P I A 
370 
or effaced, it feems too violent a ftretch of generalization 
to maintain that every tree-like form in the ftate of ftone 
is a mafked fucculent plant of' large dimenlions. The 
fpecimens, indeed, which have fallen under our obfer- 
vation, and in which the compadl ligneous texture is fo 
difcernible, are more obvioufly referable to foreft-trees 
than to gigantic Euphorbise. Again, that the early fuc- 
culent plants were not formed for the food of animals is 
a mere aflumption; and it is not unreafonable to believe 
that, notwithftanding the fpinous armature of fome of 
the fpecies, they furailhed aliment to certain families of 
quadrupeds, or at all events to infefls: while, if we ad- 
mit the exiftence of the latter, vye may prefuppofe that of 
larger animals, deftined to feed on them, and to keep them 
in check, as we fee in the prefent fyftein of things. Monthly 
Rev. Feb. 1824. 
PHYTOL'OGIST, f. One fkilled in botany, one who 
writes on plants.—As our learned phytologijl, Mr. Ray, has 
done. Evelyn. 
PHYTOL'OGY, f. [from the Gr. (pvrot , a plant, and 
Aoyo;, a difcourfe.] Thefcience of plants 5 botany ; a dif- 
courfe on plants. 
PHY'TONESS. See Pythoness. 
PHYTOT'OMA, f [from tpvlov, a plant, and ti/avu, to 
cut.] The Plant-cutter ; a genus of birds of the order 
pafleres. This genus has been but lately difcovered, and 
is consequently very little known. The Linnaean gene¬ 
ric characters, affumed for it by Dr. Gmelin, are as fol¬ 
low : Bill conic, ferrated, and ftraight ; noftrils oval ; 
tongue ffiort, obtufe; feet four-toed. 
Phytotoma rara, the Chilian plant-cutter. This bird, 
though Angularly mifchievous, is only about the fize of 
a quail. Its bill is thick and ffrong, half an inch in 
length, and toothed like a faw ; irides brown : general 
colour of the plumage duflcy a(h, beneath paler; quill 
and tail-feathers fpotted with black ; tail rounded ; hind 
toe ffiorter than the fore one. It builds its neft on lofty 
trees of thick foliage in fhady places; the eggs clear 
white, fpotted with red. It fcreams with a raucous in¬ 
terrupted voice, ra,ra; and fometimes makes deftruffive 
vifits in gardens, feeding on the young fucculent and 
tender plants. Thefe it cuts up near the roots with its 
bill, as with a faw, in wanton devaluation, not eating one 
quarter of what it fpoils: whence it is dreaded and de- 
tefted by the natives of Chili ; in which country alone it 
hath as yet been traced, being very fhy, and fecluded in 
the depths of the woods and iorefts. It is reprefented on 
the annexed Plate, at fig. 1. 
PHYZ. See Phiz. 
PHYZA'NI A, in ancient geography, the name of a 
country of Africa, according to Ptolemy. 
PI, a town of China, of the third rank, in Se-tchuen : 
twelve miles north-weft of Tching-fou. 
PI-TEOU', a fmall ifland near the coaft of China. Lat. 
25. 20. N. Ion. 119. 14. E. 
PI-TSI'E, a town of China, of the third rank, in 
Koei-tcheou: twenty miles weft-north-weft of Tai-ting. 
PI'A, or Pia'lia, feftivals inftituted in honour of 
Adrian, by the emperor Antoninus Pius. They were 
celebrated at Puteoli, on the fecond year of the Olym¬ 
piads. 
PIA MA'TER, f. [Latin.] A thin and delicate mem¬ 
brane, which lies under the dura mater, and covers im¬ 
mediately the fubftance of the brain. See the article 
Anatomy, vol. i. 
PIABA', /’. The name of a fmall frelh-water filli, 
caught in all the ri vers and brooks in the Brafils, and fome 
other parts of America. It is of the fize of the common 
minow ; is a well-tafted filli, and much efteemed by the 
natives. 
PIABUCU', f. See Salmo argentinus. 
PIACEN'ZA. See Placenza. 
PI'ACLE, f. [ piacnlum , Lat.] An enormous crime. 
A word not now in ufe, as Dr. Johnfon has obferved, ci¬ 
ting the pafiage from Howell. Howell, indeed, often 
P 1 A 
employs it; but it had probably been common. Todd.— 
But may I, without piacle, forget, in the very laftfcene of 
one of his lateft actions amongft us, what he then did ? 
