BtcttDnarn 0f gmmatefc $ature. 



553 



pi 



ha 



and distinctness of each note, are more 

 hymns than songs. Though the concert of 

 singers will keep to the same melody for an 

 hour, each little coterie of birds chants a 

 different song, and the traveller by no acci- 

 dent ever hears the same tune. * * *. Its 

 Ilumage being blue passing into violet, it 

 as hence obtained the name of Bishop. It 

 is so sweet-throated, so flexible in its tones, 

 and so soft in its warblings, that those who 

 once hear it become somewhat measured in 

 their praises of the Nightingale. The notes 

 of its song are lengthened out like those of 

 a miserere. Whilst it sings it does not seem 

 to draw breath ; but it rests a double time 

 I before it recommences, and this alternation 

 [ of singing and resting will be continued for 

 I two hours." The foregoing account Mr. 

 j Gosse derived from his ornithological friend 

 j Mr. Hill ; and after he had proved their 

 I general correctness by auricular observation, 

 | he hazards the very probable conjecture, 

 I that " these true melodies are peculiar to the 

 nuptial season, and indicate that the period 

 of incubation is either begun or near." In 

 the specimens which he dissected he found 

 no insects ; they were evidently baceivorous, 

 their stomachs being full of the green berries 

 of the pimento. 



PTILONORHYNCHUS. [See SATIN- 

 BO WEK-BIRD. 



PTILORIS PARADISEUS. [See RIFLE 

 BIUD.] 



PTILOTIS. A genus of birds found in 

 Australia. Among the species particularised 

 by Mr. Gould, we may allude to the PTILO- 

 TIS ORXATUS, a bird of Western Austra- 

 lia. It is found among gum trees, searching 

 i for insects, pollen, and saccharine juices, 

 i It has a loud, ringing, and not unpleasing 

 : sound, constantly poured forth. Its nest, 

 i which is neat, small, open, and cup-shaped, 

 i is generally suspended from a horizontal 

 i forked branch ; and is composed of fine 

 ! vegetable fibres and grasses matted together, 

 with spiders' webs, and sometimes wool. 



PTILOTIS PLUMULUS. This bird, which 

 is also an inhabitant of Western Australia, 

 is distinguished by its note loud and shrill, 

 | like the sportsman's pea-whistle, continued 

 without intermission for a great length of 

 time. 



PTINID 3. A family of Coleopterous in- 

 sects, comprising a rather extensive group, 

 which, though small in size, are of very de- 

 , structive habits. The body is of an oval or 

 subcylindric form, generally short and ob- 

 tuse at each end ; head small ; antennae 

 long, and filiform or serrated ; mandibles 

 small ; palpi short ; tarsi five-jointed, and 

 occasionally very broad. 'When touched, 

 they counterfeit death by withdrawing their 

 head and antennae, and contracting their 

 legs. Some species are found in old houses, 

 rotten palings, stumps of decayed trees, &c., 

 which their larvae perforate in every direc- 

 tion ; others feed upon collections of dried 

 plants, skins of insects, &c. ; whilst others 

 attack our household furniture, books, &c. ; 

 in short, there are some which will devour 



almost any substance they come in contact 

 with, whether it be ship-biscuit or Cayenne 

 pepper, old woollen clothes or rhubarb, the 

 wheat deposited in our granaries, or the 

 timbers with which they are constructed. 

 That alarming insect, Anobium tesseJatum, 

 or the Death-watch, is the largest British 

 species belonging to the family ; and to it 

 we refer our readers for further particulars. 

 PTINUS. A genus of Coleoptera belonging 

 to the family Ptinidce. The body of these 

 insects is of rather solid consistence, Bome- 

 , times ovoid or oval, and sometimes cylin- 

 drical, but generally short, and rounded at 

 each end : the head is almost orbicular, and 

 received in the thorax, which is swollen, or 

 hood-shaped ; the antennae of some are fili- 

 form, or become gradually slender to the 



tip, while others terminate in three joints, 

 abruptly thicker and longer than the pre- 

 ceding joints ; the mandibles are short, 

 thick, and toothed. All these insects are of 

 small size ; and their colours are always 

 obscure, and but slightly variegated. Ptinus 

 fitr, the species here figured, has the antennae 

 inserted below the eyes, and the body is 

 oblong. They frequent houses, and espe- 

 cially granaries. Their larvae devour dried 

 plants, and the prepared dry skins of ani- 

 mals. The antennae of the males are longer 

 than those of the females, and in many spe- 

 cies the latter are wingless. 



PUFFIN. (Fratercula Arctica.) The 

 Puffin belongs to the sub-genus Fratercula; 

 and is about twelve inches long. It has a 

 very large singular looking bill, which has 

 the appearance of a sheath slipped over both 

 mandibles ; it is curved towards the point, 

 compressed vertically, and transversely fur- 

 rowed on the sides : the chin and cheeks are 

 white, bordered with gray, the latter much 

 puffed up with feathers, whicli make the 

 head look large and round. The crown of 

 the head and upper part of the plumage are 

 black, and a collar of the same colour en- 

 circles the neck : the under parts are white 

 and the legs are orange. The Puffin can fly 

 with great rapidity when once upon the 

 wing. In tempestuous weather it takes 

 shelter in the holes of caverns and rocks, or 

 in those made by the rabbit on the beach, 

 where it sits dozing, in snug security, till 

 the return of calm weather ; for they are 

 unable to brave the storm. They live chiefly 

 upon small crustaceans, sea- weed, &c., as it 

 is said ; but it is evident, from the structure 



3 B 



