Ill 



PREMNA. 



PRIONODON. 



Hydroui AntkophyUite. In divergent fibres having a silky lustre. 

 Colour white, greenish-yellow, or bluish. Occurs in a talcose rock at 

 Fishkill, New York, and also above New York city. 



Zeuxite. A hydrous silicate of alumina and iron, in small brown 

 prismatic crystals, of a vitreous lustre. From Cornwall, in the Huel 

 Unity mine. 



Damourile. Occurs in lamellar pearly crystals, a little harder than 

 talc. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and potash. Reported from 

 I.eiperville, Pennsylvania, and Chesterfield, Massachusetts. 



Mawnite. Near chloritoid ; coarsely foliated or tabular ; colour 

 dark gray. Lustre nearly pearly ; folia brittle and ofter curved. 

 Fuses with difficulty on the edges. From the vicinity of Natic village, 

 lihode Island. 



Other forms of PrehnUe will be found mentioned under EPISTILBITE ; 

 EnrNCTONiTE ; CARPHOLITE; FAUJASITE; QLOTTALITE; and CHLO- 

 RITOID. 



PREMNA, a genus of Plants of the natural family of Verbenacea, 

 which is characterised by a cup-shaped calyx, a 5-cleft bilabiate 

 corolla. Stamens 4, didynamous. Drupe pea-shaped, with a 4-celled 

 nut. The species consist of shrubs and small trees, which are indigenous 

 in Asia and Australia, having opposite leaves, inflorescence iu terminal 

 cymes, with small flowers. 



The majority of the species are remarkable for the fetid odour of 

 their leaves ; though those of P. cordifolia are somewhat fragrant, and 

 thoie of P. esculenta are employed as diet by the natives of Chittagong, 

 P. integrifolia has roots of a burning taste, with leaves of a bircine 

 odour. The leaves, applied to the head, are said to cure headache, 

 and a decoction of the roots is employed as a stimulant in fevers, 

 flatulence, tec. P. latifolia has wood of a white colour and firm 

 texture, employed for various economical purposes, iu which it agrees 

 iu character with the teak tree, Gmclina arborea, and others which 

 belong to the same natural family. 



PRENANTHES, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Competitor. Its only British representative is the Lactuca muralis, 

 the P. muralis of Smith. [LACTUCA.] 



PRIMATES, the name given by Linnaeus to the first onler of 

 Mammalia, and thus characterised by him : Denies primores incisores, 

 superiores iv., parallel!. Mamma; pectorales ii. 



The order contains the following genera : 



Homo, of which Linnaeus records two species, namely, ff. sapient 

 nnd its varieties (Man), and //. Troglodytes (H. tylrettris, Orang Outang, 

 Bout.). 



Simia, 33 species. 



Lemur (including Lemur volant}. [PLECROPTERA.] 



Veipertilio, 6 species. [CHEIROPTERA ; MAMMALOGY.] 



PRI'MNOA. [POLTPIFEKA.] 



PRI'MULA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Pri- 

 mulacea. It has a tubular 5-cleft calyx, a salver-shaped regular corolla, 

 ag long as the calyx, or longer ; a spreading limb iu five rather deep 

 inversely heart-shaped obtuse segments ; a free 1 -celled ovary, with a 

 free central placenta. It has a capitate stigma and one style. The 

 fruit is a capsule with numerous roundish seeds. 



P. vulgaris, the Primrose, is one of our commonest British plants. 

 It has oblong, ovate, wrinkled crenate leaves ; single flowered scapes 

 and a tubular calyx ; linear, lanceolate, attenuated teeth, very acute ; 

 the limb of the corolla flat. It is found in woods and thickets, and is 

 one of the earliest of our spring flowers. 



P. elatior, the Ox-Lip, has ovate leaves contracted below, wrinkled 

 and denticulate, many-flower umbellate scapes, a tubular calyx ; lan- 

 ceolate acute teeth ; the limb of the corolla concave, with cordate ovate 

 segments ; nodding flowers and erect fruit. It is found in woods and 

 meadows, but rarely in England. The Polyanthus is a variety of this 

 species. 



P. verit, the Cowslip, has ovate wrinkled crenate leaves, contracted 

 below, many-flowered umbellate scapes ; a bell-shaped calyx, rather 

 downy, with short ovate teeth ; the limb of the corolla concave, or 

 cup-shaped, of a deeper yellow on the upper side, with five orange 

 pots. It is found plentifully iu meadows and pastures in England. 

 The flowers possess well-marked sedative and diaphoretic qualities, 

 and make a pleasant soporific wine. The fresh root has also a smell 

 resemblinc: anis.>, and was formerly employed as a tonic medicine and 

 also as a diuretic. 



