546 



cf 



Mr. Gould crossed the equator on the 7th 

 of July, having been more than twenty 

 days within the tropics, part of which time 

 the vessel lay becalmed. On the 23rd July 

 (lat. 31 i(/ s., long. 24 W.) they were 

 surrounded by the feathered race. Inde- 

 pendently of an abundance of Cape Petrels, 

 two other species and three kinds of Alba- 

 trosses were observed. A few days after this, 

 they commenced running down their longi- 

 tude, and from that time until they reached 

 the shores of Van Diemen's Land, several 

 species of Proccllaridve accompanied the 

 ship. Mr. Gould found the Australian seas 

 inhabited by their peculiar Storm Petrels 

 (Thahtssidroma), fourdistinct speciesof which 

 he had already observed since leaving the 

 Cape. " From the westerly winds which 

 prevail in the southern hemisphere," adds 

 Mr. Gould, " between the latitudes 35 and 

 55, I am induced to believe that a perpetual 

 migration is carried on by several members 

 of the oceanic family continually passing 

 from west to east, and circumnavigating 

 this portion of the globe. This remark 

 more particularly refers to the Albatrosses, 

 Prions, and other large kinds of Petrels ; the 

 same individuals of several of these species 

 having been observed to follow our ship for 

 some thousands of miles. Until I had ascer- 

 tained that they were nocturnal, it was a 

 matter of surprise to me how the birds which 

 were seen around the vessel at nightfall were 

 to be observed crossing our wake at day- 

 break on the following morning, the ship 

 having frequently run a distance of nearly a 

 hundred miles during the night." 



PRIONODON. A genus of quadrupeds, 

 of which the type described by Dr. Horsfield 

 is P. gracilis, a native of Java, partaking of 

 the structural character both of the Felidce 

 and Mustelidos; though in its general eco- 

 nomy and habits it resembles the former 

 only. It has a long, annulated, and cylin- 

 drical tail ; light brown body, with four very 

 wide dorsal bands and two narrow anal 

 bands ; two broad lateral striae, the narrow 

 cervical striae, the numerous humeral and 

 femoral spots, and the seven caudal rings, 

 very deep brown. Mr. B. H. Hodgson has 

 lately described other species of this genus 

 from India. 



PRIONTJS : PRIONID^E. A genus and 

 family of Longicorn Coleoptera. These 

 insects only fly in the evening or during the 

 night, and always settle upon trees. They 

 are known by the following characters : 

 Eyes emarginate ; head not narrowed be- 

 hind into a neck ; mandibles very large ; 

 palpi moderately long ; labium small ; the 

 antennae inserted between the base of the 

 mandibles and the eyes ; and the thorax 

 generally square or transverse, and denti- 

 culated at the sides. The perfect insects 

 are generally of dark colours, and are usu- 

 ally found on the trunks of trees : they 

 are very inactive during the day, but take 

 flight in the twilight. Several curious spe- 

 cies are found in South America and in 

 India ; but not many inhabit Europe. The 

 transformations of Prionus coriarius are 

 thus described : The larva, a broad, flattish, 



white grub, with the body gradually nar- 

 rowed towards the posterior extremity, and 

 divided into a head of moderate s-ize, thirteen 

 segments and an anal lobe ; the mandibles 

 are very powerful, but small and triangular, 

 and are employed in gnawing the wood, 



SCAO BORN BFETI.E. 

 (PB10ND8 OERVICORNI3,) 



upon which the insect feeds. When full 

 fed, it forms a large cocoon, chiefly om- 

 posed of chips of gnawed wood, wherein it 

 passes its pvipa state ; the antennae at that 

 time lying along the sides of the body, over 

 the elytra : before the larva undergoes its 

 change to a pupa, it instinctively bores a hole 

 close to the outer surface of the tree, in 

 order that the escape of the perfect insect 

 may be the more readily effected. The genus 

 comprises a very great number of species, 

 which, from the variety in the form and size 

 of their mandibles, antennas, thorax, and 

 abdomen, are divisible into many smaller 

 subgenera. Some (chiefly exotic s_pecies) 

 have the body elongated, straight, with the 

 thorax much shorter than the abdomen, and 

 greatly Curved at the sides, and the mandi- 

 bles of large size in the males. Others have 

 the body not so oblong, somewhat depressed 

 in front, and with moderate-sized mandibles 

 in both sexes, and the antennas strongly 

 serrated in the males. The one here figured 

 is the Prionus cervicornis ; the larvae live in 

 the wood of the Gossampinus tree, and are 

 eaten by the natives of South America. 

 The largest of the tribe is also a native of 

 South America ; it is called Titanus gi- 

 ganteus, and well merits the name. 



PRIVET HAWK MOTH. [See SPHINX 



LlGUSTKI.] 



PROBOSCIDE^E, or PROBOSCIDIANS. 

 A term applied to those Pachydermatous 

 animals which are distinguished as possessing 

 a prolonged prehensile snout or proboscis, 

 and having five toes on each foot, included 

 in a very firm, horny skin ; as the Elephant. 



