PIG 
This fpccies was firft figured and defcribed by 
Sonnerat. 
Pigeon, Purple. This bird, which is a na- 
tive of Java, is about the fize of the common 
Wood Pigeon. The forehead is of a fine pale 
green colour ; the head and neck are of a beauti- 
ful light purple J and the breaft is orange. The 
back, fcapulars, and belly, are of a light green 
hue ; the primaries arc dufky ; the tail is blueifti 
and dufky j and the vent is fcarlet. 
Pigeon, Pompadour. This beautiful fpecies, 
which is a native of the Ifle of Ceylon, is lefs than 
the turtle-dove. The crown is of a light blue 
colour; the cheeks and chin are of a pale yellow; 
the back, breaft, and belly, are of a light green; 
the coverts of the wings are of a fine pompadour; 
the primaries and fecondaries are black, edged 
with yellow ; the tail is long, and of a light green 
hue; and the legs are red. 
Pigeon, Yellow-faced. This fpecies is alfo 
a native of Ceylon. The crown of the head is of 
a light blue colour; the front is of a fine pale yel- 
low; the body and coverts of the wings are of a 
pea-green; the primaries are of a dark dull green, 
edged with yellow; the tail is green; and the legs 
are red. 
To the Pigeons already enumerated might be 
added a copious lift of foreign and domeftic va- 
rieties ; but to increafe the catalogue of animals, 
without enlartino; the bounds of the fcience, is 
certainly both an unprofitable and unpleafing tafk. 
Pigeons, as previoufiy remarked, are all derived 
from one common ftock ; they differ but little in 
their nature, though confiderably in their colours ; 
they are difteminated over almoft every part of 
the globe; and are univerfally allowed to be 
grateful to the tafte, though unentertaining to the 
car. 
PIGEON, SEA. This fifli receives it's name 
from the peculiar ftrudlure of it's head, which is 
fuppofed to refemble that of a Pigeon ; while it's 
breaft- is large like that of a cropper. It's fkin is 
furniflied with fcales, and marked with a variety 
of different coloured fpots. It is a very rare fpe- 
cies ; and it's flefh is difagreeable to the tafte. 
PIGNOLETTI. An appellation ufed by fe- 
veral ichthyologifts to exprefs the Aphua Cobitis, 
a fmall fifli of the gobius or fea-gudgeon kind, 
common in the Mediterranean, and expofed to 
fale in the markets of Rome and Venice. 
PIGUS. A fpecies of leather- mouthed fifh, 
approaching to the nature of the carp. It is 
about the fame fize and ftiape with the common 
carp; and it's eyes, fins, and flefhy palate, are ex- 
aftly fimilar. A crooked dotted line runs from 
the gills to the tail ; the back and fides are blue- 
ilb; and the belly is reddifti. The body is co- 
vered witti large fcales, from the middle of every 
one of which rifes a fine pellucid, flnarp prickle. 
The flefh is efteemed preferable to the common 
carp; and is in feafon about March and April. 
This fifii is caught in the lakes of fome parts of 
Italy ; and feems to be dcfcribed by Pliny, though 
without a name. In the Artedian fyftem it is 
diftinguifhed by that autlior under the appel- 
lation of the Cyprinus, called Piclo and Pigus: 
who adds, that tlie tail is bifid, and the fcales are 
large; that in fpringand autumn white pyramidal 
prickles grow out of the fcales, which, after con- 
tinuing about fix weeks, drop off"; that the back 
is of a blackifli hue; and the belly white, with a 
faint caft' of red. It never exceeds five or fix 
PI K 
pounds in weight ; and it's fiefti is extremely v.-ell 
tafted. 
The Pigus is alfo found in the lakes of the 
Northern nations. 
PIISSKER. A fifh of the muftela kind, ufu- 
ally known by the appellation of the Muftela Fof- 
filis, or Pifcis Foflilis, the foffile fifh. It commonly 
wrows to the length of three inches, though fome- 
times confiderably more: the back is greyifh, 
marked with a great number of fpots and tranf- 
verfe ftreaks, partly black, and partly blue ; the 
belly is yellow, fpotted with red, black, and 
white; and on each fide there is a longitudinal 
black and white line. Several flefhy excrefcences 
proceed from the mouth, which are expanded in 
fwimming, but contrafted when out of the water. 
Thefe fifli make their way into caverns of the 
earth in the fides of rivers and marfhy places, pe- 
netrating a great way; and are often dug up at a 
confiderable diftance from the water. They feem 
to be nearly of the fame kind with the Fifgum- 
fifh; and pofllbly both it and the Psecilia of 
Schonefeldt are the fame. 
PIKE; the Lucius Efox of Linnseus, and 
the Oxyrynchus of the ancient Greeks. The head 
of this fifh is very fiat: the upper jaw is broad, 
and fhorter than the lower; and the under jaw 
turns up a little at the end, and is marked with 
minute punftures. The teeth are extremely fharp, 
difpofed in the front of the upper jaw only, but 
in both fides of the lower, in the roof of the 
mouth, and often on the tongue. The opening 
of the mouth is very wide; and the eyes are fmall. 
The dorfal fin, which is placed very low on the 
back, confifts of twenty-one rays ; the peftoral is 
compofed of fifteen, the ventral of eleven, and 
the anal of eighteen ; and the tail is bifurcated,. 
Pikes fpawn in March or April, according to 
the mildnefs of the feafon. When in perfeftion, 
their colours are very fine, being green fpotted 
with bright yellow; and the gills are of a moft 
vivid full red. When out of feafon, the green 
changes to grey; and the yellow fpots a/Tume a 
palifh hue. 
Thefe fifh are common in moft of the European 
lakes : but the largeft and fineft are found in Lap- 
land; which, according to Schaeffer, arefometimes 
eight feet long. They arc taken there in great 
abundance, dried, and exported. The largeft fifh 
of this kind ever caught in England weighed 
about thirty-five pounds. 
According to a common report. Pikes were 
firft introduced into England in the reign of 
Henry VIII. about the year 1537. They were 
then fo rare, that a fingle one was fold for double 
the price of a houfe-lamb in the month of Febru- 
ary, and a Pickerel for more than a fat capon. 
All writers who treat of the Pike defcribe it as 
the moft a6live and voracious of fifhes; and thofe 
of our poets who have contented themfelves with 
barely fkimming the furface of nature, call it the 
tyrant of the watery plain. In fadt, in proportion 
to it's ftrength and celerity, the Pike does confi- 
derable mifchief; but what are it's efforts, when 
compared with thofe of the cachalot or the ihark, 
but the petty depredations of a robber put in 
competition with the ravages of a conqueror. 
However, the Pike will attack every fifh fmaller 
than itfelf; and it is even fometimes choaked in 
attempting to fwallow fuch as are too large for 
it's gullet. Of what fpecies foever the animals it 
purfues happen to be, feems but of very little con- 
fequence; 
