556 



Crralttrn of Natural 



PYRITLA. A common and numerous 

 genus of Mollusca, chiefly found in the In- 

 dian Ocean and Red Sea. The shell is large 

 and pear or fig-shaped ; the spire short, and 

 sometimes flattened ; aperture wide, termi- 

 nating in a long, open canal ; outer lip thin; 

 columella smooth ; operculurn horny. In the 



the most part they have only three, but 

 I sometimes four pairs of ventral feet. 



The genus Hi/pcna and its allies are the 



! largest in the family ; the species are found 



i in hedges, and amongst low herbage ; the 



j larvae are well distinguished by having only 



three pairs of ventral feet ; and the chrysalis 



I is enclosed in a slight cocoon in a leaf rolled 



up by the larva. The species of Pyrausta ( P. 



j purpuralis) are gaily coloured insects, which 



frequent hedges, and revel in the sunshine, 



hovering over grassy spots, but immediately 



settling as soon as the sun is overclouded ; 



whilst those of Hydrocampa and its allies 



frequent aquatic plants, upon which the 



larvaB feed. 



PYR ALIS. A genus of Pyralidous Moths, 

 one species only of which deserves notice, as 

 its caterpillar sometimes greatly injures 

 several different sorts of vegetables. This is 

 the CABBAGE-GARDEN PEBBLE MOTH 

 (Pyralis forficalis). The head, back, and 

 upper wings of the Moth are hazel brown, 

 and brownish gold ; the antennae light 

 brown ; the abdomen and under wings 

 whitish. On the upper wings are two dis- 

 tinct and two faint deep rusty brown stripes. 

 The under wings have a brownish-yellow 

 curved line, towards the outer edge. Breadth, 

 one inch. The first brood flies in May, and 

 the second in August. The caterpillar is 

 found in May and June, and the second 

 generation in September and October. It 

 has a light brown head, and a yellowish 

 green body, with blackish stripes running 

 lengthwise, and blackish dots, having fine 

 white lines between, and white incisions and 

 spiracles. Its length is about eight lines. 

 When these caterpillars are numerous, they 

 do important damage to the cabbage tribe 

 and horse-radish. There is scarcely any 

 other means of destroying them, than that 

 of shaking them off, and burying them imme- 

 diately. 



PYR AMIDELLA. A genus of Mollusca, 

 with pretty little spiral shells, found in the 

 Indian and American seas ; and of which 

 there are both recent and fossil species. The 

 shell is pyramidal, smooth, and polished ; 

 spire long, pointed, and composed of nume- 

 rous whorls ; outer lip somewhat expanded; 

 columella tortuous, with several folds. 



PYROCHROIIXE. A family of small 

 Coleopterous insects, found in the spring and 

 early part of the summer. The front part 

 of the body is narrow and flat, with the neck 

 distinct, and the thorax sub-orbicular : they 

 are generally gaily coloured and active in 

 their (light ; they frequent leaves and flowers, 

 but the larvao are found under the bark of 

 trees and in rotten wood. The only British 

 genus is Pyrochroa, distinguished by its pure 

 red colour. 



PYROMELANA. A genus of Grosbeaks, 

 distinguished by the fine red and black 

 colour of the plumage. [See GROSBEAK.] 



PYROSOMA. The name given to certain 

 compound Ascidians, remarkable for their 

 brilliant phosphoric luminosity : they are 

 marine. 



TIROL*. F1OUS. 



British Museum is a specimen of a Pyrula 

 bezoar that appears to have grown with 

 perfect regularity until the formation of its 

 last half whorl, which is thrown considerably 

 more than half an inch out of its proper 

 position by a group of barnacles. These 

 shells had probably attached tiiemselves to 

 the back of the Pyrula at an earlier stage, 

 and as the latter had increased in size at 

 length filled the place that should have been 

 occupied by the inner lip, which, on meeting 

 with this interruption, diverged from its 

 course, and was thrown over the barnacles. 

 Had the shell not been taken until a later 

 period, there can be little doubt that the 

 animal would have at length destroyed the 

 barnacles, and completely hidden them from 

 view, although it would appear that it had 

 not the power to remove them by absorption 

 while they retained their vitality. 



PYTHON. A name given to the great 

 constricting serpents of the Old World. The 

 size to which the Pythons grow is fully equal 

 to that attained by the oce, if it does not 

 exceed it : some have been seen upwards of 

 thirty feet long ; and their strength is pro- 

 portionate to their gigantic size. Indeed, a 

 good idea of these reptiles may be gathered 

 from the article BOA [which see]. At the 

 same time it may not be amiss to give the 

 reader an example of the Python's nature, 



as related by Mr. A. Adams, of H. M. S. 

 ng, while in the Philippine Archi- 

 pelago (March, 1844) : " While lying in the 



Samarang, w 



truly delightful bay at this place [Manilla], 

 a trifling incident occurred, showing the 

 extreme vivacity, and rapidity of movement, 

 in the larger serpents, even in those of the 

 Boa tribe, especially when first captured. 

 They are, indeed, then very different from 

 those apathetic listless monsters one sees 

 coiled up in blankets, at Zoological Gardens 

 and in menageries. Sir Edward Belcher 

 had a very beautiful specimen of the Python 

 Schneideri presented to him, about twelve 

 feet long, and having one day given it a 

 chicken, the reptile, as usual, compressed it 

 nearly to death, within the muscular folds 

 of its body, when one of the bystanders, 



