122 



A GLOSSARY OF TERMS 



of the upper o'olite or lias sys- 

 tem. The " Portland stone" is a 

 kind of limestone found in the 

 south of England, and more par- 

 ticularly in the Isle of Portland. 

 In this series of strata is a silice- 

 ous sand known as the " Portland 

 Sand." (p. 64, Book viii). 



PORTU'WUS. fr. lat. portus, a port, 

 bay, or haven. Name of a group 

 of crusta'ceans. 



POSIDO'ITIA. fr. gr. poseidon, Nep- 

 tune. A genus of bivalves, (fig. 

 64, p. 52, Book viii). 



POSTERIOR MARGIN. That side of 

 the bosses of acephalous bivalves 

 which contains the ligament. 



POST-(ESOPHA'GEAL. Situate behind 

 the oesophagus. 



POST-PEC'TUS. fr. lat. post, behind ; 

 pectus, the breast. That part of 

 the breast of insects which cor- 

 responds to the meta-thorax. 



POST-STER'UM. The posterior part 

 of the sternum in insects. 



POZZTJOLA'WA and POUZZCOLAITI. 

 Volcanic ashes used in the manu- 

 facture of mortar which hardens 

 under water : exported from Poz- 

 zuoli, near Naples. 



PHJEFLORA'TION. JEstivation. 



PH^MORSE Abrupt. Bitten off. 



PRJENO'MEN. The first name of se- 

 veral | in botany it is the same as 

 the generic name. 



PBATE'NSIS. Lat. Belonging or re- 

 lating to a meadow. 



PRECIPITA'TIOX. The action, by 

 which a body abandons a liquid 

 in which it is dissolved or sus- 

 pended, and becomes deposited 

 at the bottom. 



PREDA'CEOUS. Living on prey. 



PREHEN'SILE. fr. lat. prehendere, to 

 lay hold of. Having the power 

 to grasp or lay hold of objects. 



PREHEN'SION. The act of taking 

 hold of. The prehension of food 

 consists in laying hold of and con- 

 veying it to the mouth. 



FUE-OPERCULUM. A part of the gill- 

 cover, (fig. 42, p. 79, Book iv). 



PRESBYO'PIA. fr. gr. presbus, an old 

 man ; dps, an eye. Longsighted- 

 ness. 



PRESSIRO'STRES. fr. lat. pressus, 

 pressed ; rostrum, beak. Syste- 

 matic name of a family of gralla- 

 toriae. 



PREY. Food gotten by violence 



PRICKLE. A thorn which is fixed 

 to the bark only, and not to the 

 wood. 



PHI'M ARIES, (Primary quills.) The 

 largest feathers of the wings. 



PRIMARY FORMATION. Primary 



rocks. A term applied by geolo- 

 gists to designate the different 

 rocks which were formed prior 

 to the creation of plants and ani- 

 mals. 



PRIMIGE'NUTS. Lat. Original; first 

 of its kind. 



PRIMINE. The first or outermost 

 sac of the ovule of plants. 



PRIMTTLA'CE*. fr. lat. primula, a 

 primrose. Name of a family of 

 plants. 



PRI'MUM Mo'BiLE.-Lat. That which 

 first imparts motion. 



PRISM. A solid bounded by three 

 planes, two of which are equal. 



PRISMATIC. Belonging or relating 

 to a prisrn. Having several pa- 

 rallel, flat sides. 



PRISME'NCHYMA. The prismatical 

 variety of the parenchyma of 

 plants. 



PHISTIS. Lat. Generic name of 

 the saw-fish. 



PROBOSCI'DIAN. fr. gr. proboskis, a 

 proboscis or trunk. Applied to 

 mammals of the family which 

 includes the elephant. 



PROBOSCIDIA'NA. A family of ani- 

 mals which includes the elephant. 



PHOBO'SCIS. Lat. A trunk, a pro- 

 longation of the nose. 



PROCELLA'RIA. fr. lat. procella, a 

 tempest at sea. A genus of birds 

 of the family of palmipedes. 



PRO'CESS. fr. Jat. procedo, I go be- 

 fore. An eminence of bone } a 

 bony projection. 



