PEW 
is common about the Cape of Good Hope, is 
about the fize of the domeftic pigeon. The bill 
is black J the head, and the under-fide of the 
neck, are alfo black; the back and leffer coverts 
of the wings are white, prettily fpotted with 
black; as are the rump, and the covert-feathers 
of the tail. The tail is wholly black; the whole 
under-fide, from the bill to the coverts under 
the tail, is white, with a few longitudinal black 
fpots ; and the legs, feet, and claws, are blackilh 
or dufky. 
PETROCOSSYPHUS. An appellation given 
by fome authors to the bird more ufually called 
coeruleus, from it's colour. It frequents rocks and 
woody mountains; and fings with very pleafing 
modulations, 
PETROMYZON; the Stone-fucker. A genus 
of amphibia nantes in the Linnsean fyftem, comi- 
prehending the lamprey. It is ufually found in 
rivers, adhering to ftones by fuftion, which en- 
ables it to hold it's fituation. 
According to Artedi, the chara£lers of this 
genus are : that the foramina or apertures of the 
branchiae are feven in number on each fide placed 
longitudinally, befides which there is a fingle 
aperture in the head fituated immediately between 
the eyes; that the body is long, fmooth, and 
nearly of a cylindric figure; and that there are 
only two fins, which are both placed on the back. 
Both Linnaeus and Artedi enumerate three 
fpecies of this genus. 
PETRONELLUS. An appellation given by 
fome ornithologifts to the bunting. 
PETRONIA MARINA. A fmall bird of 
the oenanthe kind, or nearly allied to that genus. 
The beak is ftrong and fharp, like that of the 
chaffinch; the head is of a brownifli grey colour; 
the neck is cinereous, variegated with black near 
the bottom; the rump is of a brownilh green 
hue; the long wing-feathers are blackifh, edged 
and tipt with green; the breaft is of a dufky 
white colour; and the tail is brown ifh, variegated 
with yellow. A fine large yellow fpot on the 
centre of the throat diftinguiflies this bird from 
all others of the kind. 
PETTY-CHAPS ; theMotacilla Hippolals of 
Linnaeus. This bird, which is found in York- 
fhire and fome other counties of England, is 
fometimes called the beam-bird, from it's nefting 
under beams in out-buildings. The infide of 
the mouth is red; the head, neck, back, and 
wings, are of an olivaceous afh-colour; the quill- 
feathers are darker, edged with olive; and the 
inner coverts of the wings are yellow. The 
breaft is white tinged with yellow; the belly is 
of a filvery white colour ; the tail is dufky ; and 
the legs are blueifh. 
PEWIT; the Larus Redibundus of Linnaeus, 
This bird, called alfo the larus cinereus, the cep- 
phew, the black-cap, and the fea-crow, belongs 
to the larus or fea-gull tribe; and is about the fize 
of a pigeon. The beak and legs are red ; the 
head and throat are of a greyifh black colour; 
and the neck, tail, breaft, and belly, are white. 
It receives it's Englifli name from it's note, which 
feems to exprefs the word Pewit. Many have 
affirmed that the head of this bird is blackat par- 
ticular feafons only. 
Pewits are birds of paflage, reforting to pools 
and fens in fome of the interior counties, particu- 
larly Staffbrdftiire, which they vifit in the fpring, 
and afterwards difperfe to the fea-coafts. The 
P H A 
young were formerly much efteemed, and fat- 
tened for the table. Plot fuperftitioufly relates 
that, at the death of the lord of the foil, they 
have been known to fhift their quarters for a cer- 
tain time. There is a piece of ground near Portf- 
mouth, which formerly produced forty pounds 
yearly by the fale of thofe Pewits only which 
bred there. 
Pewit is alfo a provincial appellation for the 
baftard plover, or lapwing. See Lapwing. 
PHGENICOPTERUS. A name by which 
fome authors exprefs the flamingo. 
PHAETON. A genus of anferes in the Lin- 
n^ean fyftem. It's diftinguiftiing charadlers are ; 
that the bill is fharp, ftraight, and pointed ; that 
the noftrils are oblong ; and that the hinder toe 
is turned forwards. There are two fpecies, the 
pinguin, and the tropic-bird. 
PHAGRUS, the Sea-bream. In the Artedian 
fyftem of ichthyology, a fpecies of the fparus ; 
diftinguiftied by that author under the name of 
the reddifli fparus, with the flcin hollowed into a 
finus at the roots of the dorfal fins. 
PHALACROCEPHALUS INDICUS. An 
appellation by which fome naturalifts exprefs an 
anadromous fifli caught in the Oriental feas. I'he 
head and neck have a very naked appearance ; 
the whole body is of a greyiffi white colour, va- 
riegated with red about the mouth ; the eyes are 
very large and prominent; and the irides are 
yellow. 
This fifti generally meafures about eighteen 
inches in length; and it's fiefh, which is ex- 
tremely del icate,is defervedly admired. The Dutch 
in the Eaft Indies give it the name of kaelkop, 
PHAL/ENA. A genus of the lepidoptera 
order of infeds : the characters of which are; 
that the antennje are fetaceous, fenfibly attenuated 
from the bafe to the apex; and the wings are 
generally deflexed. 
Linnseus enumerates four hundred and fixty 
fpecies, under the feveral titles of phalasna, atta- 
cus, bombyx, nocflua, geometra, tortrix, pyralis, 
tinea, and alucita. 
PHALANGER. An appellation by which 
fome naturalifts exprefs the opoffum. 
PHALANGIUM. A peculiar genus offpiders: 
the diftinguifliing charafters of which are ; that 
they do not move regularly and progreffively 
after the manner of other fpiders, but hop like 
fleas. This was the charaderiftic given them by 
Pliny, and others of the ancients; and it has been 
found perfectly applicable to the difierent fpecies 
of this genus. The forehead of each of thefe 
fpiders is fquare; and in it are placed eight eyes 
of different magnitudes, difpofcd in a circular 
form. 
PHALANGIUM APULUM. A name 
fometimes expreffive of that large and poifonous 
fpecies of fpider vulgarly called the tarantula ; 
from Tarentum, a city of Calabria, near which it 
is very common. 
PHALAROPE. A bird of the tringa kind, 
in the Linncean fyftem: the general characters of 
which are; that the bill is ftraight and flender; 
that the noftrils are minute ; that the body and 
legs are like thofe of the fand-piper; and that 
the toes are furnifhed with fcalloped membranes. 
There are leveral varieties. 
Phalarope, Grey ; the Tringa Lobata of Lin- 
nsus. This bird weighs about an ounce : it's 
bill is black, about an inch long, flatted on the 
top^ 
