PAL'ISADE, (For.) an enclosure | chiefly made from linen and cotton rags.

of sharp pointed stakes set firmly in the ground, to protect an open place.

PALMA'TED, (Bo.) those leaves which resemble the palm of the hand in shape.

PALMISTRY, a pretended for. tune-telling by the lines of the hand.

PANACEA, a universal medi

cine.

PAN'DECT, a treatise that comprehends the whole of any science. PAN'EL, (L.) the names of such persons as the sheriff provides to act as jurors. In Scotland, panel denotes the prisoner at the bar.

PANORAMA, a large painting upon a circular surface, so contrived that a spectator may have a complete view of the objects represented.

PANTHE'ISM, a religious theory in which the universe was considered the supreme God.

PANTHEON, a heathen temple dedicated to all the gods. PANTOMIME, a scenic representation in dumb show.

PA'PER, a fibrous substance,

PAPYRUS, an Egyptian reedy plant, the leaves of which were anciently used as a substitute for paper.

PARACHUTE, a large umbrellashaped machine, by means of which persons have descended from balloons.

PARHE LION, (As.) a mock or reflected sun, produced by peculiar conditions of the atmosphere.

PAR'ALLAX, (As.) a change in the apparent situation of any heavenly body, as viewed from different places on the earth.

|
PARALLELS, lines continuing
their course, and still preserving
an equal distance from each other.
PARALLELOGRAM, a four-sided
figure whose sides are parallel.
PARASIT'ICAL, fawning
hanger on: (Bo.) it is applied to
those plants found attached to
others, or dependent upon them,
as the ivy and misletoe.

a

PARCH'MENT, the skins of sheep prepared for writing upon.

PARI'A, an outcast Hindoo tribe, doomed to perform all kinds

* PAPER.-The manufacture of Paper, which was formerly very simple, has latterly become an operation employing a great amount of capital, and affording occupation and the means of living to many thousands of men, women, and children. - When the rags arrive at the paper mill, they are first sorted, to remove buttons and all extraneous substances, and to beat out as much of the dust and dirt as possible; they are then boiled in a strong alkaline solution, to remove the grease: after which they are taken to the rag engine, where they are exposed to the action of a roller driven by considerable power, a stream of water passing through them until it runs clear. This operation reduces them to something like tow; in this state they are bleached, which process is effected in various ways, chlorine being the bleaching agent in all of them. The stuff is next beaten to a fine pulp, and then it is ready for the "machine," on which it is made into paper. It passes, first, over an endless wire gauze, and then along a felt, through a series of rollers which press out the moisture; and, on machines of the most improved construction, it is sized, dried over cylinders filled with steam, and even cut into sheets: it is afterwards sorted by women, who throw out the defective sheets. The whole paper is then pressed, counted into quires, tied up in reams, and after being charged with the duty, is ready for the market.

of degrading work, and even prevented from entering a temple of the superior castes.

PARLIAMENT, the three estates of King, Lords, and Commons. The Lords consist of about 400 hereditary Peers, and 26 Bishops; and the Commons of 658 members. Of these 253 are chosen by counties; 399 by cities, boroughs, and towns, and 6 by universities. England returns 471; Wales, 29; Scotland, 53; Ireland, 105.

PARODY, a composition in which the words of an author are by a slight change made to express a different sense.

PAR'RICIDE, one who destroys his father.

PARTURITION, the state of being about to bring forth.

or

PATEL LA, the knee cap, small bone in front of the kneejoint.

PATHOLOGY, a minute description of diseases.

PATRONYM'IC, expressing the name of a father or patron. PEDOMETER, an instrument for measuring distances walked.

PELLICLE, a thin skin, such as that found inside an egg-shell.

PENDULUM, (Mu.) any weight so hung that it may easily swing backward and forward, its oscillations being always performed in equal times.

PENGUIN, a web-footed bird+. PENINSULA, a piece of land nearly surrounded by the sea.

PENITENTIARY,a prison where the inmates are employed, with a view to their reformation.

PAS'QUINADE, a lampoon or PEN'TOGRAPH, a machine for satirical verse, so called after Pas-reducing or enlarging drawings. quin, a witty cobler of Rome, to PENTATEUCH, the first five whose statue people were ac-books of the Old Testament. customed to affix satirical verses. PENUM BRA, an imperfect shaPASS'OVER, a religious festival, dow.

which the Jews were commanded PERCOLATION, (Ch.) purificato keep as an ordinance for ever*. tion or separation by straining.

