PHA 
Tery considerably from spiders properly so 
named. The rhost common insect of this 
kind, is the P. opilio of Ijmiaeus, which, 
dnring the autumn, may be observed in gar- 
dens, about walls, &c. : it is remarkable for 
its plump, but flatlish, orbicular body, and 
its long and slender legs, which arc gene- 
rally so carried, that the body appears sus- 
pended or elevated to a considerable height 
above the surface on which the animal 
rests. P. cancroides : abdomen obovate, 
depressed, ferruginous chelae, or claws, ob- 
long, hairy. This species difl'ers considera- 
bly in size. It inhabits Europe, and is said 
to be the little insect which gets into onr 
legs, and under the skin, causing a painful 
itching. 
PHA LARIS, in botany, canary grass, a 
genus of the Triandria Digynia class and 
order. Natural order of Gramina, Grami- 
ne®, or Grasses. Essential character : ca- 
lyx two-valved, keeled, the valves equal in 
length, inclosing the corolla. There are 
twelve species, of which P. canariensLs, cul- 
tivated canary grass, has an annual root ; 
the culm is from a foot to eighteen inches 
in height, upright, round, striated, swelling 
a little at the joints, at the lower ones fre- 
qneutly branching ; leaves half an inch in 
breadth, of a lively green colour, the low er 
part of the leaf swells out like a spathe, 
completely involving, and protecting the 
head of flowers whilst young ; this grass is a 
native of the Canary islands ; it is also found 
in a wild state in many parts of Britain. 
The cultivation of it is chiefly confined to 
the isie of Thanet, where it is esteemed a 
profitalrle crop. 
PH.ALENA, in natural history, the math, 
a genus of insects of tlie order Lepidoptera. 
Generic cliaracter ; antennee gradually taper- 
ing from the base to the tip ; wings, when 
at rest generally deflected ; flight nocturnal. 
They fly abroad only in the evening and 
during the night, and feed on the nectar of 
flowers : the larva is active and quick in 
motion, mostly smooth, more or less cylin- 
drical, and preys on the leaves of various 
plants : pupa quiescent, more or less cylin- 
drical, pointed at the tip, or at both ends, 
and is generally inclosed in a follicle. This 
genus, contains a vast number of species, 
and is divided into assortments according 
to the different habits of the animals ; these 
are, 
1. Attaci, or those in which the wings, 
when at rest, are spread out horizontally. 
‘i, Boinbyces, in which the wings are 
iunmibent and the antennae pectinated. 
PIIA 
Ploctu®, with ineiimbent wings seta- 
ceous antenii®. 
4. Geometr®, with wings horizontally 
spread out, nearly as the attaci. 
5. Tortrices, with very obtuse wings, 
curved on the exterior margin. 
6. Pyralides, with wings converging into 
a deltoid, and slightly furcated figure. 
7. Tine®, witli wings convoluted into 
a cylinder. 
8. Alucit®, with wings divided into dis- 
tinct plumes. 
Of all the European species of the first 
division the finest, by much, is P. junonia, 
a native of many parts of Germany, Italy, 
France, &c. but not yet observed in Eng- 
land. It measures about six inches in ex- 
tent of wings, and is varied by a most beau- 
tiful assortment of the steady colours. The 
caterpillar which feeds on the apple, pear, 
&c. is hardly less beautiful than the insect 
itself, and, vvhen ready for its change, it 
envelopes itself in an oval web with a 
pointed extremity, and transforms itselfinto 
a large short chrysalis, out of which emerges 
the moth. See Plate IV. Entomology, 
fig. 1. 
P. peronia, minor peacock moth, is a 
native of England, and is commonly called 
the emperor moth. 
Of the bombyces we must notice the P. 
cuja, or great tiger-moth, which is one of the 
largest English moths, and is of a fine cream 
colour, with chocolate-brovrn bars and spots, 
the lower wings red, with black spots ; the 
thorax cliocolato brown, with a red collar 
round the neck, and the body red with black 
bars. The caterpillar is of a deep brown, 
with white specks, very hairy, and feeds ou 
various plants. 
P. vinula is remarkable for elegance of 
appearance without gaiety of colour, being 
a middle-sized white motli, variegated with 
nmnerons small black streaks, and specks : 
the thorax and abdomen are extremely 
downy, and tite body is marked by trans- 
verse black bars. The caterpillar of this 
jnoth is far more brilliant in its appearance 
than the complete animal ; it is of consider- 
able size, measuring above two inches in 
length, and is of a most beautiful green 
colour, with the back of a dull purple, 
freckled with very numerous deeper streaks 
in a longitudinal direction : this purple part 
of the back is separated from the green mi 
the sides by a pair of milk-w’hite stripes, 
which commencing from the head, run up- 
wards to the top of tlie back; that part 
being elevated eonsiderahly above the rest 
