QUA 
nine inches. The bread is of a bluellli afli-co- 
lour; the belly, thighs, and coverts under the 
tail, are white; and the legs, feet, and claws, are 
afh-coloured. 
This curious and beautiful bird is an inhabitant 
of the Ifle of Ceylon. 
PYGARGUS; the Vultur Albiulla of Lin- 
nfeus. This bird, called alfo albiulla andhinnularia, 
has been clafled by Linnsus among vultures, be- 
caufe it's bill is nnuch ftraighter than is ufual 
among eagles ; but Pennant obferves, that it can 
have no claim to be ranked with that genus, 
fince it is wholly feathered ; whereas the charac- 
teriftic mark of the vulture is, that the head and 
neck are quite bare, or only covered with down. 
This is a large and fierce bird: the beak is yel- 
low, and covered with a membrane of the fame 
colour at it's bafe ; the eyes are large and hazel- 
coloured; the feet are yellow; and the claws are 
extremely ftrong and fiiarp. The he^ad is white; 
the upper part of the neck is of a reddidi brown 
colour; the rump is black; and the reft of the 
body is of an obfcure ruft-colour. The wings 
are partly black, and partly grey; the upper half 
0 U A 
of the tail is white, and the other is black. The 
male is confiderably darker than the female. 
The Pygargus inhabits Scotland and the Ork- 
neys, feeding on fifii and terreftrial animals. 
PYGARGUS ACCIPITER. An appella- 
tion by which fome naturalifts have called the 
fubluteo, a bird of the hawk kind; the male of 
which is called in Englifh the hen-harrier. The 
female Is fuppofed by fome to be the ring-tail, 
PYRALIS. A name by which fome authors 
exprefs an infe6t fuppofed to be produced in the 
violent fires of glafs and metal furnaces. 
PYROLAMPIS. An appellation given by 
fome naturalifts to the glow-worm. See Glow- 
Worm. 
PYRRHALA. A term by which fome orni- 
thoiogifts exprefs the bird called alfo rubicilla; 
in Englifn, the bull-finch. 
PYRROCORNIX. A bird of the crow kind, 
defcribed by fome authors as conftituting a dif- 
tinft fpecies; but Ray, and other accurate natu- 
ralifts, efteem itfynonymous with the coracias or 
Cornifti chough, confidering it's variations as the 
efFefts of accident or age. 
QUAE. A kind of fiili, which vulgar credu- 
lity has reprefented as being originally a 
tadpole, then a frog, and laftly a fifti. However, 
Dr. Mounfey, who accurately inveftigated this 
ftrange relation, and had an opportunity of feeing 
the fifti itfelf, affirms, that it fpawns after the man- 
ner of other fiflies, and exhibits not one appear- 
ance that can juftify this improbable delcription. 
He adds, that it delights in very clear water, as 
of rivers v/hich have iandy or ftony bottoms; and 
is never found in ftanding lakes, or ftreams which 
pafs through marftiy or molly grounds, where 
frogs generally refide. 
QUACHILTO. A beautiful Brazilian bird 
of the moor-hen kind, called alfo Porphyrio Ame- 
ricanus. It is of a fine blackifti colour, varie- 
gated with white : the beak is at firft white, then 
red; and round it's bafe there is a naked fpace 
refembling that of the coot; and the legs are of a 
yellowifh green colour. 
This bird generally frequents watery fituatlons, 
and feeds on fidi : neverthelefs, it's flefli is well- 
fiavoured. It's voice refembles the crowing of a 
cock; and it is fcldom heard but in the morning. 
QUADRANGULARIS PISCIS. a curious 
fiili, ufuallv about fifteen inches long, four in- 
ches high in the middle, and three inches and a 
half broad: the forehead is fquare, (lightly hol- 
lov/ed, and about two inches and a half over; the 
nofe is blunt; and the mouth is very fmall. The 
back becomes fomewhat convex towards the tail, 
and on the fides obtufely angled; as is alio the 
belly, v/hich is plain and flat, only rifing a little 
towards the tail. There are five fins, two near 
the gills, and two near the tail, together with 
the tail fin, which is pretty long. Part of the 
head and tail is covered v/ith a foft fkin; and the 
reft of the body with a kind of cruft, adorned 
with fmall round knots, in general arranged in 
hexagonal figures, and fubdivided into equilateral 
triangles, 
QLTADRISET^. A term by which fome 
naturalifts fignify thofe flies which have four hairs 
or briftles growing from their tails, in contradi- 
ftin(5tion to thofe which have only three, two, or 
one, 
QUADRUPEDS. A large, ufeful, and for- 
midable order of animals; whofe eflTential charac- 
ters are: that their bodies are covered with hair; 
that they have four feet; that the females are vi- 
viparous; and that they fuckle their young. This 
order has been with great propriety divided into 
digitated, hoofed, pinnated, and winged Quadru- 
peds ; though the Ariftotelian diftinftions were re- 
ftrained to Quadrupeds with folid, divided, and 
dio-itated hoofs. 
If we take a comparative view of the various 
animals that people the globe, we {hall be con- 
vinced that, next to man. Quadrupeds demand 
the foremoft rank, and ccnfequently deferve no 
inconfiderable fhare of our confideration. The 
fimilitude between their ftrufiure and our ov/n, 
the inftinfls which they feem to enjoy in a fupe- 
rior degree to the other clafles that inhabit the air 
or the water, their conftant fervices, or their un- 
ceafing hoftilities to man, all confpire to render 
them the moft intercfting parts of irrational na- 
ture, and entitle them to our firft attention. 
In the firft ages of the world, when thefe ani- 
mals were not fo compleatly fubdued as at pre- 
fent, it is highly probable that they were more 
nearly on an equality with us, and in fome degree 
difputed 
