PULICARIA. 



PUXICA. 



800 



which th Common Fl-a may be regarded u the type. The fleas an 

 ^B+H.^ by Latrcillf, Kirby, and many other entomologists), u 

 ooMtitatinc an order of insect*. They form the group Suctoria of 

 De O*r; the order Sifhmvftirr of Latreille, and Apkanijitera of 

 Kirby and Spenre, by whom they are pUoed between the orders 

 ftiflii* and ApUra. In the 'Rogue Animal* they are arranged 

 between the orden Paratita, or Anaplura, of Leach, and the Coleo- 

 mtm. It U highly probable however that when thU group i better 

 known whenthe numerous inieoti allied to the flea* are more com- 

 mon in our cabinet* it will be found that they do not oonititute an 

 order by themselves, but are aberrant forms of the other well-estab- 

 lishtd order*; in th**e then U a certain degree of uniformity, aa 

 regard* number*, variety of habit*, Ac., which can but lead ui to doubt 

 the validity of the co-called orden containing only one or two genera, 

 and but few *peaiei. auch a* the present order, and the orders Aptera, 

 ffomaloptmt, and Strrptipten. It U moreover worthy of observation 

 that each of these so-called orden if composed of parasitic insects, 

 which neceeaarily involves a atructure very unlike the mon typical 

 species of the group* to which we may suppose they belong. 



The SiK-foria have the mouth composed of three piece*, inclosed by 

 two articulated lamina), which, when united, form a cylindrical or 

 conical proboscis, the base of which U protected by two scale*. They 

 undergo a complete metamorphosis : the larva is of an elongated 

 cylindrical form, and when about to change into the pupa state, inclose* 

 itself in a silken cocoon, and at the end of a few days assumes the 

 imago or perfect state. 



la the genus Pvlac the body is compressed, of an oval form, and 

 protected by a tough coriaceous covering. The head is small and 

 much compressed, and furnished on each side with a small round eye ; 

 behind this is a concavity in which the antennae (which an three-pointed) 

 an situated. 



On the anterior part of the head an two four-jointed organs, sup- 

 posed by Latreille to be the antenna), but which must be palpi, the 

 organ* situated behind the eyes being now supposed to be the antennae. 

 The legs an large and strong, particularly the hinder pair, by which 

 the insect jumps, and covered with spines ; the tarsi are 5-joiuted, and 

 the terminal joint is furnished with two elongated claws ; the anterior 

 pair of legs an inserted almost under the head, and the rostrum lies 

 between them. 



The female flea is said to lay about a dozen eggs, which are of a 

 whitish colour and somewhat viscid : the larvae are long and slender, 

 and have no legs ; the head is scaly and has no eyes, but is furnished 

 with two very small antenna: : each of the segments of the body is 

 provided with little tuft* of hair, and the terminal segment has more- 

 over two hooked appendages at its apex. 



The Common Flea (Pula irritant) is but too well known. It is 

 said to attack dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as man ; but then 

 an other species which appear to be peculiar to certain birds and 

 quadrupeds, and these have received in most cases the names of the 

 pecira they attack, such as the Dog-Flea (Pultx Canii), the Mole-Flea 

 (P. Talpa), that of the Martins (P. Himndinii), and of the Mouse (P. 

 IfiucWi), *c. 



The Chigoe of the West Indies and South America also belongs to 

 this group, being the Pules penetraat of author*. " It is described," 

 says Messrs. Kirby and Spence (vol. L p. 102), " as generally attacking 

 the feet and legs, getting, without being felt, between the skin and the 

 flesh, usually under the nails of the toes, when it nidificates and lays 

 its eggs ; and if timely attention be not paid to it, which, a* it occa- 

 sions no other uneasiness ' than itching (the sensation at first, I am 

 assured, is rather pleasing than otherwise), is sometimes neglected, it 

 multiplies to such a degree a* to be attended by the most fatal con- 

 sequences, often rendering amputation necessary, and sometimes 

 causing death. The female slaves in the West Indies are frequently 

 employed to extract these pests, which they do with uncommon dex- 

 terity. Besides the name Chigoe, they an sometime* called Jiggers, 

 Nigua, Tungiia, Pique, Ac. 



(Dug*, Rtdurckt* nr let Ckaraetiret Zooloyiqurt du genre Pulejc, in 

 A*ala dm Scitnett JiaturtUei, October, 1832; Westwood, On the 

 AnMhtrv of On Antenna of the order Apkaniptera, in Entomological 

 Mogatint, voL i.) 



I'I'LIi 'A'KIA. a genns of Plant* belonging to the natural order 

 Atleratta. It has an involucre laxly imbricated in few rows. The 

 pappus in two rows, the outer one short, cup-like, membranous, and 

 toothed, the inner one pilose. 



/'. rulynrii, Flea-Kane, has lanceolate wavy leaves, narrow at the 

 base, and somewhat clasping ; the stem much branched and downy ; 

 the heads lateral and terminal, hemispherical, with very short rays. 

 It is the fmUa of Linnsnu. The heads an small, the florets yellow. 

 It is found on moist sandy heaths in Great Britain. It has obtained 

 its English name from being used to drive away flea*. 



