PUL 
fmooth ; the back is black ; and the belly is yel- 
low. -The head refembles that of the pike, ex- 
cept that the nofe is fomewhat longer; it has two 
fins at the gills; and a triangular fin on the back, 
between which and the neck there is a row of fif- 
teen prickles bending backwards, and unconneft- 
cd by a membrane. There are two fpincs on the 
middle of the belly, and one behind the anus; 
and the body is terminated by a fine fmall tail. 
PULCHER PISCIS. An appellation given 
by Gaza to the fifh commonly known by the name 
of the uranofcope, or ftar-gazer. It is a fpecies 
of the trachinus, diftinguillied by Artedi by the 
name of the trachinus with many beards on the 
lower jaw. 
PULEX. See Flea. 
PULEX-EATERS. A term by which natu- 
raliffs exprefs a genus of worms frequently found 
on the leaves of trees, which fubfift on the ani- 
mals called pulices arborei. 
There are fcveral fpecies of this genus, origi- 
nating from the eggs of different creatures ; for 
none of them acquire their ultimate flare in this 
fituation. They are of diftinft forms and firuc- 
tures, according to the different infeds from whofe 
eags they proceed : fome have fix legs ; others be- 
long to the beetle tribe; and fome are genuine 
caterpillars. However, the two general kinds are, 
the hexapodes, or beetle-v'orms ; and the apodes, 
or fly- worms. The fiy from which the laft pro- 
ceed is furnilhed with four wings, and ahvays de- 
pofirs her eggs in thofe fituations where plenty of 
pulices are found. The worm, as f' on as hatch- 
ed, is furrounded with abundance of food, prey- 
ing at pleafure on thefe defencelefs animals. The 
pulices are very frequently difperfed over the 
branches of the elder and the v/oodbine; and 
among them are ufually found fome of thefe de- 
ftroying infefts, extrafting the juices from their 
bodies, and then removing the dry hufl-is. 
PULEX ARBOREUS. A large genus of 
minute infefts, fo denominated by Reaumur. 
They appear femi-alated, though in their moft per- 
feft ftate fome of them have complete wings; and 
their antennse are granulated. 
The feveral fpecies of thefe creatures are of dif- 
ferent colours ; Ibme brown, others yellow, but 
commonly green. They uniformly feed on the 
leaves of trees, which become withered and curl- 
ed up on their eroding them, or at leafl of a dif- 
ferent figure from the natural ones. The willow 
and the rofe are peculiarly infefted by them; and 
among plants, the bean and the poppy. The 
females are diftinguifhed from the males by hav- 
ing thicker bodies, and larger bellies. 
It is no lefs fingular than true, that of all the 
known animals of the winged kind, thefe are the 
only ones which are viviparous. This is very 
eafily afcertained ; for, on examining a clufler of 
them together with the afTiflance of a fmall mag- 
nifier, it is ufual to fee fome of the females in the 
veryadt of parturition. Reaumur had fufpefled, 
trom the total want of eggs among fo numerous 
a clafs, that thefe infects mull neceffarily be vivi- 
parous; and he was foon convinced by ocular 
dcmonflration that this was really the cafe. 
PULMO MARINUS. An appellation fome- 
times given to a fpongious body of a fhining co- 
lour, and ufually refembling the human lungs in 
fhape ; called alfo urtica marina, or the fca-nettle. 
This fubilance, Vv'hich fwims on the furface of 
she fea, emits a confiderable degree of light in the 
Vol. 11. 
PUR 
night-time, and communicates it's luminous pro- 
perty to whatever touches it. Being applied to 
the fl-cin, it excites an itching, and takes off the 
hair. It was formerly fuppofed to be a vifcous 
mafs, indurated by the fun; but the mofl recent 
obfervations convince us that it properly belongs 
to the zoophyte clafs. 
PUMA; theFelis ConcolorofLinn^us. This 
animal, which inhabits the continent of America 
from Canada to Brazil, and is by fome miflakeri 
for the lion, has a very fmall head, ears (lightly 
pointed, large eyes, and a white chin. The backj 
neck, rump, and fides, are of a pale browniih red 
colour, miixed with dufky hairs; the breaft, belly^ 
and infides of the legs, are cinereous; the hair on 
the belly is long; and the tail is dufKy, ferrugi- 
nous, and tipt v/ith black. The teeth are of a 
vafl fize; and the clav/s are white, the outermofl 
one of the fore-feet being confiderabiy the largefV» 
The body is long, and flands high on the legs ^ 
the length, from the nofe to the tail, is five feec 
three inches; and the tail is two feet eight. 
This creature may be faid to be the Icourge of 
the colonies in the warmer American climates. 
Fierce and ravenous to a high degree, it fwims 
acrofs very broad rivers ; attacks cattle in their in- 
clofures; and when prefTed by hunger, even men fre- 
quently fall vi(fi:imsto it's blood- thirfly difpofition. 
In North America, however, it's fury feems to be 
reprefi^ed by the feverity of the climate: there the 
fmallefl dog, in the company of his mafter, com- 
pels it to climb trees for fecurity; though it is 
equally deftruclive among the domeflic cattle, ly- 
ing in wait on the branch of a tree till fome de- 
voted vidim pafTes beneath, which it immediate- 
ly feizes and deftroys, hiding whatever part of it's 
prey it is then unable to devour. It's fur is foft, 
and of fome eftimation among the Indians, who ufe 
it as a winter garment. It's flefh alfo is eaten by 
them; and is fd\d to be as white and delicate as veal. 
PUNARU. A fmall fifh of the alauda kind, 
with an oblong body, a thick head, and an obtufe 
fnout. The mouth is fmall; and in the lower jaw 
there are two oblong teeth, fharp and pointed like 
needles. The eyes ftand high in the head ; the 
pupil is black; and over the irides, which are 
yellow, there are two red fhort filaments. The 
gills are large, and have two oblong fins placed 
behind them; the dorfal fin reaches from the 
head to the tail, and is prickly at the edge; the 
ventral fin reaches from the anus to the tailj and 
both the fkin and the fins are brown. 
There is another variety of this kind diverfi- 
fied on the fides with duflcy purple: the jaws are 
befet with very fmall teeth; and the fins are de- 
flitute of prickles. 
Both kinds are found among the rocks on the 
Brazilian fhores ; and fometimes take up their refi- 
dence in the fiiells of the larger kinds of teftaceous 
animals. 
PUNAY. A Philippine appellation for a 
beautiful fpecies of turtle, common in thefe iflands* 
It is about the fize of a parrot: it's colour is a 
beautiful green ; but the extreme feathers of the 
wings are tipped v/ith white; and the lower part 
of the belly is faffron -coloured. 
PUPA. A term introduced by modern natu- 
ralifls, as fynonymous with Chryfalis and Aurelia i 
becaufe many infeds in this fl-ate refemble an infant 
in fwaddling cloaths; and all of them, except the 
hemiptera order, receive no nourifliment. 
PURPLE FISH ; Purpura. Agenus of fhell- 
3 G fifh ; 
