800 



PARASITIC. PARASITICAL. Existing on or 

 inhabiting some other body. 



PARENCHYMA. A spongy substance con- 

 tained in the interstices between the blood- 

 vessels of the viscera. 



PARENCIIYMOUS. Spongy ; soft ; porous. 



PARIETAL [.bones']. The bones which form 

 the sides and upper part of the skull. 



PAROTID. Denoting certain salivary glands 

 below and before the ears, or near the ar- 

 ticulation of the lower jaw. 



PAROXYSM. An exasperation or exacerba- 

 tion of a disease. 



PARTITE. Divided to the base. 



PASSERINE. Pertaining to the Passercs, the 

 order of birds to which Sparrows belong. 



PASTURE. PASTURE-LAND. Ground covered 

 with grass appropriated for the food of 

 cattle. 



PATELLATE. Dilated and shaped something 

 like a. patella or platter. 



PATELLIFORM. Shaped like a dish. 



PATERIFORM. When the joints are some- 

 what dilated and very short, shaped some- 

 thing like a shallow bowl. 



PAVONINE. Resembling the tail of a pea- 

 cock. 



PEAHEN. The hen or female of the peacock. 



PECTINAL. Pertaining to a comb. 



PECTINATED. Resembling the teeth of a 

 comb. 



PECTINIBRANCHIATA. The order of Gas- 

 teropoda in wliich the gills are shaped 

 like a comb. 



PECTINIFORM (antennae). When the joints 

 are furnished on one side with slender pro- 

 cesses resembling the teeth of a comb. 



PJECTORAL. Pertaining to the breast ; as the 

 pectoral muscles. The pectoral fins of a 

 fish are situated on the sides of the fish, 

 behind the gills. 



PECTUNCIJLATE. A term applied to the 

 maxillae of insects, when the stipes below 

 the feeler has a row of minute spines set 

 like the teeth of a comb. 



PEDICLE. The support of the Lepas Ana- 

 tifcra and its corresponding species, by 

 which they are attached to wood, &c. 



PEDIFORM. Shaped like a foot. 



PEDUNCLE. A footstalk or tube on which 

 anything is situated. 



PEDUNCULATED. Attached to external ob- 

 jects by a hollow fleshy tube, called the 

 peduncle. The term pedunculated is also 

 applied to insects when they have the 

 sixth segment slender and threadlike, as 

 the wasp, &o. 



PELAGIC. PELAGIAN. Belonging ,to the 

 deep sea ; as, pelagian shells. 



PELLICLE. The skin or film. 



PELTATE. Shield-shaped ; orbicular and 

 attached by a central pedicle. 



PELVIS. The lower part of the abdomen. 



PENDULOUS. Hanging ; fastened at one 

 end, the other swinging ; as, the dewlap of 

 an animal. 



PENICIL. A small bundle of diverging hairs. 



PENICILLATE. An epithet for a part which 

 supports bundles of diverging hair. 



PENSILE. Hanging ; suspended. 



PENTACRINITE. A pedunculated star-fish 

 with five rays : they are for the most part 

 fossil. 



PENTANGULAR. Having five corners or an- 

 gles. 



PERCOLATED. Filtered ; passed through 

 small interstices. 



PERENNIBRANCHIATE. Relating to a family 

 of reptiles (the Protei, Sirens, &c.) which 

 are organized to live either on land or in 

 water, by possessing at the same time both 

 lungs and gills. 



PERFORATE (antennas). When a portion of 

 each joint is dilated and flattened, and the 

 remaining portion being cylindrical, ap- 

 pears like a thread on which the dilated 

 parts are strung. 



PERFORATED. Having holes, as if bored by 

 a sharp instrument. 



PERGAMENEOUS. Of the texture of parch 

 ment : a thin tough substance in texture 

 resembling parchment. 



PERICARDIUM. The membranous bag which 

 surrounds the heart, and the arterial and 

 venous trunks connected with it. 



PERICRANIUM. A membrane covering the 

 outside of the cranium, and corresponding 

 to the periosteum of other bones. 



PERIOSTEUM. A nervous vascular membrane 

 immediately investing the bones of ani- 

 mals. 



PERIOSTRACUM. The membrane analogous 

 to scarf-skin, which covers shell. 



PERISTALTIC. The vermicular contractions 

 and motions of muscular canals, as the 

 alimentary and the circulating tubes. The 

 peristaltic motion of the intestines is per- 

 formed by the contraction of the circular 

 and longitudinal fibres composing their 

 fleshy coats, by which the chyle is driven 

 into the orifices of the lacteals, and the 

 excrements are protruded towards the 

 anus. 



PERITONEAL. Belonging to the peritoneum. 



PERITONEUM. A thin, smooth, lubricous 

 membrane investing the whole internal 

 surface of the abdomen, and, more or less 

 completely, all the viscera contained in it. 



PERITREMA. The raised margin which sur- 

 rounds the breathing-holes of scorpions. 



PETALOID. Having the form of petals. 



PETIOLATE. Supported or suspended by a 

 slender stalk. 



PETRESCENCE. The process of changing 

 into stone. 



PETRIFACTIVE. PETRIFIC. Having power to 

 convert animal or vegetable substances 

 into stone. 



PHARYNGEAL. PHARYNGAL. Belonging to 

 the pharynx. 



PHARYNX. The opening into the gullet. 



PHENOMENON (plu. phenomena}. Anything 

 which has existence in the natural world ; 

 as, the phenomena of heat, the phenomena 

 of the heavenly bodies, or of terrestrial 

 substances. 



PHOCENIC. Appertaining to the dolphin. 



PHOSPHORESCENT. Shining in the dark, 

 like the glow-worm. 



PHYSICS. Natural Philosophy in its most 

 extensive sense,compreheuding Chemistry, 

 Electricity, Hydrostatics, Meteorology, 

 Pneumatics, &c. It is either Oencral or 

 Particular.* 



PHYSIOLOGICAL. Relating to the properties 

 and functions of living beings. 



