LINNEAN ORDERS.

I. Apodes are fishes destitute of ventral fins. II. Jugulares are fishes that have ventral fins before the pectoral.

III. Thoracici are fishes that have ventral fins under the pectoral.

IV. Abdominales are fishes that have ventral fins behind the pectoral.

V. Branchiostegous are fishes that have gills destitute of bony rays.

VI. Chondropterygious are fishes that have cartilaginous gills.

The generic character is derived from the shape of the body, the covering, figure, structure, and parts of the head, but principally from the branchiostegous membrane; and the specific character from the cirri, jaws, fins, spines, lateral line, digitated appendages, tail, and color.

In Cuvier's and Blumenbach's systems the last two orders are included in the order pisces cartilagenei, or cartilaginous fishes, which differ from others in having a cartilaginous instead of a bony skeleton (see CARTILAGINOUS). method is adopted also in Dr. Shaw's General Zoology.

CUVIER'S SYSTEM may be thus exhibited :

(A) CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.

This

Order I. Chondropterygii; having no gill-cover; an uterus, with two oviducts.

1. Petromyzon, lamprey.

2. Gastrobranchus.

3. Raia, skate, torpedo, stingray,

4. Squalus, shark, saw-fish.

5. Lophius, sea-devil, frog-fish.

6. Balistes, file-fish.

7. Chimæra.

PISCIDIA, a genus of the decandria order and diadelphia class of plants; natural order thirty-second, papilionacea. There are two species, viz.

1. P. Carthaginiensis, with oblong oval leaves, is a native of the West Indies. It differs from the erythrina only in the shape and consistence of the leaves, which are more oblong and stiffer; but in other respects they are very similar.

2. P. erythrina, the dog-wood tree, grows plentifully in Jamaica, where it rises to twentyfive feet or more; the stem is almost as large as a man's body, covered with a light colored smooth bark, and sending out several branches at the top without order; the leaves are about two inches long, winged with oval lobes. The flowers are of the butterfly kind, and of a dirty white color; they are succeeded by oblong pods, with four longitudinal wings, and jointed between the cells which contain the seeds. Both species are easily propagated by seeds; but require artificial heat to preserve them in this country. The negroes in the West Indies make use of the

situation of their fins.

gentlemen have an inclination to divert themselves with fishing, or rather with fish-hunting, they send each of them a negro slave to the woods, to fetch some of the bark of the dog-wood tree. This bark is next morning pounded very small, put into old sacks, carried into rocky parts of the sea, steeped till thoroughly soaked with salt water, and then well squeezed by the negroes to express the juice. This juice immediately colors the sea with a reddish hue; and,

thoracic.

1. Echeneis, sucking fish..

2. Coryphæna, dorado.

3. Zeus, dory.

make the fishes, such as groopers, rock-fish, old wives, Welshmen, &c., so intoxicated, as to swim on the surface of the water, quite heedless of the danger; the gentlemen then send in their

but, sole, turbot.

inebriated fishes, till they catch them with their hands; their masters standing by, on high rocks, to see the pastime. It is remarkable that, though this poison kilis millions of the small fry, it has never been known to impart any bad quality to the fish which have been caught in consequence

2. F

PISCINA, in antiquity, a large basin in a public place or square, where the Roman youth learned to swim; and which was surrounded with a high wall, to prevent filth from being thrown into it. This word is also used for a lavatory among the Turks, placed in the middle court of a mosque, or temple, where the mussulmans wash themselves before they offer their prayers.

PISCO, a seaport town of the province of Ica, Peru. It was formerly a large and rich place; but was taken and sacked in 1624 by some piratical adventurers, and afterwards in 1686 by the buccaneers. In 1687 it was destroyed by an earthquake, the sea completely inundating it. The inhabitants then removed to the place where it now stands. The whole town consists of 300 families, chiefly mestizoes, mulattoes, and blacks; the whites being much the smallest number The road of Pisco is capacious enough to hold a royal navy, but open towards the north; the wind, however, is rarely in that quarter, and never dangerous. 118 miles south of Lima.

