PSI 
for climbing. These abound within the 
tropics, and live on seeds and fruits in their 
natural state, but in conhnement wilt eat 
both flesh and fish. They often appear in 
flocks, yet are in such cases generally 
somewhat separated into pairs. They are 
noisy, mimetic, singularly capable of arti- 
culating human sounds, extremely docile 
and long lived. They breed in the hollows of 
trees, without constructing any nest, and use 
their feet as hands to convey food to their 
mouths. Latliam notices one hundred and 
thirty-three species, and Gmelin no fewer 
than one hundred and sixty-nine. I'he ge- 
neral division is regulated by the evenness 
or unevenness of the tails. The following 
are the principal species. 
P. macao, or the red and blue maccaw, 
is as large as a capon, and inhabits South 
America. With its bill it breaks a peach- 
stone with the most perfect ease. These 
birds lay their eggs in decayed trees, and 
often enlarge the hollow for this purpose 
with their bills. They are used for food in 
vast numbers in Cayenne. They are, in 
common with many species, exposed to fits 
when confined. 
P. rnfirostris, or the long-tailed green 
parrakeet, is of the size of a blackbird, ex- 
tremely clamorous, and highly imitative. 
These birds are seen in large flocks, and 
alighting on certain trees, can with difficulty 
be distinguished, in consequence of the 
similar colour of their plumage to that of 
the leaves. They inhabit various parts of 
America, are used for food, and are ex- 
tremely fat. The above have tails uneven 
at the end. 
P. Meluccensis, or the Molucca cocka- 
too, inhabits the Moluccas, is about fifteen 
inches long, and is regarded by Buffon as 
one of the most docile and interesting birds 
of the tribe. 
P. pullarius, or the red headed Guinea 
parrakeet, is of the size of a lark, and is 
extremely common in many parts of Africa. 
These birds are peculiarly distinguished 
by their mutual affection. They are ex- 
ported from Africa in considerable numbers 
tor their beauty and attachment, and not 
on account of any power of articulation or 
enchantment of melody, their sounds being 
harsh and grating. Few, however, survive 
the voyage. They are kept in cages, in 
pairs, and the attentions of the male to the 
female are highly tender, elegant, and inte- 
resting. He extricates the seeds from their 
husks, and presents them to her in this pre- 
pared Slate, and appears restless and misera- 
PTE 
ble on the slightest separation. . Indeed the 
attachment is reciprocal, the sadness of 
one always producing distress in the other j 
and the death of either involving the sur- 
vivor, generally, in fatal as well as fruitless 
grief. 
PSOPHIA, the trumpeter, in natural 
history, a genus of birds of the order Gral- 
lae. Generic character : bill cylindrical, 
conic, convex ; nosti ils oval, sunk, and per- 
vious ; tongue cartilaginous, flat, and fringed 
at the tip ; feet four-toed and cleft. La- 
tham mentions only one species, riz. P. cre- 
pitans, or the gold-breasted trumpeter, is 
of the size of a large fowl, and very high 
on its legs, and abounds in South America, 
especially in the country of the Amazons. 
It is remarkable for emitting from its lungs 
a noise very similar to the sound of a child’s 
trumpet, and, being easily domesticated, 
will often follow the person to whose care 
it is committed through the streets, making 
this singular noise. It may be fed on bread 
and fish. It runs fast, aided by the expan- 
sion of its wings. When confined with 
poultry it often annoys both common fowls 
and turkeys, and, indeed, occasionally, de- 
stroys them. It will follow the Negroes in 
the West Indies, and catch at their legs, not 
unfrequently producing blood. Their flesh 
is esteemed a considerable delicacy. 
PS ORA LEA, in botany, a genus of the 
Diadelphia Decandria class and order. Na- 
tural order of Papilionaceae or Legumino- 
sae. Essential character : calyx besprinkled 
with callous dots, the same length with the 
legume, which has only one seed in it. 
There are thirty-three species, chiefly na- 
tives of the Cape of Good Hope. 
PSYCHOTRIA, in botany, a genus of 
the Pentandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Stellatae. Rubiaceae, Jus- 
sieu. Essential character : calyx five- 
toothed, crowning ; corolla tubular ; berry 
globular; seeds two, hemispherical, grooved. 
There are thirty-nine species. 
PTELEA, in botany, a genus of the Te- 
trandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Terebintaceae, Jussieu. Es- 
sential character: calyx four parted, infe- 
rior ; corolla four-petalled ; stigmas two ; 
fruit with a roundish membrane, having one 
seed in the middle. There is but one spe- 
cies, viz. P.’trifoliata, three leaved ptelea, 
or shrubby trefoil, a native of North Ame- 
rica. 
PTERIS,in botany, a genus oftheCryp- 
togamia Filices class and order. Natural 
order of Filices or Fenis. Generic charac- 