Bp. King's Serm. 1619. — To tear the paps that gave 
them fuck, can there be a greater piacle againft nature, 
can there be a more execrable and horrid thing ? Howell's 
Engl. Tears. 
PIAC'ULAR, orPiACULOUs, adj. Expiatory; having 
the power to atone. Such as requires expiation.— It was 
piaculovs unto the Romans to pare their nails upon the 
nundinse, obferved every ninth day. Brown. —The ne¬ 
glecting any of their aufpices, or the chirping of their 
chickens, was efteemed a piacular crime which required 
more expiation than murder. Bp. Story on the Priejthood. 
—Criminal; atrocioufly bad.—The Abaftins hold it pia¬ 
cular to build their own houfes of the fame matter which 
is referved for their churches. Bp. Hall's Rem. —While 
we think it fo piaculuus to go beyond the ancients, we 
mu ft neceflarily come ffiort of genuine antiquity and 
truth. Glanvil/e. 
PIA'DA, in ancient geography, a town of Afia, in 
Serica, between Danina and Afimirtea. Ptolemy. 
PIADEL'LA, a town of Italy*, twenty'miles north of 
Como, and five fouth of Gravedona. 
PIADE'NA, a town of Italy; fixteen miles weft of 
Mantua. 
PIAF'FEUR, /! in the manege, is a proud ftately horfe, 
full of mettle, or fire, with a great deal of motion, and 
an exceffive eagernefs to go forward. He fnorts, traverfes 
if he can, and by his fiery aftion (hows his reftleflhefs; 
whence fome, though very improperly, fay, he dances. 
Such horfes as thefe, or fuch as are bred to paflage upon 
a ftraight line, were formerly much admired in caroufals. 
and magnificent feftivals. 
PI'AL UL GEE'L, a town of Pruffia, in the circle of 
Natangen : ten miles eaft of Lick. 
PIALAPOU'R, a town of Bengal : twenty miles north 
of Dacca. Lat. 23. 35. N. Ion. 90. 8. E. 
PI'ALITZ, a river of Rufliaj which runs into the 
White Sea near Pialitza, in lat. 66. 10. N. Ion. 37.44. E. 
PIALIT'ZA, a town of Ruflia, in the government of 
Archangel, on the coaft of the White Sea:. 100 miles 
north of Archangel. 
PIAL'NY, a town of Hindooftan, in the country of 
Dindigul: twenty-three miles weft-north-weft of Dindi- 
gul, and forty-eight fouth-eaft of Coimbetore. Lat. 10. 
28. N. Ion. 77. 37. E. 
PIA'NA, a town of the ifland of Corfica : nine miles 
north-weft of Vico. 
PIA'NA, a river of Ruflia, which runs into the Sura 
near Yadrin, in the government of Kazan. 
PIA'NA, a fmall ifland near the north coaft of Sardinia. 
Lat. 41. N. Ion. 8. 27. E.—A fmall ifland near the weft: 
coaft of Sardinia. Lat. 39. 17. N. Ion. 8.25. E. 
PIA'NA, a fmall ifland in the Mediterranean, near the 
coaft of Naples. Lat. 40. 13. N. Ion. 12. 55. E. 
PIANEG', a town of Ruflia, in the government of 
Viatka : fixteen miles eaft-north-eaft of Yarenfk. 
PIANEL'LO, a town of the ifland of Corfica: eighteen 
miles eaft of Corte. 
PI'ANET, f. A bird ; the lefier wood-pecker. Bailey. 
The magpie. This name is retained in Scotland, Dr^. 
Johnfon fays; and in Northumberland, he might have 
added, where it is called pyunot, as in Lancashire pynot. 
See Corvus pica. 
PIANEZ'Z A, a town of France, on the Dora: four 
miles weft of Turin, and ten north-eaft of Rivalta. 
PIA'NISTE, f. A mufician, one who teaches the 
piano-forte. A perfon infecied with the'lues venerea. 
PIANKAN'SHAWS, or Pyankeshaws, Vermilions. 
and Muscontins, are tribes of Indians in the Indiana 
territory, who refide on the Wabafhand its branches, and 
the Illinois river. Thefe, with the Kickapoos, Mufqui- 
tons, and Ouiatanons, could together furnifh about 1250 
warriors in the year 1780. 
PIAN- 
