513 



PYROSIDERITE. 



QUADRUMANA. 



5U 



PYROSIDERITE. [IRON.] 



PYROSKLERITE, a Mineral. Its primary form is a rhombic 

 prism, with one perfect cleavage, and another at right angles with 

 this imperfect. Colour emerald-green and apple-green ; streak 

 white. Fracture uneven and splintery. Hardness 3'0. Lustre dull. 

 Translucent. Specific gravity 2'74. It is found in the island of 

 Elba, and at Aier in Siidermaulaud. Its analysis by Von Kobell 

 gives 



Silica 37-03 



Alumina 13'50 



Magnesia ....... 31'62 



Protoxide of Iron 3'52 



Oxide of Chromium 1-43 



Water 11-00 



98-10 



PYROSMALITE. [IRON.] 



PYROXENE, a Mineral, which has received various names, probably 

 because it has been found in different countries, and under slightly 

 varying circumstances and properties. The different names by which 

 it has been known are Alalite, Attgite, Saikalite, Coccolite, Diopside, 

 Fanaite, Je/enonite, Malacolite, Musnte, Pyrgom, and Sahlite. 

 [AroiTE.] 



PYRRHITE, a Mineral, occurring crystallised iu regular octohe- 

 drons. It has no cleavage observable. Colour deep orange-yellow. 

 Hardn>g8 equal to that of Felspar. Lustra vitreous, brilliant. Trans- 

 parent on the edges. It is found at Alabaschka, near Mursinsk, and 

 at the Azores. 



PYRRHOCERAS. [CORVIDJS.] 



PY'RRHOCORAX. [CORVID^.] 



PYRRHOT)ES. [PsrrrACiDJS.] 



PY'RRHULA. [BULLFINCH.] 



PYRRHULAUDA, a genus of Birds. 



PY'RULA. [SipnouosTOMATA.] 



PYRUS, the Latin word for Pear-Tree, is the name of a genus of 

 Plants belonging to the natural order Roiacece. This genus is cha- 

 racterised by having a superior calyx with a 5-lobed limb; roundish 

 petals; five styles; the fruit a closed 5-celled pome with a cartilaginous 

 putamen called the core; two seeds in each cell; the testa carti- 

 laginous. The species are trees or shrubs with simple or pinnate 

 leaves, and the flowers placed on terminal many-flowered cymes. The 

 species of this genus have obtained various names, as Apples and Pears, 

 Crabs, Beam-Trees, and Mountain-Ashes. 



P. communii, the Pear, has ovate serrated leaves, glabrous on both 

 surfaces, with umbellate peduncles. It is a native of Europe in woods 

 and hedges. In its wild state it is thorny, but always unarmed when 

 cultivated. It is the Pear-Tree of our orchards. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished from the apple-tree by the shape of its fruit. [PEAR, in 

 ARTS AND Sc. Div.] 



P. Malm, the Apple, has acute serrate ovate-acute leaves ; flowers 

 in a sessile umbel ; the fruit globose, and the styles combined below. 

 This is the Crab-Tree of our hedges when wild, and the Apple-Tree of 

 our orchards. [APPLE, in ARTS AND Sc. Div.] 



Other species of Pyrui besides the above yield edible fruits. 



On Mount Sinai grows a species called P. Sinaica, whose fruit is 

 liard, gritty, and austere, and whoso leaves are gray with down ; in 

 Germany a similar kind, the P. niralia, is by no means uncommon, 

 with a considerable resemblance to the last ; Siberia and Persia 

 produce another, called P. salicifolia, with very narrow hoary leaves; 

 and in the former country are found the Siberian Crab, P. prunifolia, 

 and the Berry-Fruited Crab, P. baccata, whose fruit is too small for 

 ordinary consumption, but is often seen in tho form of a sweetmeat. 



Besides these, the Chinese Crab, P. spectabilis, and also P. coronaria, 

 are cultivated for their flowers. 



P. domestic, the Service-Tree, has serrated pinnated leaves, downy 

 below ; the flowers in panicles, and the fruit obovate. This tree, 

 though not uncommon in Great Britain, is a doubtful native. Its 

 wood is very compact, and is said to be the hardest and heaviest of 

 any indigenous in Europe. 



P. Ana, the White Beam-Tree, has the leaves oval or oblong, 

 unequally and doubly serrate or slightly lobed towards tho end, 

 nearly entire below ; flowera corymbose. It inhabits rocks in the 

 West and North of England. Its scarlet fruit renders it very orna- 

 mental in the autumn. 



