801 



PHYTIVOROUS. Feeding on plants and her- 

 bage. 



PHYTOPHAGOUS. Feeding on plants. 



PJCEOUS. Shining reddish black, the colour 

 of pitch. 



PILOSE. Covered with a thick down. 



PINION. To confine by binding the wings. 

 The joint of a fowl's wing, remotest from i 

 the body. 



PINNATE. Shaped like a feather, or provided 

 with fins. 



PINNATED. Fin-footed ; having the toes 

 bordered by membranes. 



PISCIKOKM. Having the shape of a fish. 



PISIFOUM. Having the form of a pea. 



PISTIL. In botany, an organ of female 

 flowers adhering to the fruit for the re- 

 ception of the pollen, supposed to be a 

 continuation of the pith. 



PiSTii.LACEoys. Growing oil the germ or 

 seed-bud of a flower. 



PITUITOUS. Consisting of mucus, or resem- 

 bling it in qualities. 



PLACENTA. The substance that connects 

 the fojtus to the womb, and by which the 

 circulation is carried on between the parent 

 and the foetus. 



PLACKNTAL. Pertaining to the substance 

 that connects the foetus to the womb. 



PLANE. Perfectly level. When there is 

 neither elevation nor depression. 



PLANORBICULAR. Flat and circular. 



PLANO- SUBULATE. Smooth and awl-shaped. 



PLANTIGRADE. When the whole or part of 

 the sole of the foot is placed flat on the 

 ground in walking, as is the case with 

 certain carnivorous mammalia. 



PLASMA. The liquor saityuinis, or fluid part 

 of the blood, iu which the red corpuscles 

 float. 



PLASTRON. The under part of the shell of 

 the crab and tortoise. 



PLEIOCENE. The more recent tertiary strata, 

 in which the major part of the fossil tes- 

 tacea belong to recent species. 



PLEISTOCENE. The newest of the tertiary 

 strata, which contains the largest propor- 

 tion of li ving species of shells. 



PLI:XIFORM. In the form of net- work ; com- 

 plicated. 



PLEA us. A bundle of nerves or vessels in- 

 terwoven or twined together. 



PLICATE. PLICATED. Plaited ; folded like 

 a fan : applied to spiral plaits on the co- 

 lumella of some shells ; also to the angular 

 bondings hi the margins of some bivalve 

 shells. 



PLIC.K. Folds of membrane. 



PLUMBEOUS. The colour of lead. 



PLUMIPED. Having feet covered with fea- 

 thers. 



PLUMULOSE. When the hairs branch out 

 laterally like feathers. 



PLUMOSE. Feathery ; like a plume of fea- 

 thers ; or, having hair of a feathery ap- 

 pearance. 



PNEUMATIC. Belonging to the air and air- 

 breathing organs. 



PODEON. The sixth segment in insects. 



PODOPHTHALMA. The tribe of Crustacea in 

 which the eyes are supported upon stalks. 



POLLEN. In botany, the fecundating dust, 

 or farina, contained in the anilier of 



flowers, which is dispersed on the pistil for j 

 impregnation. 



POLLINIFEROUS. Producing pollen. 



POLLINOSE. Covered with a loose mealy, 

 and often yellow powder, resembling the 

 pollen of flowers. 



POLYGAMOUS. Not confined to one mate, 

 but pairing promiscuously ; as is common 

 with certain birds. 



POLYUASTRIA. The class of infusorial ani- 

 malcules which have many assimilative 

 sacs or stomachs. 



POLYGENOUS. Consisting of many kinds. 



PoLYMonrnous. Having many forms. 



POLYPHAGOUS. Feeding indiscriminately ; 

 all-devouring. 



POLYPI. The class of radiated animals which 

 have many prehensile organs radiating 

 from around the mouth. 



POLYTHALAMOUS. Divided into several 

 chambers. 



POKCATE. In entomology, a term denoting 

 the presence of several parallel elevated 

 longitudinal ridges. 



PORCELLANEOUS. Pertaining to or resem- 

 bling porcelain ; as, porcellaneous shells. 



PORCINE. Pertaining to swine. 



PORE. A minute interstice in the skin of an 

 animal, through which the perspirable 

 matter passes to the surface or is excreted. 



PORRECTED. When the head is prominent 

 and elongate. 



POSTDILUVIAL. POSTDILUVIAN. Living or 

 happening posterior to the universal de- 

 luge. 



POSTERIOR. The hind limbs, &c. The side 

 in bivalve shells opposite to that in which 

 the ligament is placed. 



POSTORBITAL. Pertaining to whatever is 

 situated behind the orbits. 



POSTSCUTELI.UAI. The fourth section of the 

 upper surface of each segment in insects. 



PRASINOUS. Green with a mixture of yellow. 



PK^SCUTUM. The first section of the upper 

 surface of each segment in insects. 



PB,ESTERNUM. The name of the plate 

 nearest the head in the lower surface of 

 each segment in insects when it is divided 

 into four plates. 



PRECIPITOUS. Very steep ; as a precipitous '. 

 hump on the back of an animal. 



PREDATORY. Plundering ; practising ra- j 

 pine. 



PREEN. To clean and dress the feathers, as 

 birds, to enable them to glide more easily 

 through the air or water. For this pur- 

 pose they are furnished with two glands on 

 their rump, which secrete an oily substance 

 into a bag, from which they draw it with 

 their bill, and spread it over their feathers. 



PREHENSILE. Seizing ; grasping ; as, the , 

 tails of some monkeys are prehensile. 



PRKJIORSE. Terminating in an irregular ; 

 truncate apex, as if bitten off. 



PRETERNATURAL. Beyond the ordinary 

 rules of nature, or different from what ia 

 natural, but not supernatural. 



PRETYPIFY. To prefigure. 



PRIMARIES, or Primary Quills. The largest 

 feathers of the wings ; they rise from the 

 first bone. 



PRIMITIVE. Original ; primary ; not de- 

 rived. 



