INDEX. 



such animals as she can seize ; the fur is in less estimation 

 than of inferior kinds, and why; an inhabitant of temperate 

 climates, being afraid of cold as well as heat; the species 

 confined in Europe to a range from Poland to Italy, iii. 80. 

 Polecat of America and Virginia are names for the squash 

 and the skink ; distinctions of those animals, 94t. Seizes 

 the flying squirrel, 151. 



Poles, trade-winds continually blow from them towards the 

 equator, i. 292. The winter beginning round the poles, 

 the same misty appearance produced in the southern cli- 

 mates by heat is there produced by cold ; the sea smokes 

 like an oven there ; limbs of the inhabitants of those regions 

 sometimes frozen and drop off, 328. As we approach the 

 north pole, the size of the natives proportionably diminishes, 

 growing less and less as we advance higher ; the strength of 

 the natives round the polar regions is not less amazing than 

 their patience in hunger, ii. 77. 

 Polynemus, description of this fish, v. 122. 

 Polypus, very voracious ; its description ; uses its arms as a 

 fisherman his net; is not of the vegetable tribe, but a real 

 animal ; examined with a microscope, several little specks 

 are seen like buds, that pullulate from different parts of the 

 body, and these soon appear to be young polypi, beginning 

 to cast their little arms about for prey ; the same food is 

 digested, and serves for nourishment of both ; every polypus 

 has a colony sprouting from its body ; and these new ones, 

 even while attached to the parent, become parents them- 

 selves, with a smaller colony also budding from them ; 

 though cut into thousands of parts, each still retains its 

 vivacious quality, and shortly becomes a distinct and com- 

 plete polypus, fit to reproduce upon cutting in pieces ; it 

 hunts for its food, and possesses a power of choosing it, or 

 retreating from danger, i. 365. Dimensions of the sea 

 polypus, and of that which grows in fresh waters ; the power 

 of dissection first tried upon these animals to multiply their 

 numbers ; Mr Trembley has the honour of the first disco- 

 very of the amazing properties and powers of this animal ; 

 this class of animals divided into four different kinds ; me- 

 thod of conceiving a just idea of their figure ; manner of 

 lengthening or contracting itself; progressive motion; no 

 appearance of an organ of sight found over the whole body ; 

 inclined to turn towards the light; their way of living; 

 arms serve them -as lime-twigs do a fowler; how it seizes 

 upon its prey ; testifies its hunger by opening its mouth ; 

 having seized the prey, opens its mouth, in proportion to 

 the size of what it would swallow, whether fish, flesh, or 

 insects ; when two mouths are joined upon one common 

 prey, the largest swallows his antagonist ; but after lying 

 in the conqueror's bpdy for about an hour, it issues unhurt. 