P. dfttnttrica has a creeping root, and U a herb mon or less woolly 

 or cottony, glutinous, and with a peculiar and aromatic smell. The 

 stem risn 12 or 16 inches high : it is round, leafy, cottony, corymbose 

 at the nimmit. with many bright yellow flower-heads, whose disc U of 

 a darker hoe than their numerous spreading rays. The leaves an 

 acute, veiny, and wrinkled, or slightly toothed or serrated, from 1 to 

 2 inches long, sessile, clssping the stem, the under side cottony. The 

 fruit is bristly and obovate, the pappus rough, the receptacle slightly 



cellular, unequally toothed or scaly. Llnnaus states, on the authority 

 of General Keith, that this plant cured the Russian army of the 

 dysentery. But Haller speaks contemptuously of the medical virtues 

 of this plant, because he says it abounds iu earthy matter. It is 

 found in damp places in Great Britain. 



(Lindley, Flora Mediea ; Vegetable Kingdom.) 



PULMOBRANCHIA'TA (De Blainville), an order of aasteropodoua 

 Mollutca. [MAL.iroLOOT.] 



PULMOORADA. [ACALEPH*.] 



PULMONA'RIA (so named from its being supposed efficacious in 

 disorders of thB lungs, or from the spots on the leaves resembling 

 those on some diseased lungs), a genus of Plants belonging to the 

 natural order Boragiruuta. It has a tubular 5-cleft calyx, a funnel- 

 shaped corolla with a naked throat. The stamens included in the 

 tube filaments very short. The style is simple, the nuts smooth, 

 attached by their truncate base with a central tubercle. The species 

 are herbaceous plants with spotted leaves and terminal corymbose 

 racemes of flowers. 



P. ojicinalu, Lungwort, has ovate leaves, roundish or cordate, the 

 upper leaves oblong. The root U thick and black. The corollas an 

 red before expansion and then purple. The whole plant is mon or 

 less hispid. It is found in the woods and thickets of England, and is 

 native of Europe and the Caucasus. The leaves, which are the parts 

 of the plant recommended in medicine, have no peculiar smell, but in 

 their recent state manifest a slightly astringent and mucilaginous 

 taste hence they an supposed to be demulcent and pectoral, and 

 have been prescribed in consumption. All these plants contain nitre 

 in considerable quantities, and when burnt this species yields one- 

 seventh of its weight in ashes. In the north of Europe it is eaten as 

 a pot-herb, and according to Ray in his time it was brought to tablo 

 in Scotland. 



P. anguitifolia has all lanceolate leaves. It is difficult to distinguish 

 from the former species, but is more pubescent, and has narrower 

 spotless leaves. The corolla is purple, and there is a variety with 

 white flowers. It is a native of Europe. 



PULMONELLA. [STKOICUM.] 



PULP, a name given in Vegetable Physiology and Botany to such 

 parts of plants as are semifluid. [Knurr.] 



PULSE. [HEART.] 



PULVINITEa [MAU.EACEA; MABOABITACKA.] 



PUMA. [FBUD.l 



PUMICE. [LAVA.] 



PUMPKIN is the vulgar name of the fruit of the Cueui-bUa maxima 

 and C. Pepo. [CccuBBiTA.] 



1'U'NIUA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Myrtacea;, sometimes distinguished, in consequence of its having two 

 verticela of capsules developed instead of one, from Myrtacea under 

 the name of Granatacctf. The genus consists of only a single species, 

 the celebrated Pomegranate, with a dwarf variety, which is some- 

 times considered a distinct species. The pomegranate has from the 

 earliest periods formed an object of attraction in the countries from 

 Syria to the north of India, where it grows in perfection, as well as 

 in the north of Africa ; and this, as well from its shining dark-green 

 foliage, as from its conspicuous flowers, of which the flower-cup and 

 petals are both of a crimson colour, while its large red-coloured fruit, 

 filled with juicy pleasant-flavoured pulp, which covers its numerous 

 seeds, makes it an object of desire in hot countries. Thus we find it 

 mentioned in the Bible, under the name Rimmon (Numbers, eh. xiii.), 

 and we hence learn that it was cultivated in Egypt and also in Pales- 

 tine ; by the Arab authors it is called Rooman, and by the Persians 

 Auar, and it is probably indigenous all along the mountains from the 

 Caucasus to the Himalayas, where it is described by Dr. Royle as 

 being found in a wild atate. Forster describes the Pomegranate as 

 being delicious in most part* of Persia ; and Burnes states that the 

 famous Pomegranates without seeds are grown in gardens under the 

 snowy hills near the Caubul River. 



The Pomegranate was well known to the Greeks,' being the 'PoA 

 of Theophrastus and the 'Pota of Dioscorides. Hippocrates mentions 

 it by what is supposed to be its Phoenician name, Side. By the 

 Romans it wss called Punica, and Punicum ilalnm, from having been 

 introduced from Carthage. Besides the fruit, the parts employed by 

 the ancient* wen the double flowers, which were called balaustion ; 

 the pericarp, from its leathery consistence, called malicorium, was 

 used for its astringent properties ; while the bulk of the root was 

 considered an efficient anthelmintic. In the East, where so much has 

 remained stationary, the different parts continue to bo employed for 

 the same purposes ; and Dr. Royle mentions that in India buloositou 

 is given as the Greek name of the double flower. The rind of the 

 wild fruit is much preferred for astringent purposes, and forms in the 

 present day an article of commerce from the Himalayas to the plains 

 of India. The bark of the root, being also still employed in India 

 for the expulsion of intestinal worms, was made known as a recent 

 discovery in India, in consequence of a Mohammedan practitioner having 

 cured a European gentleman there of tape-worm with great ease. He 

 had no doubt learned this property of the bark of the pomegranate 

 from the translations of Dioicoriiles, which nre incorporated in most 

 of the Mohammedan works on Materia Medico, aflording a btriking 

 instance of fact* once well known being forgotten until they are 



