JBtctfonarn of &mmatetr $ature. 541 



PONGO. A quadrumanous animal, being 

 a species of the Orang-Outang, found in 

 Borneo ; characterized by the extraordinary 

 size of its canine and incisor teeth, and by 

 its black hair being relieved with hair of a 

 dark red colour. [See OUANG-OUTAXG.] 



PONTIA. A genus of diurnal Lepidop- 

 tera, containing numerous species, a few of 

 which are British. Some of the exotic species 

 have the under side beautifully marked with 

 red and yellow. Among the British species 

 we may mention the common White Butter- 

 fly:- 



PONTIA BRASSIC.E, or CABBAGE BUT- 

 TERFLY. This common and destructive 

 insect makes its appearance in our gardens 

 about the middle of May, and lays its eggs 

 011 the under side of cabbage leaves. Both 

 sexes have the upper surface of all the 

 wings white, with the tip of the anterior 

 wings above black, the patch on its inner 

 edge being indented, and the extreme tip 

 being slightly irrorated with white: be- 

 neath, the under surface of the anterior 

 wings is yellowish, the base slightly irrorated 



with dusky, and two transverse spots adorn- 

 ing the disc. The posterior wings are pale 

 yellowish, rather sprinkled with dusky. The 

 body and antenna} are black above and white 

 beneath. There are, however, several va- 

 rieties of this Butterfly ; slightly differing 



BA^E BUTTERFLY. (PONTIA BRAS8ICS.) 



from each other. The Caterpillar is bluish - 

 green, with three yellow longitudinal lines, 

 one on the back, the others on the sides ; 

 between these are several tubercular spots, 



j each bearing a small hair : the tail is black. 



i They are hatched in a few days, and con- 



[ tinue to feed together till the end of June : 

 rhen they have found a convenient place to 

 ttach themselves, they fasten their tail by 



i a web, and carry a strong thread of silk 

 round the upper part of their body ; after 

 hanging a few hours the chrysalis (.which is 



greenish, spotted with black, with three 

 yellow stripes) is perfectly formed ; and in 

 about six days the butterfly appears. The eggs 

 laid by the second brood produce caterpil- 

 lars which feed during the remainder of the 

 summer, and remain in the pupa state during 

 the winter, to be hatche_d in the succeeding 

 spring. So prolific is this destructive species, 

 that were it not for the ichneumon fly, which 

 deposits her eggs within the body of the 

 caterpillar, and in the larva state continues 

 to prey on its vitals, the ravages of this insect 

 would be of the most serious consequence 

 to our vegetable productions. 



PONTIA (Anthocharis) CARDAMINES ; 

 OKAXOE-TIP, or WOOD LADY BUTTERFLY. 

 This beautiful species is commonly seen du- 

 ring the month of May, whether we walk 

 in the garden or stroll through the green 

 lanes. The upper surface of all the wings in 

 both sexes is white, with the base dusky ; in 

 the male the anterior wing is marked with a 

 small black lunule.from which a deep fulvous 

 spot extends to the tip ; the tip itself being 

 black or dusky: the posterior wings have a 

 few dusky spots on the edge : beneath, anterior 

 wings white, with a white lunule in the 

 centre, the costa marked with a few black 

 dots, and the tip varied with a greenish 

 yellow : the posterior wings in both sexes 

 are alike beneath ; they are white, prettily 

 marbled with green and yellow. The body 

 is black above and white beneath j antenna; 

 white, annulated with light brown. The 

 caterpillar is green, with a longitudinal 

 stripe placed above the legs ; it feeds on the 

 Cardamiiie impatiens, Brassica campestris, 

 &c. The Chrysalis is either green or brown, 

 with a fulvous spot on the wing-cases in the 

 male ; the middle is swollen and conical, 

 with the extremities much produced and 

 fusiform. 



PORCELLANA. A genus of Anmnurous 

 Crustacea, in general form resembling that 

 of the Brachyura, and distinguished by a 

 fan-like caudal fin. The carapace is sub- 

 orbicular and depressed above. The pincers 



ED I'ORCEl AIN CRAB. 

 (PORCELLAHA PI,ATTCHELES.) 



are strong, and little or not at all dentated : 

 the three succeeding pairs of feet are nearly 

 cylindrical, and terminated by a conical 

 tarsus. The species here figured, 1'orcellana 

 platycheles, is found on the coasts of England 

 and France, and is about seven lines long, 

 and of a brownish colour. 



PORCELLIO. A genus of Isopoda, dis- 

 tinguished from the Oninc-i (true Wood-lice) 



