Papular IBtcttonarjj of &iumatrtr $atur*. 547 



PROBOSCIS MONKEY. [See MON- 

 KEYS.] 



PROCELLARIA. [See PETREL.] 

 PROCNIAS. A genus of Brazilian birds 

 remarkable for the enormous width of their 

 mouths, which enables them to swallow the 

 large tropical berries, on which, as Mr. 

 Swainson says, they wholly subsist, and not 

 on insects, as Cuvier asserts. Although, he 

 adds, they perfectly resemble the swallows 

 in the construction of their bills, their wings 

 are not formed for rapid flight ; and their 

 feet are much stronger, and calculated for 

 searching among branches for their food, in 

 which situations Mr. Swainson frequently 

 saw them. 



PROCTOTRTJPID^E. A family of Hy- 

 menopterous insects, consisting of numerous 

 minute species, distinguished by having the 

 wings entirely destitute of, or with but very 

 few, veins ; and the body being extremely 

 long and slender. Their colours are gene- 

 rally black, varied with brown : some fre- 

 quent aquatic plants, whilst others are found 

 in hot sandy situations, and the greater part 

 run and fly with great agility. They are 

 parasitic ; and some are so extremely small 

 as to be visible only to the naked eye when 

 creeping up the glass of windows opposed to 

 the light. 



PROMEROPS. A genus of birds, many 

 of which are remarkable for the beauty of 

 their plumage, and its singular arrangement. 

 They have an extensible tongue ; and feed 

 upon insects, soft fruits, and the saccharine 

 juices of plants. 



The SUPERB PROMEROPS (Fromerops su- 

 pcrba) is four feet in length from the tip of 

 the bill to the end of the tail ; the tail being 

 extremely long in proportion to the body, 

 which is delicate and slender. In this re- 

 spect it resembles the Birds of Paradise, 

 which are inhabitants of the same region ; 

 as it also does in the metallic lustre of its 

 plumage. The feathers of the head, neck, 

 and under part of the body, are of a glitter- 

 ing green, and soft as the finest velvet. The 

 back is of a purple or violet hue ; the wings, 

 which also possess a velvety texture, appear 

 blue, violet, or black, according to the light 

 in which they are held ; and the brilliancy 

 of the tail and wing-coverts may well be 

 likened to polished steel. On each side the 

 lower part of the body beneath the wings is 

 a thick and moderately long group of loose- 

 webbed, pendent, brownish feathers ; in 

 which, as well as in some other points, it 

 may be likened to the Paradisece. The legs 

 are of moderate length, strong, and black. 

 Native of New Guinea. 



The RED-BILLED PROMEROPS. (P. ery- 

 ihrorhynchus.) This elegant species, which 

 is a native of Africa, is about fifteen inches 

 in length. Its general colour is black, with 

 varying glosses of red, violet, and golden 

 green: the red cast predominates on the 

 head, the green on the wing-coverts, and the 

 violet on the back and tail : the latter is 

 very long and cuneated, the outside feathers 

 measuring about three inches long, and the 



rest gradually lengthening to the two middle- 

 most, which measure about eight inches : all 

 the tail-feathers, except the two middle 

 ones, are marked near the tip by an oval 

 white spot on each side the web ; the first six 

 quill-feathers of the wings have also a white 

 spot on the inner web near the tip : the bill 

 is rather long, slender, moderately curved, 

 and of a red or orange colour, as are likewise 

 the legs, which are rather disproportionately 

 short. 



PROMINENT [MOTHS]. A name ap- 

 plied by collectors to different species of 

 Moths, of the genera ^'otodonta, Leiocampa, 

 Ptilodontis, and Lophopteryx. 



PRONGBTJCK, or PKONG-HORNED ANTE- 

 LOPE. (Antilocapra furcifera.) A species of 

 Antelope, inhabiting the extensive plains of 

 the centre and west of North America in 

 vast herds. It is about four feet four inches 

 long, and three feet high ; the whole form 

 of the animal being peculiarly graceful and 

 elegant. The horns rise perpendicularly 

 from the front of the skull, and are perfectly 

 straight till within two or three inches of 

 the tips, when they curve suddenly inwards 

 in the form of a hook : the horns below the 



prong are like the cntler of n deer, but above 

 they are round, black, and polished. The 

 ears are long and pointed, the eyes large and 

 animated, the tail short and bushy. The 

 hair, which in the summer season has the 

 ordinary texture and appearance of other 

 Antelopes, becomes as the winter approaches 

 long and tubular, and so inelastic that when 

 pressed it crushes like a dry reed : on the 

 head, ears, and legs the fur is close and 

 smooth, but down the back of the neck it 

 is six inches in length, and forms a mane. 

 The general colour is pale fawn, the under 

 parts being white ; a broad disc of white 

 surrounds the tail ; and there are two trans- 

 verse white bands on the throat. Like some 

 other species, it migrates from north to 

 south, according to the season, but is never 

 found to inhabit forests or closely-wooded 

 districts. It is an active and vigorous anl* 



