PI.ECROPTER.V. 



PLOCEIN.& 



Dr. Onr nuke* the GalcopMeeida the fourth family of the JVi- 

 of, and pUces it between the Lemurida and raperfttiowcfcE. 

 ( Outline, *<-., in Ann. of Philosophy,' 1885.) 



Three species bare been recorded : 1, (MeopillxciH nfta, Geoff, 

 Aodeb, (Lemur votaii, Linn.); 2, (/'. rarityatiu, CUT., Ueoff. ; 3, 



but the general opinion teems to have been that 

 one only, the Lemur rolaiu of Linrucus, had been satisfactorily made 

 out Mr. Waterhouee hai however described two species, of which 

 the following are the character* : 



II. Temminclit meaturee about 2 feet in total length, and it* skull 

 was 2 inches 114 line > 1'ngth. The anterior incisor of the upper 

 jaw is broad, and divided by two notches into three distinct lobes ; 

 the next incisor on each side has its anterior and posterior margins 

 notched ; and the first molar (or the tooth which occupies the situa- 

 tion of the canine) has its porterior edge distinctly notched. This 

 tooth is separated by a narrow space, anteriorly and posteriorly, from 

 the second incisor in front and the second molar behind ; the temporal 

 ridges converge towards the occiput, near which however, be observed, 



Eknll of CmlnfMma nilippinmt 

 *, Hirer ilde ; , under Mf. 



lawn jiw snd teeth of Gal 

 1, noirr .ide of the lower Jiw ; J. nldc rlrw of the rame ; 3, the three fc.ir. 

 oMterlh, upper Jiv; 4, 4, outer snd inner inclnort of lower jw. (Wstir. 

 kesM, Zool. Trw,..') 



they are separated usually by a space of about fovir lines. This is 

 probably the Q. volant of authors ; but the identity cannot be said to 

 be certain. 



Q. Pkilippineiui* is described by Mr. Waterhouse as being usually 

 about 20 inches in length, and its skull as measuring 2 inches 7 lines 

 in length. He observes that this species may be distinguished from 

 (/'. Trni in incl'ii by the proportionately larger ears and the greater 

 length of the hands. The skull is narrower in proportion to its length , 

 the muzzle as broader and more obtuse, and the orbit as smaller. 

 The temporal ridges generally meet near the occiput, or are separated 

 by a very narrow space. The anterior incisor of the upper jaw is 

 narrow, and has but one notch ; the next incisor on each side is con- 

 siderably larger, longer, and stronger than in Q. Temminckii, and 

 differs moreover in having its edges even the same remark applies 

 to the first false molar. In this species the incisors and molar* form 

 a continuous series, each tooth being in contact with that which 

 precedes and that which is behind it The most important difference 

 perhaps which exists between the two species in question consists in 

 the much larger size of the molar teeth in the smaller skull, the five 

 posterior molars occupying a space of 10 lines in length, whereas in 

 Q. Temminckii, a much larger animal, the same teeth only occupy 

 9 lines. ('Zool. Proc.,' 1839.) 



PLEUROUHYNCHUS (Phillips), a genus of fossil MoHutca. 



PLEUROSIGMA. [DIATOMACE.T.] 



PLEUROTOMA, a genus of Mollntca. [SirnoNostoju.] 



PLICA. [IQUAKID.K] 



PLICATULA. [PKCTDIID*.! 



PLICIPENNES. [NEUROPTEIU.] 



PLINUS. [SKRBICOIIXES.] 



PLOCARIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the alliance A Igaltt, 

 the order Ceramiacar, and the sub-order Sphtcrococcett. One of the 

 species, P. Jlclminlhocorton, is called Corsican Moss, and has a con- 

 siderable reputation as a vermifuge. It is a native of the Mediter- 

 ranean. 



PLOCEIN.E, a sub-family of Frlngillitkr. fFntXGiLun.E.] The 

 genus Ploceut (Weavers, Tisserins of the French) is thus defined by 

 Mr. Swainson : Size small. Bill conic, but with the culmen slightly 

 bent, and the tip entire. Under mandible less thick than the upper. 

 Claws large, very long. Wings pointed ; but the first quill remarkably 

 short and spurious. It inhabiU the Old World only. 



The following sub-genera are thus defined by the same observing 

 author, and are arranged under the genus by him : 



VUlua. Bill short Wings lengthened, the second, third, and two 

 following quills longest, and of equal length. Tail boat-shaped; 

 mnles with the two middle feathers excessively elongated, generally 

 broad and convex. (Sw.) 



The Whidah-Fiuches, Widow-Birds, as they are familiarly termed 

 by the British, Veuves of the French, are among the most remark- 

 able of the section of hard-billed seed-eating birds to which they 

 belong. These African Buntings are favourites for the cage and the 

 aviary, where the long drooping tail-feathers, not inelegant, though 

 out of all ordinary proportion, that adorn the males in the breeding 

 season for the birds are, generally, not larger in the body than 

 canaries immediately attract the attention. The Latin generic namo 

 and the French and English familiar ones are most probably derived 

 from the sombre hue which prevails in their plumage, suggesting the 

 idea of a widow's weeds. 



V. paraduea. This is Emberita paraditca, Linn. ; Grande Veuve- 

 d' Angola, of the French ; Whidah-Bunting of English ornithologists ; 

 Widow-Bird of the English salesmen and fanciers. 



The upper part of the plumage is of a faded or deep brownish- 

 black; but this colour becomes of a paler hue on the wings and 

 lateral tail-feathers. The whole of the head, the chin, and throat are 

 of this faded black, which extends downwards, narrowing as it 

 descends, to the middle of the breast A broad rich orange-rufouH 

 collar proceeds from the upper part of the back of the neck, and 

 unites with a tinge of the same colour on the sides of the neck and 

 breast ; this last hue passes into the pale buff of the body, abdomen, 

 and thighs, but leaves the under tail-covers black, the colour of the 

 upper ones. 



The tail-feather* are black : the four lateral ones on each side are 

 (lightly graduated, each being a fraction of an inch, sometimes nliout 

 a quarter, longer than the one above it The next two are the long 

 vertical externally convex feathers, so conspicuous in the male. 

 These in fine specimens measure a foot in length from the base, and 

 about three-quarters of an inch in width. The two middle feathers, 

 also placed in a vertical direction, have very broad webs on their 

 basal half (about three inches), but the remainder of the shaft becomes 

 a plumeless hair-like process (somewhere about three inches more). 

 Bill and feet black. Size about that of a canary. 



It is a native of Senegal and South Africa. 



V. trythrorhynchtu, Swainson, the Red-Hilled Whidah Finch, is ot 

 less size than V. paraditea, and is altogether an aberrant species of 

 this group. The bill is shorter, thicker, and broader at the top. 

 Of the four middle greatly elongated tail-feathers, two are convex, 

 and two concave, so that when all four are closed, they form a sort 

 of cylinder ; and, but for their extremities, appear at first sight as 

 one. It inhabits Senegal. 



