 Double-Cuirassed (Bicuirasses). It is composed of forms which are 

 very remarkable for their rounded shape aud the transparency of their 

 teguments. The carapace is large, lamellar, extended like a leaf 

 horizontally above the base of the antenna: and a more or less con- 

 siderable portion of the thorax. The thorax is equally depressed, so 

 as to resemble a thin blade or plate placed horizontally, and to the 

 existence of these two bucklers, so to speak, they owe the name 

 (Bicuirasses) given to them by Latreille. The ophthalmic ring is but 

 little if at all distinct from the interior border of the carapace, aud it 

 is from this border also that the antenna: spring. The eyes are very 

 large and projecting. The antenna: spring below and behind their 

 peduncle, on the same transversal line, and are directed forwards ; 

 those of the first pair are bifid at the end, and the conformation of 

 those of the second pair varies. The mouth is situated very far 

 from the base of the antenna:, and is found towards the anterior third 

 or the middle of the lower surface of the carapace ; it has the form of 

 a rounded tubercle, and is composed essentially of a large upper lip, 

 a pair of hooked mandibles which want a palpiform stem, a mem- 

 branous and bilobated lower lip, and a pair of jaws ; sometimes there 

 are to be found a second pair of jaws and even jaw-feet applied against 

 the mouth, but in general those organs are rudimentary and thrown 

 rather far backwards. The great flattened blade or plate, which con- 

 stitutes the thorax, commences immediately behind the mouth, and 

 presents no annular divisions ; in general it reaches a good deal beyond 

 the carapace, and gives insertion to the feet by its lateral borders, so 

 that those organs are very distant from the median line. The number 1 

 of feet consists of from seven to eight pairs, but those of the first 

 pair, and sometimes those of the last, are very short, whilst the 

 others are very long; all arc very slender, and load, towards a third, 



