|90jular Bfcturnarn flf gmmatcir Mature. 555 



and the tail of a dusky ferruginous tinge, 

 with a black tip. When at a mature age, 

 however, its general colour is a silvery 

 fawn. The Puma was formerly found in 

 most parts of the American continent, and 

 is still numerous in South America ; but 



>L,OR.) 



the advance of population in the north has 

 rendered it scarce. It is a savage and de- 

 structive animal, possessing all the watchful 

 caution of the cat kind ; and although it 

 generally confines its attacks to the smaller 

 quadrupeds, it will sometimes attack those 

 of large size and strength. When domesti- 

 cated, (as it is occasionally,) its manners 

 I closely resemble those of the common cat, 

 ! showing its fondness at being caressed by 

 j the same kind of gentle purring. It can 

 climb trees with great facility, and will 

 | watch the opportunity of springing on such 

 animals as happen to pass beneath. In the 

 day-time, however, it is seldom seen, the 

 night being the time it selects for commit- 

 ting its depredations. It is asserted that 

 the Puma always kills its prey by springing 

 on the shoulders, and then drawing back 

 the head with one of its paws, until the ver- 

 tebrse break. 



PUNDIB. The local name in Oxford- 

 shire and the adjacent counties for an oolite 

 fossil belonging to the genus Terebratula. 



PUPA. A genus of Mollusca, which de- 

 rive their name from the resemblance of the 



shell in shape to the pupa or chrysalis of an 

 insect. The shell is cylindrical ; spire long. 

 Animal like the Helix. 



PURPLE EMPEROR [BUTTERFLY]. 

 A name given by insect collectors to Butter- 

 flies of the species Apatura Iris. 



PURPLE GRACKLE. [See QUISCALXJS.] 



PURPURA. A genus of Mollusca, found 

 most abundantly in the seas of warm cli- 

 mates, where the shells attain a very large 

 size. They are thick and oval, either smooth 

 or tuberculated ; spire short. A few species 

 are met with in Europe, chiefly found on or 

 near the sea shores. It was from the Pur- 

 para patula, as is supposed, that the Roman 



purple dye was obtained. There are very 

 many recent species, and a few fossil. 



PUSS MOTH. [See CERUKA VINCJ.A.] 



PYCNOGONUM. A genus of Crustacea 

 belonging to the group 1'odosomata, and 

 forming as it were a connecting link with 

 the Arachnida or Spiders, with which some 

 naturalists used to class them. There are 

 several genera belonging to the same group, 

 all of which are marine. These animals 

 conceal themselves among sea-weeds and 

 corallines, and under stones ; and they are 

 not unfrequently dredged in deep water. 

 Their motions a're very slow, so that their 

 prey must be either dead animal matter or 



LITTORALE. 



living animals as sluggish as themselves. 

 They are said to live chiefly on the animals 

 of bivalve shells, and on minute insects and 

 worms. The species here figured, /'. littorale, 

 is not uncommon on our coasts ; by Linnaeus 

 it was believed to be parasitic on whales. 

 The female, Dr. Johnston informs us, carries 

 her innumerable ova, enveloped in a broad 

 square gelatinous membrane or apron, under 

 the body between the legs, where they are 

 attached in front to a pair of filiform jointed 

 organs. M. Kroyer has lately published in- 

 teresting descriptions and figures of the me- 

 tamorphoses of this and the allied genera. 

 They would seem to be softer and larger- 

 bodied proportionally than in the perfect 

 state, in which it is represented in the above 

 figure. 



PYRALIDjE. A family of Lepidopterous 

 insects, moderate in extent, belonging to the 

 general section HETEKOCERA. The species 

 are of a small size, having a slender and 

 elongated body ; the antennas are simple, or 

 but slightly ciliated in the males; the labrum 

 and mandibles small ; the labial palpi often 

 greatly elongated and porrected, but occa- 

 sionally recurved ; the head is sometimes 

 furnished with a pair of ocelli ; and the 

 thorax never crested. The wings are of 

 moderate size, and generally placed in a tri- 

 angular form during repose, the anterior 

 ones being slightly angulated at the tip : 

 the legs are ordinarily very long, especially 

 the fore pair, the coxas of which are nearly 

 as long as the tibi.-e, thereby indicating the 

 great activity of movement so frequently 

 exhibited by these insects. Owing to the 

 fore legs of some of the species being oma- 

 j mented with fascicles of hairs capable of 

 I expansion, they have received the name of 

 "fan-footed" moths. The caterpillars are, 

 j in general, long and slightly hairy. For 



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