PO R 
fnail, and of a paler colour. It is of a roundifh 
figure; and has five fpires or twifts at the head, 
placed very clofe together: the mouth is large, 
and almoft circular; and is deftitute of any dupli- 
catufe or folding, being of an equal thinnefs with 
the reft of the fhell. 
POMPILIUS. A fea-fifK belonging to the 
genus of coryphoena in the Linn^an fyftem, re- 
markable for following the rudders of fliips to 
Vaft diftances. It is deftitute of fcales; a broad 
line runs from the gills to the tail, under which 
are a number of dotted tranfverfe lines reaching 
to the belly; the back is fpotted with different co- 
lours; the mouth is moderately large, and furnifti- 
cd with fmall teeth ; and the forehead is of a 
golden colour. There are four fins, two at the 
gills, and two on the belly; and befides thefe, one 
fin runs the whole length of the back, and another 
from the anus to the tail. 
PoMPiLius is alfo ufed by fome naturalifts to 
exprefs the nautilus, including the papyraceous 
as well as the cancerated kinds. 
PONGO. An appellation by which fome zoo- 
logifts exprefs the ourang-outang, or great ape. 
See Ape, Great. 
PONTICUS MUS. An animal defcrlbed by 
the ancients, and generally fuppofed to be a fpe- 
cies of fquirrel. 
POOL- SNIPE. A provincial appellation for 
the red-fliank. 
POOR; theGadusMinutusof Linnasus. This 
fifti, which is fometimcs caught on the Cornifti 
coafts, is the only fpccies of cod-fidi, with three 
dorfal fins, which is found in the Mediterranean 
Sea. Near Marfeilles, they are fometimes taken 
in fuch abundance, as to become a nuifance; for 
no other fpecles of fi(h approaches during their 
feafon. Their flefti is excellent, but incapable of 
being either faked or dried; and Belon afiertsthat 
it becomes as hard as horn when dried in the fun. 
This is the fmalleft fpecles of gadus yet difco- 
vered, being no more than fix inches long. On 
the chin there is a fmail beard; the eyes are co- 
vered with a loofe membrane; and on the gill- 
covers, and jaws on each fide, there are nine punc- 
tures. The firft dorfal fin confifts of twelve rays, 
the fecond of nineteen, and the third of fcventeen ; 
the pefloral fins have thirteen rays, and the ven- 
tral fix; the firft anal fin contains twenty-feven 
rays, and the fecond feventeen; the back is of a 
light brown colour; and the belly a dirty white. 
POPE. An appellation given in fome coun- 
ties to the anas arftica Cluni. See Puffin. 
PORBEAGLE. A provincial appellation for 
a fmali fpecles of ftiark found on the Cornlih 
coafts. The nofe is long, flender, and fharp- 
pointed ; the miOnth Is placed far beneath ; and the 
body is thick and deep, but extremely flender at 
the infcrtion of the tail. The firft' dorfd fin is 
placed aimoft in the middle, the other pretty near 
the tail; the belly is very deep; the ventral and 
anal fins are fmail ; and the tail is bifurcated, the 
upper fork being a little longer than the other. 
PORCELAIN -SHELL, PORCELLANA, 
OR CONCHA VENEREA. A genus of ftiell- 
fiib; the dlftinguift?,ing charafters of Vv-lilch are 
thefe : the fnell is univalve ; ixaving for it's mouth 
a narrow flit, dentated on each fide; and being 
of a conglobated, oblone, gibbofe, or umbonated 
form. 
Linnsus clafies thefe fliells under the genus of 
cyprsa; including forty-four fpecies, whofc cha- 
PGR 
rafbers are ; that the animal is a Hug; the Ihell uni- 
valve, fuboval, and bkuu at each end; and the 
aperture of the length of the ftielJ, longitudinal, 
linear, and toothed. 
This genus originally received the appellation 
of Porcellana and Concha Venerea from the re- 
femblance of it's mouth to the pudendum, mulie- 
bre: but of late the import of the word has been 
fo far mifunderftood, that many have fuppofed it 
to be derived from the \vord Porcelain, imagining 
that the Chinefe porcelain-ware was fabricated 
with a pulverization of this fhelL 
Thefe fhells, though known by various names, 
are more properly diftinguiftied by t^ie appellation 
Porcellana, becaufe different conchologifts have 
frequently confounded feparate genera, by afiign- 
ing them one common name. They pafs current 
as money in feveral parts of Africa, Afia, and 
America; and, when pulverized, have fometimes 
been applied to medicinal purpofes. 
^ PORCELLUS INDICUS. A name whereby 
fome naturalifts exprefs the little animal more 
ufually denominated the Guinea-pig. 
PORCO. An appellation for the fifii more 
commonly called the caprifcus, fuppofed to be 
the Porcus of Pliny. See Goat-Fish. 
PORCUPINE.' In the Linnsan fyftem, a 
genus of animals of the order of glires; the diftin- 
guifhing charatf'jers of v/hic!i are; that the animal 
has two cutting-teeth in each law, eight grinders, 
and the body covered v.'ith long, hard, and fliarp 
quills ; to which may be added, that the upper lip 
is divided. Linnaeus enumerates four fpecles. 
Porcupine, CoMMorvf; the Hyftrix Criftata of 
Linn^us. This fpecles is about tv;o feet long, 
and fifteen Inches broad. It has a long creft on 
the top of the head, reclining backwards, com- 
pofed of ftift' bridles. The body is covered with 
quills from ten to fourteen inches long, and very 
fharp at the points: each quiil is thickeft in the 
middle; and inferted into the animal's fkin, in the 
fame manner as feathers grow on birds. Thefe 
quills are varied v/ith black and white; and be- 
tween them there are a few hairs. The head, 
belly, and legs, are covered with ftrong briftles, 
terminated with foft duflcy-coloured hair; the 
v/hiflcers are long; and the ears refemble the hu- 
man. There are four toes before, and five be- 
hind; and tlietail, v/hich is fliort, is covered with 
quills. Ail the quills naturally incline back- 
wards, like the briftles of a hog; but when the 
animal is irritated, they ftand ere£l like briftles. 
The muzzle bears fome refemblance to that of a 
hare, but is black; the legs are very fiiort; and 
the eyes are fmall, like thofe of a hog, meafuring 
only one-third of an inch from one angle to ano- 
ther. 
The Porcupine bears a ftrong fimllarity to the 
hedge-hog; and, like that animal, has received 
a formidable apparatus of arms, rather for it's own 
defence than the annoyance of an enemy; and as 
to the opinion of it's being able to dart it's quills 
at it's enemies, it is nov/ univerfally exploded: 
the quills are too firmly fixed in the flcin to be 
difcharged by a voluntary effort; and are only 
fhed when the animal moults them, as birds do 
their feathers. Ellis, it is true, informs us, that 
a dead wolf was found at Hudfon's Bay, having 
the quills of a Porcupine fixed within it's mouth : 
but that might very naturally happen; for the 
wolf, in the rage of appetite, probably attempted 
to devour the Porcupine, quills and all; and paid 