P. farinoia is distinguished by its mealy obovate lanceolate leaves, 

 oblong ovate calyx, linear teeth, and obcordate segments rounded below, 

 distant, and as long as the tube. It is found in the north of England 

 and Scotland, and is called the Bird's-Eye Primrose. 



P. Scotica is found only in the north of Scotland. It is known by its 

 swollen calyx, with short ovate obtuse teeth ; the limb of the corolla 

 is flat, with broadly obcordate approximate segments half the length 

 of the tube. The flowers are of a bluish purple colour with a yellow 

 centre. 



The leaves of P. auricula are used in the Alps as a remedy for 

 coughs. Swine are the only animals that feed upon any of these 

 ipecies as their especial sustenance. They are valuable chiefly on 

 account of their beautiful appearance and their early blossoming. 



(Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom; Lindley, flora Medica; Burnett, 

 iinilinti of Botany ; Babington, Manual of JiritM Botany.) 



PRIMULA'CE/K are Monopetalous Exogenous Plants, peculiarly 

 NAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. IV. 



distinguished by the stamens being opposite to the lobes of the corolla, 

 and a superior capsule with a free central placenta. In most respects 

 they correspond with Myrsinacece, but the latter are known by their 

 being trees or shrubs with an indehiscent fleshy fruit. The Primu- 

 laccce consist of herbaceous plants inhabiting the temperate parts of 

 the world, iu moist situations, such as meadows, morasses, and alpino 

 stations, or in the damp parts of woods, which they adorn with their 

 lively flowers. The Primula, Anagallis, Soldandla, Cyclamen, and 

 Lytimachia, of various species and under many forms, are the gayest 

 of the genera, some of whose species are found in almost all gardens. 

 The Cowslip is slightly narcotic, but the order is of no known utility. 

 [PRIMULA ; ANAGALLIS ; SOLDANELLA ; CYCLAMEN ; LYSIMACHIA.] 



PRI'NIA (Horsfield), a genus of Birds. It has the following generic 

 character: Bill rather lengthened, much compressed, entire; rictus 

 smooth, wings rounded, tail broad and cuueate; feet large, strong. 

 (Swainson.) 



P. familiarit may be taken as an example. It is the Prinya of the 

 Javanese, Familiar Creeper of Latham. 



It is abundant iu many parts of Java, near villages and gardens, 

 in the confines of which, among trees and shrubs, it builds its nest. 

 It is a sprightly bird, sporting among the branches in short and rapid 

 flights, and has received its native name from its lively and pleasant 

 notes. (Horsfield.) 



... 



n 



' 



Familiar Creeper (Prinin familiarit}. 



Mr. Swaiuson (' Classification of Birds ') thinks that Prinia may be 

 a subordinate type or sub-genus of Drymoica. [SYLVIAD.*:.] He 

 observes that the Prinia! have all the activity and familiarity of the 

 true Wrens (Troglodytes), and so much resemble them in general 

 appearance, in their short sweet song, and the throwing up of the tail, 

 that it is not very surprising that they should have been classed with 

 the Scansorial Creepers. 



PRINOS. [AQUIFOUACE.R] 



PRINSE'PIA, a genus of Plants of the natural family of C/irysola- 

 lanccecf, so named by Dr. Royle in honour of James Prinsep, secretary 

 of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. The genus consists of only a single 

 species, remarkable for its thorny appearance, but it may be consi- 

 dered typical of the labours of the individual whom it is designed to 

 commemorate, as, early in the season, it is conspicuous for the abund- 

 ance of its inflorescence, and, later, for that of the purple-coloured 

 berries with which it is loaded. The seeds are large, and yield by 

 expression an oil which is highly esteemed by the mountaineers of the 

 Himalaya*, where it is indigenous, and which by Europeans is thought 

 a good substitute for salad oil. 



PRI'ODON. [ARMADILLO.] 



PRION. [PHOCELLABIDJE.J 



PRIONITES. [MOMOTS.] 



PRIO'NODON, Dr. Horsfield's name for a feline form (Fells gracilis, 

 Delundung of the Javanese), and placed by him in a separate section 

 under the name of Prionodontidcf, between 7-Wi'sand Viverra. (' Zoolo- 

 gical Researches in Java.') 



Mr. Swainson remarks ('Classification of Quadrupeds'), that of the 

 genus Prionodon, at present, but one species has been found, in Java. 

 As a familiar appellation, expressive, in all probability, of its analogy 

 to the Sorecida, he terms it the Shrew Cat. 



Dental Formula : Incisors, -; Canines,-; Molars,- =38. 

 ' 6 11 0-6 



P. gracilis has the tail elongated, anuulated, cylindrical ; body 

 pale flavescent, with four very wide dorsal bands and two narrow anal 



2 a 