P. aucuparia, the Rowan-Tree, or Roan-Tree, known also under 

 the names of the Fowler's Service-Tree and Mountain-Ash. Its Latin 

 name, P. aucuparia, and its various modern designations, have been 

 given to it on account of the general use made of its fruit for the 

 purpose of decoying birds into traps. It is much cultivated, both on 

 account of its valuable wood and rapid growth. It is known from the 

 other species of Pyrus by its slightly glabrous serrated leaflets and its 

 globose fruit. It is found in most parts of Europe, in the north-west 

 of Asia, in Nova Scotia, and other regions of the northern parts of 

 North America, and in the island of Japan. It does not however 

 attain equal magnitude in all climates, lu its most northern localities 

 and alpine situations it is a low shrubby bush ; whilst in southern 

 districts it forms a handsome tree, growing to the height of 20 or 

 30 feet. The finest trees in this island are found in the Western 

 Highlands and on the west coast of Scotland. This tree has enjoyed 

 from remote times a distinguished reputation. A belief in its power 

 against witchcraft and evil spirits of all kinds seems to have been 

 prevalent at a very early date ; and, according to Lightfoot, in bis 

 ' Flora Scotica,' it was till a late period held in high reputation in 

 Scotland as a charm against evil influence. It is through a hoop of 

 this wood that sheep are made to pass night and morning as a pre- 

 servative against evil spirits. 



The Rowan-Tree is a graceful tree, with an erect stem and orbicular 

 head. It grows very rapidly for the first three or four years of its 

 existence, and on this account it is well adapted for planting with 

 young oaks, which it protects till they grow above it, when it is 

 destroyed by their shade. It also forms excellent coppice-wood, the 

 shoots being adapted for poles and for making hoops. The bark is 

 used by tanners. The leaves, when dried, have been sometimes used 

 in the north of Europe as a substitute for wheat in times of scarcity. 

 It is prized next to yew for making the bow. In Wales it is as 

 religiously planted in churchyards as the yew is in England. 



P. fennica is a species also called a Service-Tree, and found in the 

 north of Europe and Scotland. It has scarlet fruit The leaves are 

 oblong, doubly serrate near the apex, pinnatifid below ; the pinna; 

 lanceolate-oblong, serrated, the two lowermost distinct, under side 

 white and downy. Flowers corymbose. 



P. torminalii, the Wild Service-Tree, is a native of England. It has 

 cordate or ovate-lobed glabrous leaves, the lobes triangular acute, ser- 

 rated, the lower ones larger and spreading, the flowers corymbose. It 

 has brown oval fruit. 



P. tcandica is another British species ; at one time supposed to be 

 a hybrid, but distinguished by the lobes of its leaves being triangular- 

 oval, toothed, deepest towards the middle. Flowers corymbose. 



These species are all natives of Great Britain. A number of others 

 have been introduced into our shrubberies and parks. Of these a full 

 account is given in Loudon's 'Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum.' 



PYTHON. [BOA.] 



PYXIS. [CHELONIA.] 



Q 



QUADRU'M ANA, Cuvier' name for his second order of Mammifer- 

 ous Animals, an order which must bo always viewed by tho 

 zoologist with great interest, inasmuch as it contains those forms 

 among which will be found the nearest approach though the distance 

 is still great to Man. [CHIMPANZEE ; ORANO-UTAN ; APE ; CHEIKO- 

 PODA.] 



The order Primates of Linnanis consisted of the genera Homo, Simia, 

 Lemur, and Veipertilio. [PRIMATES.] 



Cuvier placed Homo aloof in his order llimana, of which it is the 

 only genus. His order Quadrumana embraced the Singes (Simia, 

 Linn., including the Orangs) and the Makis (Lemur, Linn.) ; between 

 them two extremes came the Ouistitis, or Arctopitheci. [jACcnus.] 



Of his Qitndrumana, Cuvier remarks that, independently of the 

 anatomical details which distinguish them from man, they differ from 

 him in the very striking character arising from their hind-feet having 

 free thumbs, which are opposeable to the other fingers, whilst those 

 fingers are long and flexible, like those of the hand. They therefore 

 climb trees with facility ; but they do not hold themselves or walk 

 erect except with difficulty, their foot in such case not resting on the 

 sole, but on its external edge, and their narrow pelvis not favouring 

 i 'luilibrium in that posture. Their intestines, he observes, are suf- 



KAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. IV. 



ficiently similar to ours, their eyes are directed forward, they have 

 maturate on the breast, et penem pendentein. The cerebrum has three 

 lobes on each side, the posterior of which covers the cerebellum, and 

 the temporal fossa is separated from tho orbit by a bony partition; 

 but for the rest, they recede gradually from the form of man, assuming 

 a more elongated muzzle, a tail, and a progression more and more 

 exclusively quadruped. Nevertheless, adds Cuvier, the liberty of 

 their fore arms and the complication of their hands permit among 

 them all many actions and gestures similar to those of man. 



Illiger's first order, Erecta, like Cuvier's Bimana, included man 

 alone. His second order, Pollicata, consisted of the Quadrumana, 

 the Prosimii, the Macrotarei, tho Leptodactyla, and the Marsupialia. 



The Quadrumana embraced the Orangs and Simice generally, in- 

 cluding Hapale (the Jacchui). 



Dr. J. E. Gray divides the Primates into the Anthropomorphous and 

 Quadrupedoid. 



The first family of the first division, Jfominidie, is thus sub- 

 divided : 



t Tail none. 



I. HOMININA, Homo. 2. SIMIINA, Truylodytes, Geoff. ; Simia, Linn. 

 Jfylobatee, 111. 



2L 



