^Dictionary of ^mmatett Mature. 507 



coarse notes, and the insupportable stench 

 from the deep bed of guano, which had been 

 forming for ages, and which may at some 

 period be valuable to the agriculturists of 

 our Australasian colonies, made us glad to 

 get away again, after having loaded our 

 boats with geological specimens and pen- 

 guins. " The Auks, Razor-bills, and Puffins 

 [which see] are birds of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, and belong to the genus Alca. 



We must refer our readers to Mr. G. R. 

 Gray's account of the Penguins in the 

 Zoology of the Voyage of H.M. Ships Erebus 

 and Terror. The galleries of the British 

 Museum contain a very fine collection of 

 these singular birds. 



PENTACRINUS. A genus of Radiata, 

 which contains many curious species ; most 

 of them are found in a fossil state. As the 

 name implies, the numerous joints of which 

 they are composed are five-angled ; hence 

 they are sometimes called "Five-angled 

 Lily-shaped animals." Mr. Thompson 

 found a living species (Pentacrinu* Euro- 

 pveus) in the Cove of Cork and elsewhere on 



PORTION OF THE FEN 1 ACRI^US BRIAREDS 

 (FOSSIL.) 



the Irish coast ; De Blainville has formed 

 this into a distinct genus, which he calls 

 Plii/tucrinus. This species is said to be fixed 

 by its stem to marine bodies only in early 

 life, and becomes afterwards detached, form- 

 ing a perfect Comatula, which moves freely 

 about. 



PENTALASMIS. A genus of Peduncu- 

 lated Cirripedes. [See As ATI FA.] 



PENTAMER A. A family of carnivorous 

 beetles ; some terrestrial, others aquatic. 

 They have five joints to the tarsi of all the 

 legs ; hence the name. 



PERAMELES, or PURSED BANDI- 

 COOT. A genus of Marsupial animals, of 

 which several species are found in Australia. 



PERCH. (Perca fliiviatilis.) This well- 

 known fish is to be found in clear rivers and 

 lakes throughout nearly the whole of the 

 temperate parts of Europe ; and in England 

 there is scarcely one of either in which it is 



not common. Its general size varies from 

 ten to eighteen inches in length, and its 

 weight from one to three pounds. Occasion- 

 ally it is much larger. The lx>dy of the 

 Perch is compressed, and its height is about 



one-third of its length ; the upper part is s a 

 rich olive brown, passing into golden yellow- 

 ish white below ; and the sides have usually 

 five or six dark transverse bands : the first 

 dorsal fin is a pale violet-brown, marked at 

 the back of the spiny part byone large and one 

 small black spot ; the second dorsal and pecto- 

 ral fins pale brown; ventral, anal, and caudal 

 fins, bright vermillion ; the irides golden 

 yellow. The Perch usually spawns in the 

 early part of the spring ; is of a gregarious 

 disposition, and is fond of frequenting deep 

 holes in rivers which flow with a gentle 

 current : it is extremely voracious ; bites 

 eagerly at a bait ; and is very tenacious of 

 life. Its flesh is firm and delicate. 



PERCHING BIRDS. [See INSESSOBES.] 

 PERCIDJE. A family of Acanthoptery- 



gious fishes ; of which the Perch furnishes 



an example. 



PERDICIDJE. The name given to a fa- 

 mily of birds which includes the Partridges, 

 Quails, Francolins, &c. [See PARTRIDGE.] 



PEREGRINE FALCON. [See FALCON.] 



PERISTERA. A genus of the family 

 Columbidtx, containing the Partridge Pigeon 

 (Peristcra montana), and the White-bellied 

 Pigeon (Peristera Jamaicensis) and many 

 other species. 



PERISTERA HISTRIONICA, or HARLEQUIN 

 BKONZEWING. A flne Pigeon found on the 

 Mokai, a river falling into the Namoi, in 

 Australia. Mr. Gould saw two or three im- 

 mense flocks, and supposes it must be a bird 

 belonging to the interior of Australia : its 

 wings are long, and it has great power of 

 flight. [See PIGEON.] 



PERIWINKLE. (Turbo littoreus.-) A 

 well-known species of Mollusca, more ex- 

 tensively used as food than any of the other 

 testaceous univalves. This shell is easily 

 gathered, as it is found on all our rocks 

 which are left uncovered by the ebbing of 

 the tide. Children are principally employed 

 in the fishery, and they are sold by measure. 

 They are in general used after being plainly 

 boiled, and are consumed in great quantities 

 by the poor inhabitants on the coast. 



PERLID-33. A family of Neuropterous 

 insects, comprising a few species of moderate 

 size ; distinguished by the large size of the 

 posterior pair of wings ; the body oblong, 



X -T 2 



