484 



light clay colour. The tertials, as is usual in this 

 tribe, are very long, reaching nearly to the tips of 

 the primaries. The exterior toe is joined by a mem- 

 brane to the middle one, as far as the first joint. 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (C 1 . apricurius). This 

 species is, in some of its characters, intermediate be- 

 tween the plovers and the lapwings, but still its habits 

 are more those of a plover. It is rather a large bird. 

 It is twelve inches long, and twent3 r -four in the stretch 

 of the wings. The bill is an inch and a quarter in 

 length, of a black colour, thick, and deeply grooved 

 on the upper mandible ; the head and globe of the 

 eye are uncommonly large, the latter is of a deep 

 bluish black colour ; the front is white ; the top of 

 the head and the hind head are black, spotted with 

 golden yellow ; the back and scapulars are dusky, 

 sprinkled with similar golden orange spots, mixed 

 with other spots of white ; the breast, belly, and vent, 

 are black, and the sides of the former are whitish ; 

 the wing-quills are black, and the middle of the shafts 

 white ; the greater wing-coverts are black, lipped 

 with white ; the lining of the wings are black ; the 

 tail is alternately barred with blackish and pure white ; 

 the tail-coverts are pure white ; and the legs and feet 

 are of dull lead colour. The outer toe is joined to 

 the middle one by a broad membrane ; the hind toe 

 is uncommonly small. 



These birds require a considerable length of time 

 to acquire their colours, and consequently they are 

 found in various states of plumage. At first the breast 

 and belly are white, but this colour gradually appears 

 mottled with black, until latterly the bird assumes an 

 entirely black colour. The spots of orange or golden 

 on the crown, hind head, and back are white at first. 

 In every stage of the plumage the species is distin- 

 guished by the large size of the head and the thick- 

 ness of the bill. 



It is most frequently met with in the mountains of 

 Pennsylvania late in April, frequents the countries 

 towards the mountains, and seems uncommonly fond 

 of the newly-ploughed fields, where it constructs its 

 nest of the most simple materials slightly woven 

 together. The eggs are four in number, of a bright 

 olive colour, sprinkled with black, and are uncom- 

 monly large for the size of the bird. They have 

 often two broods in the same season. They are very 

 clamorous during the breeding season, and exceed- 

 ingly shy and watchful. Winged insects, worms, 

 grubs, and different kinds of berries, of which latter, 

 the species called the dew-berry, they are particularly 

 fond. They resort to the sea-coast, taking their 

 j'oung with them, where they are joined by vast 

 multitudes just returned from their breeding places 

 in the north. They remain about the sea-shore until 

 the beginning of November, when they take their 

 departure for the south. 



There are a good many more species of plovers in 

 various parts of the world, and it is probable that 

 there are not a few hitherto undiscovered. It is not 

 necessary, however, to notice any more, as the spe- 

 ,cies of which we have given the outline reach all the 

 varieties of character that are to be met with in the 

 . genus. 



PLUM is the Prunus domcstica. of Linnaeus, a 

 domesticated fruit-tree, of which there are many varie- 

 ties. They belong to the natural order liosaceee, 

 ;and in no other instance has the effects of cultivation 

 been -more conspicuously exemplified than in the im- 

 provement of the wild sloe of our wood? and hedges. 



PLUM PODOCARPUS. 



In the wild state the fruit are small and austere ; in 

 their cultivated condition they appear as the luscious 



green gage, and as the ample magnum bonum, with 

 numberless varieties more or less approaching these 

 in quality and size. The different sorts are propa- 

 gated by grafting or budding on the common plum 

 stock raised from seeds, or the Brussels plum stock. 



PLUMBAGINE.E. A small natural order com- 

 prising three genera, viz., Statice. Armeria, and Plum- 

 bago, and of these genera there are eighty-two species. 

 They are low shrubs or herbaceous plants with showy 

 red or blue flowers. All the Statices and Armerias 

 are well worth cultivation, as they enrich every floral 

 collection in which they have a place. The different 

 species of Plumbago are remarkable for the acridity 

 of their juices. The thrift (Armeria), and the sea la- 

 vender (Statice), are like the plurnbagines very orna- 

 mental plants, but they differ greatly from them in 

 their properties. They are bitter, tonic, and astrin- 

 gent. Statice Carolinaria is said to be one of the 

 most powerful astringents known. The root is the 

 part employed, and is much used by some medical 

 men. in America. Plumbago Capcnsis is a handsome 

 free-flowering greenhouse plant, and thrives in any 

 rich soil ; the Statices are mostly hardy plants, and 

 succeed in the open ground. 



PLUMIERA (Linnaeus). A genus of evergreen 

 trees and shrubs, chiefly natives of South America. 

 The flowers are pentandrous, and the genus belongs 

 to Apocynece. The species are fine ornamental stove 

 plants, thriving in any light porous soil. They require 

 to be kept dry when not growing freely, which causes 

 them to flower abundantly. 



PNEUMODERM A. A naked molluscous animal, 

 described by Peron in Freycinet's expedition to 

 Australia ; only one species is known, and it is classed 

 between the genera C/ioand Phylliroe. 



PNEUMORA (Thunberg). A genus of ortho- 

 pterous insects, belonging to the section Saltatoria, 

 and family LocustidaB, having the legs much shorter 

 than the body and slender, the thorax small and 

 bipartite, the abdomen very large, and bladder-like ; 

 whence the name of the genus, which signifies air. 

 The species are few in number, of moderately large 

 size, and confined to Southern Africa, where they 

 are found on different plants in September and 

 October. 



POA (Linnaeus). A genus of useful agricultural 



I plants, and of which our finest pastures are formed. 



1 They are chiefly natives of the northern hemisphere, 



i and with other grasses clothe the hills as well as 

 the valleys of every temperate clime. Thirteen spe- 

 cies arc found in Britain. 



PODALYRIA (Lambert). A genus of hand- 

 some conservatory or greenhouse plants, natives of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, belonging to Leguminosa:. 

 Although named after Podalirius, one of the mytho- 

 logical sons of ^Esculapius, none of the species are 

 medicinal. They are propagated by cuttings. 



PODANTHES (Haworth). A genus of under- 

 shrubs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, bearing 

 pentandrous flowers, and belonging to the natural 



i order Asclepiadca;. This genus is nearly allied to 



| Stapclia, and required to be kept in dry porous soil, 

 and cautiously watered, 



PODOCARPUS (Heriticr). A genus of ever- 

 green trees, mostly natives of south-eastern Asia. 

 The flowers are monoacious, and the genus belongs 



! to Coniferec. Several species of this genus have been 



