INDEX. 601 
• — are very tenacious of life, 57 1. flesh rank and fishy, but eaten 
by sailors, 572- 
Petroleum. See Bitumen. 
Pholas, penetrates the firmest wood, ii. 551. pillars of the temple 
of Serapis perforated by them, 552. described, 554. 
Phosphoric Beetle, its strong light, ii. 289, account of, 29O. 
Pigeon. See Passenger Pigeon. 
Pike, of great price when first introduced, ii. 181. great destroyer 
of fish, 182. instances of his voracity — the terror of smaller fish, 
183. how caught— remarkable longevity exemplified — where 
found, 184. 
Pill-chafer, where found-— its singular manners described, ii. 260. 
its great strength, 262. 
Plants, all originally produced by seeds, iii. 1 . different coverings 
by which the seed is protected from injury — progress of vege- 
tation, 2. exemplified in the garden bean, 3. the germination 
of seeds considered, 4. root, 6. trunk, 8. sap, 11. absorb- 
ing power of plants a very singular part of the (Economy of 
vegetables, 18. all vegetables owe their green colour to the 
action of light, 19. Irritability of the organs of plants a cu- 
rious and interesting part of vegetable (economy, 20. the sta- 
mina of flowers actuated by some secret impulse, 21. their 
motions described, 22, 23. Dispersion of seeds, and preserva- 
tion of plants, considered, 24. appendages of seeds described 
— singular mechanism of the seeds of fern, 25. also of the 
common horse-tail, 26. the crupina and bearded oat, 27. the 
jacobean lily an. example of the care which Nature takes to 
nourish the embryo plant, 28. autumnal crocus, or meadow 
saffron, an instance of the care with which the tender parts of 
plants are defended from injury, 28 — 30. climbing plants, 31. 
Dr. Percival’s notion respecting the power of perception in 
plants, 32. calyx, what, 35. corolla described — stamina, 36. 
pistillum — pericarpium, 37. 
Platina, described, iii. 488. its refractory nature — and use, 489. 
where found, 49O. 
Platypus, a New Holland animal, i. 315. account of, 315 — 319. 
Poison-tree, called in the Malayan language Bohun Upas, iii. 317* 
