420 



P E L I D N A ~ P E N T A T O M I D 



as a New Holland species, about the same size as 

 the common one, and, like that, white in the general 

 plumage, but with additional black markings ; these 

 are placed on the scapulars, the middle coverts of the 

 wings, and the quills and tail feathers. The lesser 

 coverts of the wings are white, the feathers being 

 long, narrow, and pendent over the wing. A small 

 space round the eye, and also the bill and the pouch, 

 are reddish, and the feet are brown. 



A pelican beating on the waters is really a fine 

 sight. At one time it flies close to the surface, and 

 actually strikes the water with its wings, making a 

 splash and causing the body to bound upward every 

 time that it does so. Again, it soars aloft until it 

 perceives a fish, and then it pounces upon that fish, 

 not perhaps with exactly the same splendour as the 

 gannet, but still in a very splendid style. 



PELIUNA (so called from the prevailing tawny 

 brown colour of the upper part). A genus of birds 

 belonging to the order Echassiers, and comprising the 

 smaller species of birds, allied to the sanderlings, 

 which for the greater part of the year run screaming 

 about those shelving portions of the coast from which 

 the sea retires to some distance at low water. The 

 whole of those birds which are not in the water as 

 waders, or upon it as swimmers, are birds of great 

 interest, and many of them are highly prized as food. 

 But they are very numerous, and we shall be better | 

 able to give a short explanation of their coincidences 

 and their differences, by bringing the whole into one 

 article, which we purpose to do in the article SNIPE, 

 or snipe family. 



PELOPJ3US (Latreille). An interesting genus 

 of aculeate hymenopterous insects, belonging to the 

 tribe Fossorcs and family Sp/iegidee, having the man- 

 dibles unprovided internally with teeth, with the 

 second submarginal cells of the anterior wings re- 

 ceiving two recurrent nerves; the clypeus is also 

 dentate, and the maxillary longer than the labial 

 palpi ; the abdomen is attached to the thorax by 

 means of a very long and slender footstalk. These 

 insects (none of which are inhabitants of this country, 

 although P. spirifcx, Linnaeus, is a reputed British spe- 

 cies) construct their nests/according to Reaumur, in the 

 interior of houses and outhouses. Their nests are 

 composed of kneaded earth, &c., which they fix in the 

 corners of rooms, &c. They are of a rounded form, 

 and consist of a spirally-twisted thread of mould, 

 exhibiting also on the underside two or three rows of 

 holes. The nest is afterwards provisioned with living 

 insects for the supply of the future young, when 

 hatched from the eggs, also deposited at the same 

 time in the nest. M. Palisot de Beauvois, in his 

 splendid work upon the insects of Africa and Ame- 

 rica, says, that the store of food of P. spinfex con- 

 sists of spiders. The same author adds decidedly, 

 that this species closes the aperture of the cells after 

 the deposition of the eggs. In the first part of the 

 Transactions of the Entomological Society, Mr. 

 Saunders has published an interesting account of the 

 habits of an Indian species of this genus, which are 

 quite at variance with the statements of the French 

 authors quoted above. These insects are exceedingly 

 active ; they are generally somewhat more than an 

 inch in length, and of a black colour, varied with 

 yellow. The species are somewhat numerous, and 

 found in all the warm climates of the globe. The 

 best known species is the Sphex spirifcx of Linnteus, 

 which is black, with the abdominal peduncle and legs 



yellow. It is found in the southern districts of 

 France, c. 



PENEACE^E. A natural order, containing only 

 one genus, of which there are eight or nine species, 

 all very beautiful greenhouse plants. They have the 

 habit of Pimclca, and are nearly allied to 'Epacridccc. 

 The species grow well on sandy loam and heath- 

 mould, and are propagated by cuttings. 



The Pencacca- are evergreen shrubs, natives of 

 southern Africa, with opposite or imbricate, exstipu- 

 late leaves, inflorescence terminal, or axillary, the 

 perianth usually of a red hue and inferior. The sta- 

 mens are definite, either four or eight, exserted from 

 the lower part of the tube of the calyx ; the anthers 

 two-celled ; the germen is superior, four-celled ; style 

 simple ; stigmata four. The fruit is capsular and 

 four-celled. 



The gum-resin, called sarcocol, is the produce of the 

 Pcncca sarcocolla and other species, natives of Ethio- 

 pia. It is an exudation found chiefly on the perianths 

 of the flowers, and, as collected for importation, it is 

 in small grains like sand, of a yellow or reddish 

 colour, and very fragile. Though long known among 

 medical men, and occasionally used as a cathartic, it 

 is now almost forgotten. 



PENNISETUM (Richard). A genus of tropical 

 annuals, belonging to the natural order Gram'mea; 

 not in cultivation. 



PENNYROYAL is the Merdha pulegium of Lin- 

 naeus, an aromatic-scented herb found wild in Britain, 

 but sometimes cultivated as a pot or medicinal herb. 



PENTADESMA (Dr. Brown). An African fruit 

 tree, bearing polyadelphous flowers, and belonging 

 to GuUiferae. P. butyracca is the butter or tallow 

 tree of Sierra Leone. The fruit is large, nearly as 

 big as a child's head, and gives out, when cut, an 

 abundance of yellow grease or semi-concrete oil, 

 which the natives mix with their food, but it is not 

 used by the settlers on account of its strong turpen- 

 tine flavour. 



PENTAMERA (Latreille). One of the primary 

 sections into which this author divided the coleopte- 

 rous order of insects, in consequence of the species of 

 which it is composed possessing five joints in all the 

 tarsi (see COLEOFTEKA). The families of which this 

 section consists are, according to the system of La- 

 treille, as follows : 



Subsec. 1. Carnassiers. 



Families, Cicindelida:, Carabidcc, with its sub- 

 families, Dyticidce. and Gi/rinidce. 



Subsec. 2. Brachelytra or Staphylinidtf;, with its 

 subfamilies. 



Subsec. 3. Serricorncs. 



Families, Buprestidte, Elaterida;, Cebiionidcc, 

 Laipyrid(E, MelyridaE, Clcridcc, Ptiitidtc, 

 and Lymexylvnidce. 



Subsec. 4. Clavicomes. 



Families, Scydmtznidce, Histeiidcc, Sdplndce, 

 ScaphididcB, jMlidulida:, Eiigidtc, Dcr- 

 mcstidtc, Bynhidcc, Hetcroccridce, and 

 Elmidce. 



Subsec. 5. .Palpicomcs. 



Families, Hydrophilida:, Splifcrid'ulcE. 



Subsec. 6. Lumellicornes, which see for its families. 



The majority of these families have already been 

 treated upon in their alphabetical situation in this 

 work. 



PENTATOMID.E (Leach). An extensive family 

 of hemipterous insects, belonging to the suborder 



