488 



Crorturg of Natural 



spots, and five smaller and paler on the 

 hinder margin, where there is also a pale 

 yellowish streak. .Caterpillar dark brown 

 on the back, sides paler, with two yellow 

 longitudinal stripes ; black head, and an 

 orange-coloured ring round the neck. It 

 feeds on the Great plantain (.Plantayo 

 major). 



PANDA. (Ailurm.) See AILURCS. 



PANDORA. A well-known genus of Con- 

 chiferous Mollusca, found in the sandy 

 shores of Europe at a considerable depth ; 

 also in the Persian Gulf and Pacific Ocean. 

 Shell regular, inequivalve, the upper one 

 flat, and the lower convex ; an obtuse, ob- 

 long tooth in one valve, and a receptacle 

 for it in the other ; ligament internal. The 

 foot of the animal is large and triangular. 

 The shells are small, and pearly inside. 



PANGOLIN. [SeeMxins.] 



PANOPEA. A genus of Conchiferous 

 Molluscs, belonging to the Solenidce family ; 

 found in the Mediterranean and Australia. 

 The shell is large and handsome ; equiyalve, 

 transverse, and gaping at both extremities ; 

 one conical tooth in each valve, and a thick 

 callosity on the side ; two oval muscular 

 impressions, and one deep palleal impres- 

 sion. 



PANORPID^E. A family of insects be- 

 longing to the order Neuroptera ; distin- 

 guished by the front of the head (which is 

 vertical) being produced into an elongated 

 slender deflexed rostrum ; the eyes promi- 

 nent and semiglobose ; the antennae long, 

 slender, and multi-articulate ; the body 

 moderately long and slender ; the maxillae 

 bilobed at the extremity, membranous, and 

 pilose ; the wings of moderate and equal 

 size, numerously reticulated, the posterior 

 not being folded when at rest ; the legs long 

 and slender ; and the tarsi five-jointed, 

 simple, with two tibial spurs, and denticu- 

 lated ungues, and a large pulvillus. The 

 type of this family is the Panorpa communis, 

 an abundant species, ordinarily known as 

 the SCORPION-FLY [which see]. 



PANTHER. (Felts Pardus.) A feline 

 quadruped, measuring about six feet and a 

 half from nose to tail, which is itself about 

 three feet long. Its colour is a bright tawny- 

 yellow, thickly marked all over the upper 

 parts of the body, shoulders, and thighs, with 

 roundish black spots, disposed into circles 

 consisting of four or five separate spots ; and 

 there is commonly, but not always, a central 

 spot in each circle i in which, as well as in 

 its superior size and deeper colour, the 

 Panther differs from the Leopard. On the 

 face and legs the spots are single, and along 

 the top of the back is a row of oblong spots, 

 which are still longer as they approach the 

 tail. The breast and belly are white ; the 

 former marked with transverse dusky stripes ; 

 the latter and the tail with large irregular 

 black spots. The Panther is principally 

 found in Africa, and is to that country what 

 the Tiger is to Asia, but is less to be dreaded, 

 inasmuch as it prefers the flesh of brutes to 

 that of human beings. The manner it seizes 



its prey lurking near the sides of woods, 

 &c., and darting forward with a sudden 

 spring resembles that of the Tiger. These 

 animals and the Leopard were the T^amand 

 Pardi of the ancients. The Romans drew 

 immense numbers from the deserts of Africa 

 for their public spectacles. Scaurus exhibited 

 at one time a hundred and fifty Panthers ; 

 Pompey, four hundred and ten ; and Au- 

 gustus, four hundred and twenty. It is one 

 of the wildest of the feline tribe, always 

 retaining its fierce aspect and perpetual 

 muttering growl. The female is pregnant 

 nine weeks, and the young are born blind, 

 continuing so for about nine days. In Ame- 

 rica, other species are called " Panthers." 



PAPILIO: PAPILIONID^E. A genus 

 and family of Lepidopterous insects, com- 

 prising numerous and distinct species of the 

 diurnal tribes : it is distinguished by the per- 

 fectly ambulatory structure of the fore legs ; 

 the ungues distinct and simple, or bifid ; 

 antennae having a distinct club, but never 

 hooked at the tips ; the hinder wings entire, 

 and the discoidal cell of the hind wing closed; 

 the body small, slender, and compressed ; j 

 and the proboscis short, or moderately long. 

 This family comprises two very distinct 

 sub-families, namely, the PAPILIONID^: and j 



PlERID^E. 



In the PAPILIONID.E the anal edge of the 

 hind wings is concave or folded ; the palpi 

 are very short ; the club of the antennas 

 forms an elongated mass ; the ungues are 

 entire and simple ( the wings are broad, I 

 with the discoidal cell always closed; the ! 

 .bdomen free. The caterpillars are slow, I 

 cylindrical, thickened, never villose nor 

 hairy, with two retractile tentacles placed ! 

 on the neck, in the shape of a fork, arising 

 from a common tubercle, and which the 

 insect throws out when alarmed, emitting 

 at the same time a disagreeable odour. The j 

 species of Papiliouidse are for the most part I 

 tropical ; but one has been found in Eng- j 

 land, P. machaon. Many of the species | 

 have the hind wings produced into a pair j 

 of tails, whence they have obtained the I 

 name of Swallow-tails. From the beauty j 

 of their colours and large size, these insects 

 were by Linnaeus styled Equites. Their 

 flight is rapid. 



The sub-family PIERID.E, comprising the 

 Danii candidi of Linnaeus, is distinguished 

 from the preceding by the hind wings form- 

 Ing a groove for the reception of the abdomen; 

 the palpi are porrected, with distinct joints ; 

 the minute labrum and mandibles are per- 

 ceived above the base of the spiral maxillae ; , 

 ;he fore legs are long and perfect, without 

 ;he dilated spine ; the ungues are bifid, often 

 with a long pulvillus and a narrow hirsute 

 appendage on each side. The caterpillars 

 are finely pubescent and attenuated at each 

 end, without any nuchal tentacle ; the chry- 

 salides angular, slightly compressed, and 

 terminated in a point at each extremity, 

 sometimes assuming the appearance of a 

 curved canoe. These insects, which include 

 ur common well-known white garden but- 

 ;erflies, are not equal, either in size or beauty, 



