ORNITHOLOGY: GLOSSARY. 



121 



birds, destined to regulate the focal 

 distance between the crystalline 

 lens and the sentient surface of the 

 retina, 



PECTINATE (foot.) From the Latin, 

 peclen, a comb. Toes fringed like 

 the teeth of a comb. (See, Plate 

 7, fig. 2.) 



PECTORAL. From the Latin, pectus, 

 (in the genitive, pectoris) the chest, 

 the breast. Belonging or relating 

 to the chest. 



PELAGICA. Latin. Belonging or re- 

 lating to the sea. 



PELICANUS. Latin. A Pelican. 



PELVIS. Latin. A basin. The name 

 of the bony structure at the lower 

 part of the trunk, which forms the 

 inferior boundary of the abdomen, 

 gives support or place of foundation 

 to the spinal column, and affords 

 points of articulation for the thigh 

 bones, constituting the hip joint. 



PENINSULA. From the Latin, pene, 

 almost, and insu/o, an island. Land 

 almost surrounded by water, and 

 connected to a continent by a neck 

 of land. 



PENULTIMATE. From the Latin, pene, 

 almost, and ultimus, the last. That 

 which is immediately next to the 

 last. 



PERCNOPTER.I. The plural of Perc- 

 nopterus. 



PERCNOPTERUS. From the Greek, 

 perknos, spotted, and pleron, wing. 

 Systematic name of certain Vul- 

 tures. 



PERMS. From the Greek, pernes, a 

 certain bird of Prey. I'he generic 

 name of the Honey-Buzzards. 



PETREL. The diminutive of Peter. 

 The name of a web-footed bird, 

 that seems to walk on the water. 



PETROUS. From the Greek, petra, a 

 rock, a stone. A part of the tem- 

 poral bone, which contains the 

 internal organs of hearing, is so 

 call d, from resembling a stone in 

 hardness. 



PHOTON. From the Greek, phaethon, \ 

 brilliant. Generic name of the [ 

 Tropic bird. i 



PHALACROCORAX. From the Greek, 

 phalakros, bald, and korax, a Raven, 

 The systematic name of the Cor- 

 morants, which latter name is a 

 corruption of the French words, 

 corbeau matin, Sea-crow. 



PHALANGES. The plural of Phalanx. 



PHALANX. From the Greek, phalagz, 

 a file of soldiers. The bones com- 

 posing the fingers and toes. They 

 are named, first, second, and third 

 phalanges. 



PHALAROPUS. From the Greek, pha~ 

 laris, a Coot, and poiis, foot. 

 Having the lobed feet of the Coots. 

 Systematic name of the Phalaropes. 



PHALEN^E From the Greek phalaina, 

 a moth, (of the kind that flutter^ 

 about lamps.) Systematic nun^ 

 of a family of insects. 



PHASIANUS. From the Greek, phasi- 

 anos, a Pheasant, so called from 

 the river Phasis, in Colchis, near 

 the Black Sea. The systematic 

 name of the Pheasants. 



PHCENICOPTERUS. From the Greek, 

 pfioiniz, red, and pteron, wing. 

 Red-winged. The generic name 

 of the Flamingo. 



PICA. Latin. A Magpie. 



Picus. Latin. A Woodpecker. 



PICTUS. Latin. Painted, speckled, 

 spotted. 



PILARIS. Latin. Belonging to any- 

 thing round. The specific name 

 of a Thrush. 



PINION. The joint of the wing re- 

 motest from the body. 



PINNATE (foot.) Having the edges 



. of the toes scalloped or notched, as 

 in the Coots. 



PINTADO. Spanish. Mpttled. Gen- 

 eric name of the Guinea fowl. 



PISCIVOROUS. From the Latin, piscis^ 

 a fish, and vorare, to eat. Fish- 

 eating. Applied to animals that 

 feed on fish. 



PLATALEA. Latin. ( Formed from 

 the Greek, platus, flat.) The 

 Generic name of the Spoonbills, 



PLOTUS. From the Greek, pluo, I 

 swim. The generic name of tho 

 Darters. 