PISGAH, or PHASGAH, a mountain on the other side Jordan, joined to Abarim and Nebo, and running south to the mouth of the Arnon; from which Moses had a view of the promised land, and where he died, after appointing Joshua his successsor. Wells takes Pisgah and Nebo to be different names of the same mountain, a part or branch of the mountain Abarim. Or that the top of Nebo was peculiarly called Pisgah; or some other part of it cut out in steps, as the primitive word denotes: and thus it is rendered by Aquila, by a Greek word signifying cut out. PISH, interj. & v. a. A contemptuous exclamation. This is sometimes spoken and written pshaw. I imagine them formed by chance,' says Dr. Johnson; but see PSHAW. An expression of contempt: to express contempt.

There was never yet philosopher That could endure the toothach patiently; However they have writ the stile of Gods, And make a pish at chance or sufferance.

Shakspeare.

She frowned and cried pish, when I said a thing that I stole. Spectator.

If you shall give way to any of these vicious courses, ye shall grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and that will be a shameful sin of ingratitude in you, how slight soever it may seem to a carnal heart, and by such a one may be past over, and pisht at, in imitation of the careless note of Pharaoh! Bp. Hall. He turned over your Homer, shook his head, and pished at every line of it.

Pope.

PISIDIA, an inland country of Asia Minor, between Phrygia, Pamphylia, Galatia, and Isauria. Mela 1. c. 2. Strabo xii. Acts xiii. 14-52. PISIS, a native of Thespia, who obtained

great influence among the Thebans, and acted with great zeal and courage in defence of their liberties. He was at last taken prisoner by Demetrius, who made him governor of Thespia.

PISISTRATIDÆ, the two sons of Pisistratus, viz. Hipparchus and Hippias, who rendered themselves as illustrious as their father. They governed with great moderation; but the name of tyrant or sovereign being insupportable to the Athenians, Harmodius and Aristogiton conspired against them; Hipparchus was murdered, and Hippias was at last expelled by the united efforts of the Athenians and their allies. The rest of the Pisistratidæ followed him in his banishment; and after they had refused to accept the liberal offers of the princes of Thessaly and the king of Macedonia, who wished them to settle in their respective territories, they retired to Sigæum, which their father had, in the summit of his power, conquered and bequeathed to his posterity. The Pisistratida were banished from Athens about eighteen years after the death of Pisistratus.

PISISTRATUS, an Athenian, who early distinguished himself by his valor in the field, and by his address and eloquence at home. After he had rendered himself the favorite of the populace by his liberality, and by the intrepidity with which he had fought their battles, particularly near Salamis, he resolved to make himself sovereign of his country. Every thing seemed favorable to his ambitious views; but Solon alone opposed him, and discovered his duplicity before the public assembly. He was twice banished, and, upon his being the third time received by the people of Athens as their sovereign, he sacrificed to his resentment the friends of Megacles, but did not lose sight of the public good; and, while he sought the aggrandisement of his family, he did not neglect the dignity and the honor of the Athenian name. He died about A.A.C. 528, after he had enjoyed the sovereign power at Athens for thirty-three years, and was succeeded by his son Hipparchus. Pisistratus claims our admiration for his justice, his liberality, and his moderation. It is to his labors that we are indebted for the preservation of the poems of Homer; and he was the first, according to Cicero, who introduced them at Athens in the order in which they now stand. He also established a public library at Athens; and the valuable books which he had diligently collected were carried into Persia when Xerxes made himself master of Athens.

PIS'MIRE, n. s. Sax. myna; Belg. pismiere. Mr. Thomson thinks of Teut. maur, and fys, bustle. An ant; an emmet.

Prejudicial to fruit are pismires, caterpillars, and
Mortimer.

mice.

Prior.

His cloaths, as atoms might prevail, Might fit a pismire or a whale. PISMIRE. See FORMICA and TERMES. PISO (Lucius Calpurnius), surnamed Frugi on account of his frugality, was tribune of the people, A. A. C. 149, and afterwards consul. During his tribuneship he published a law against extortion, entitled Lex Calpurnia de Pecuniis repetundis. He happily ended the war in Sicily. To reward the services of one of his sons, who