* PASSOVER.-This festival was instituted to commemorate the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt, where they had been in bondage for a period of 400 years: and its observance has been continued to the present time with most remarkable fidelity. Whether the Jews have existed as a powerful nation, or have been scattered abroad as individuals, --whether they have been in riches, or in poverty,—whether in honour, or subject to insult, or bitter persecution, they have still gloried in their name, and under every variety of circumstances to which a people could be subjected, the Passover has been annually observed by them during a period of 3500 years. Thus, the observance of this festival has become a living memorial to the truth of the Bible history, and a proof that God has indeed made known his will unto the children of men, by mighty signs and wonders.

PENGUIN.-This strange bird is a native of the colder seas of the Southern hemisphere, and is most abundant in the Straits of Magellan and the adjacents islands, as also in Australia and the islands of the South Pacific. It is about three feet high, and its colours are beautifully disposed and contrasted. The general plumage is short, close, glossy, compact, and waterproof. The bill is long and slender, and somewhat bent at the tip. It is unable to fly, having only paddle wings, with short, scale-like feathers, regularly disposed. In resting it assumes an

upright attitude, somewhat like that of a dog which has been taught to sit up. It has short legs, on which it can move only at a slow and awkward pace; the toes are webbed, and the insteps short and stout. Penguins are

admirably qualified for living in water; they urge their bodies forward with great velocity, and can dive to a considerable depth, and for a long period. They rarely visit the land, except during the breeding season, when they

ces: they are more or less altered according to the strata in which they are placed.

PETROLEUM, a species of fluid bitumen or mineral oil, flowing from beds associated with coal strata.

PEW'TER, an alloy of 80 parts of tin and 20 of lead; the finer sort has a slight mixture of copper and antimony.

PHAL'ANX, a very close and compact body of soldiers.

PHANTASMAGO'RIA, optical illusions, arising from a particular application of the magic lantern. PHARMACEUTICS, the science of preparing drugs for medical purposes.

PHARMACOPOEIA, a work of authority which describes the mode of preparing drugs.

PHENOMENON, any remarkable appearance, whether of common occurrence or otherwise.

PHILANTHROPY, the love of

mankind.

PHILOLOGY, that branch of literature which comprehends a knowledge of the etymology and combinations of words, and

whatever relates to the history of language.

PHILOSOPHY, literally the love of wisdom or knowledge. PHLEBOTOMY, the operation of bleeding or opening a vein. PHILOMA'THES, a lover of

science.

PHONICS, the science which takes cognizance of sounds.

PHOSPHATES, (Ch.) salts formed by the combination of any base with phosphoric acid.

PHOSPHORESCENCE, a feeble light emitted by certain animal and vegetable bodies, unaccompanied by heat. The light of the glow-worm exemplifies the meaning of this term.

PHOSPHORUS, a singular substance which exists abundantly in the mineral kingdom, and in several parts of animals, from the bones, &c., of which it is obtained. In a damp atmosphere, and at common temperatures, it emits a white smoke, which in the dark appears luminous.

PHOTOGEN'IC, a mode of drawing similar to the Daguerréotype. PHRENOLOGY, a science which

congregate in great numbers. A traveller describes one colony of these birds, which, he says, covered an extent of more than thirty acres. During the day and night thirty or forty thousand were continually landing or going to sea. They formed themselves into regular ranks, the young being in one situation, the moulting birds in another, the sitting hens in a third, and the rest in similar order. The females lay but one egg each, which they hatch by keeping it close between their thighs, the male bird going to sea and collecting food for them during the period of incubation. After the young is hatched, both parents fetch food for it, till it becomes so fat as scarcely to be able to walk, while the old birds get very thin. The flesh of these birds is of a strong fishy taste, and is therefore not much esteemed as food.

The natural enemies of Penguins are the fox and the vulture, and against these they can defend themselves; when human beings have gone among them they have appeared fearless, and have tamely stood to be shot at, without attempting to escape. The Penguin tenants only those sea-girt places which are uninhabited by man; and at some distant period when these islands are occupied by the human race, like the Dodo, they may become totally extinct.

PLATINUM.-This metal is 21 times heavier than water, gold being only 19; it is of a white colour; malleable, ductile, tenacious, and unalterable in the air. It cannot be melted or dissolved, but by difficult and peculiar processes. In consequence of its posessing these qualities, it is of great use in making various chemical vessels for concentrating sulphuric acid at some works, platinum stills are used which have cost many thousand pounds, its value being considerably greater than that of pure silver. This metal is principally procured from South America, being found in the same alluvial soil from which the chief part of the gold of New Grenada is obtained. For a long period its value was unknown, and in separating the grains of gold, it was thrown away with the sand and pebbles as perfectly useless; it is only within recent date that its importance has been ascertained.