PSO 



PTE 



of the similar colour of their plumage to 

 that of the leaves. They inhabit various 

 parts of America, are used for food, and 

 are extremely fat. The above have tails 

 unevt n at the end. 



P. Meluccensis, or the Molucca cocka- 

 too, inhabits the Moluccas, is about fifteen 

 inches long, and is regarded by Buffon as 

 one of the most docile and interesting 

 birds of the tribe. 



P. pullarius, or the red-headed Guinea 

 parrakeet, is of the siie of a lark, and is 

 extremely common in many parts of Afri- 

 ca. These birds are peculiarly distin- 

 guished by their mutual affection. They 

 are exported from Africa in considerable 

 numbers, for their beauty and attachment, 

 and not on account of any power of arti- 

 culation or enchantment of melody, their 

 sounda being harsh and grating. Few, 

 however, survive the voyage. They are 

 kept in cages, in pairs, and the attentions 

 of the male to the female are highly ten- 

 der, elegant, and interesting. He extri- 

 cates the seeds from their husks, and pre- 

 sents them to her in this prepared state, 

 and appears restless and miserable on the 

 slightest separation. Indeed, the attach- 

 ment is reciprocal, the sadness of one al- 

 ways producing distress in the other ; and 

 the death of either involving the survivor, 

 generally, in fatal as well as fruitless 

 grief. ^ 



P. Carolinensis, the Carolina parrot, is 

 about thirteen inches long, yellowish- 

 green, head and fore part of the neck yel- 

 low ; front, cheeks, and edge of the shoul- 

 ders rufous ; bill and orbits whitish ; feet 

 pale flesh colour, claws black ; greater 

 wing-coverts and primaries yellow, with 

 a tinge of green ; shafts of most of the 

 feathers black. Tail long, cuneiform ; 

 knees and vent fulvous. Inhabits the 

 southern parts of the United States, as far 

 north as Maryland, but on the rivers 

 Mississippi and Ohio, it is of frequent oc- 

 currence much farther northwardly. It 

 is the only species found in the United 

 States. 



PSOPHIA, the trumpeter, in natural his- 

 tory, a genus of birds of the order Grallae. 

 Generic character : bill cylindrical, conic, 

 convex; nostrils oval, sunk, and pervi- 

 ous ; tongue cartilaginous, flat, and fring- 

 ed at the tip ; feet four-toed and cleft. 

 Latham mentions only one species, viz. 

 P. crepitans, or the gold-breasted trum- 

 peter, is of the size of a large fowl, and 

 very high on its legs, and abounds in 

 South America, especially in the country 

 of the Amazons. It is remarkable for 

 emitting from its lungs a noise very simi- 



lar to the sound of a child's trumpet, and, 

 being easily domesticated, will often fol- 

 low the person to whose care it is com- 

 mitted, through the streets, making this 

 singular noise. It may be fed on bread 

 and fish. It runs fast, aided by the ex- 

 pansion of its wings. When confined with 

 poultry, it often annoys both common 

 fowls and turkeys, and, indeed, occasion- 

 ally destroys them. It will follow the 

 negroes in the West Indies, and catch at 

 their legs, not unfrequently producing 

 blood. Their flesh is esteemed a consi- 

 derable delicacy. 



PSORALEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Diadelphia Decandria class and order. 

 Natural order of Papilionaceae or Legumi- 

 nosae. Essential character: calyx be- 

 sprinkled with callous dots, the same 

 length with the legume, which has only 

 one seed in it. There are thirty-three 

 species, chiefly natives of the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



PSYCHOTRIA, in botany, a genus of 

 the Pentandria Monogynia class and or- 

 der. Natural order of Stellate. Rubia- 

 ceae, Jussieu. Essential character : calyx 

 five-toothed, crowning ; corolla tubular ; 

 berry globular ; seeds two, hemispheri- 

 cal, grooved. There are thirty nine 

 species. 



PTELEA, in botany, a genus of the Te- 

 trandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 

 tural order of Terebintacese, Jussieu. Es- 

 sential character : calyx four-parted, in- 

 ferior ; corolla four-petalled ; stigmas two; 

 fruit with a roundish membrane, having 1 

 one seed in the middle. There is but one 

 species, viz. P. trifoliata, three-leaved pte- 

 lea, or shrubby trefoil, a native of North 

 America. 



PTERIS, in botany, a genus of the Cryp- 

 togamia Filices class and order. Natural 

 order of Filices or Ferns. Generic cha- 

 racter : fructifications in an uninterrupted 

 marginal line ; involucre from the margin 

 of the frond turned in, uninterrupted, se- 

 parating on the inner side. There are 

 .thirty-four species. 



PTEROCARPUS, in botany, a genus of 

 the Diadelphia Decandria class and order. 

 Natural order of Papilionacese or Lugu- 

 minosse. Essential character : calyx five- 

 toothed ; capsule sickle-shaped, leafy, va- 

 ricose ; seeds few, solitary. There are 

 six species, found chiefly in South Ame- 

 rica and the West Indies. 



PTERONIA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Syngenesia Polygamia JEqualis class and 

 order. Natural order of Composite Dis- 

 coidse. Cinarocephalse, Jussieu. Essen- 

 tial character : receptacle with many- 



