43H 



P H I L L Y R i: A P H 11 E N () T R I X. 



tliis information is asatl breachln the continuity of our 

 knowledge of the growing and living world ; but it is a 

 breach which cannot in the mean lime be made up, 

 and therefore we must content ourselves with a state- 

 ment of the generic character, and of the sizes and 

 colours of some of the specie. 



The generic characters are as follow : the bill not 

 longer than the head, of moderate thickness, a little 

 convex, sharp, and curved a little toward the point, 

 which is furnished with a notch in many of the species. 

 The bill is depressed at the base, where the culmeu 

 advances a little on the forehead, and the cutting 

 edges are margined. The nostrils are in the sides 

 of the bill, at variable distances from the base, and 

 covered in part by an arched membrane, which is 

 naked of feathers. The nasal grooves in the bill 

 are large, and produced toward the point. The 

 variations in the positions of the nostrils, and espe- 

 cially the presence or the absence of a notch in the 

 bill, would lead us to conclude that there are sufficient 

 differences of habit among these birds, for warranting 

 the separating of them into several genera ; because 

 the notched bill is decidedly insectivorous in its 

 character. The tongue is peculiar ; it is lengthened, 

 a little extensible, and furnished with a bunch of car- 

 tilaginous fibres at the tip, by means of which the 

 bird is understood to collect the sweet juices ; the feet 

 are of mean length, containing four toes, there are three 

 in the front and one in the rear, the hind one is furnished 

 with a very powerful claw ; the wings are of moderate 

 length, and rounded, the fifth quill being the longest. 

 This form of the wings is against the birds' taking 

 long flight ; though it is the best form for enabling 

 them to beat easily at short distances over plants and 

 trees in search of food. The species as enumerated 

 in the books amount to about sixty, varying from five 

 inches in length to about ten or eleven ; and not so 

 remarkable for the brightness of their colours as many 

 other races of birds of the same country. 



Spotted Phllcdon (M. maculata). Tin's species 

 belongs to the remote isles of the Pacific, and is about 

 five inches and a half in length ; the upper parts 

 yellowish green ; the chir. and space round the eyes 

 deep grey, marked on the top by a white band passing 

 from the gape over the eyes ; the ear coverts golden 

 yellow ; and the under parts greenish yellow spotted 

 with brownish ash ; the bill is red at the base and 

 black at the point, and the feet an ash colour. The 

 female is brown above, with the top of the head ash ; 

 and nearly white on the under part, but mottled with 

 little blue spots on the breast. 



Black and white Philedon (M. melanoleucos), is a 

 New Holland species, about six inches in length. It 

 is grey on the upper part, brown on the forehead, 

 with a white spot over each eye ; the quills and tail 

 feathers are black, with some of their webs yellow 

 and others grey, and the tips of the outer tail feathers 

 white ; the middle of the breast and the belly are 

 black ; the Hanks grey, the feet brown, and the bill 

 black. 



Yellow- winged Philedon (M. pyroptera). This is 

 another New Holland species, about six or seven 

 inches long. The upper part shining grey, with a 

 yellow spot on the ear covert, and a little brush of 

 black feathers above it ; the rump is yellowish ash ; 

 the quills and tail feathers are yellow with the ex- 

 ception of the two middle ones of the latter, which are 

 black ; the under parts are whitish, streaked with 

 delicate lines of grey on the breast ; the bill and feet 



are black. The female has the quills rusty red; and tl 

 under part yellowish, mottled with russet on the bell 



Such are one or two examples of the genus Philedo 

 and though we were to enumerate the whole sixi 

 species, we should not be able to add much, or inde< 

 any additional information, numerous as the bin 

 are. 



PHILLYRE A (Linnaeus). A genus of evergret 

 hardy shrubs, having diandrous flowers, and belon; 

 ing to the Olcincc. They are some of our most coi 

 mon shrubbery plants, and are propagated by layei 



PHLEUM (Linncsus). A genus of useful grass 

 mostly natives of Europe. The P. pratcnse, maji 

 and minor, are the cats-tail grasses of the Brit is 

 farmer, and arecommon in every meadow. 



PHLOMIS (Linnaeus). A genus of shrubs an 

 herbaceous perennials, mostly European, and belongir 

 to Labiatcp. The P. fruticosa is called the Jerusale 

 sage, an ornamental plant common in our shrubb 

 ries. All the species are more or less showy, ai 

 are all easily propagated. 



PHOCA, the genus seal, or perhaps more co 

 rectly, Phocidce, the seal family, an account i 

 which in their relations, habits, specie!!, and comme 

 cial uses, will be given in the article SEAL. 



PHRENOTRIX. A somewhat peculiar genus 

 birds, intermediate in its character between the cro 

 tribe and the birds of paradise, but distinct fro 

 both. There is only one known species, a native < 

 the Sunda Islands. The characters are : the bill < 

 mean length, very stout, high in the culmcn, wide ; 

 the base, having the mandibles a little curved, ar 

 convex and smooth on the side. The head is larg 

 and covered with silky feathers very thickly set. Tl 

 nostrils are small, at the base of the bill, and in tl 

 form of transverse slits. The wings are broad ai 

 rounded, the third and fourth feathers being tl 

 longest. The tail is longer than the body, consists 

 ten very strong feather?, and is much wedge-shape 

 at the extremity, approaching in some respects to tl 

 shape of the tail of a magpie. The feet are vei 

 stout, covered with shielding scales on the intfiio 

 with three toes to the front and one to the rear. The 

 are of moderate length, but all the claws on the 

 are strong and compressed, and that on the middi 

 front toe is rather longer than the others. Tl 

 whole structure of this bird points out that it is 

 short flyer, practising a good deal of ascent an 

 descent) and spending a considerable part of its tin 

 on the ground. 



There is only one known species, which is an e: 

 ceedingly common bird in the Island of Java. It 

 not a gaudy bird in its plumage ; but still it is a ric 

 one. Its general colour is a sort of brownish smoki 

 grey ; but glossed with reflections of every tint i 

 colour between bright green arid yellow. The hea 

 is deep black ; and the coverts of the wings ai 

 shining olive green. Its total length is betwee 

 fourteen and fifteen inches, of which the tail occupi< 

 more than one half. Plentiful as it is in its nath 

 country, its manners have not been much studied 

 and that such should be the case, is matter of regre 

 It is unquestionably what is usually termed a coi 

 necting link between the crow tribe and the birds < 

 paradise. We know the habits of the crows abum 

 antly well ; but we are very ignorant of those of tr 

 birds of paradise. It is highly probable that if ti 

 habits of this one were diligently studied, they woul 

 lead us to at least some knowledge of the habi 



