PIRE, Pipa, in law, is a roll in the exchequer, called also the great roll. See the next article.
Pipe-Office, is an office wherein a person called the clerk of the pipe, makes out leases of crown-lands, by warrant from the lord-treasurer, or commissioners of the treasury, or chancellor of the exchequer. The clerk of the pipe makes out also all accounts of sheriffs, &c. and gives the accountants their quietus est. To this office are brought all accounts which pass the remembrancer's office, and remain there, that if any stated debt be due from any person, the same may be drawn down into the great roll of the pipe: upon which the comptroller issues out a writ, called the summons of the pipe, for recovery thereof; and if there be no goods or chattels, the clerk then draws down the debts to the lord-treasurer's remembrancer, to write effects against their lands. All calls which vouch the
Pipe, Piper. the payment of any sum contained in such accounts are examined and allowed by the chief secretary of the pipe. Besides the chief clerk in this office, there are eight attorneys or sworn clerks, and a comptroller.
Pipe Fish, in ichthyology. See SYNGNATHUS.
Sea-Pipes, in zoology, are univalve shells, of an oblong figure, terminating in a point, sometimes a little bending, and sometimes straight. Sea ears, figures of which we have given along with the sea-pipes, are also univalve flat shells, resembling in shape the ear of a man. In sea ears it is not uncommon to find small pearls, the seeds of which are often found in the middle of their cavities, which are of the finest naker or mother-of-pearl colour. There are ridges on both sides; those without form a kind of volute or spire, terminating in an eye. In these shells there is a row of round holes, six of which generally go quite through.
There is a shell of this kind, which is longer in proportion to its width, and much less common, for it is never found in our seas. There is yet another, very fine and thin, of a dirty grey colour, neither nakered nor perforated as the others are; the inner rim is spiral, and at some distance from the outer.
The sea-pipes are distinguished from sea-worms by having their pipes single; whereas the others form an assemblage of pipes joined together. The sea-worms, from the number and junction of their parts, are multivalve. The shells of pipes called dentales and antales are distinguished from each other only by their size, the antales being much the least. The sea pencil, or watering spout, is the most remarkable shell of this tribe, and must be considered as having a specific character either by its form which is straight, or the singularity of its superior extremity, which is perforated like the spout of a watering pot.
In Plate CCCXCII. the shell, fig. 1. pierced with many holes, is found with its natural covering in our seas. It is finely nakered within, and in the middle of its hollow or cavity contains many small pearls. Fig. 2. is placed on its upper side to show its spots, which are red upon a ground of the purest white; the ridges are prominent; the rim and the eye are irregular and notched. Fig. 4. the singularity of this shell consists in its being neither nakered nor perforated, and in turning very much up near the eye of its spire or contour. Fig. 5. is a pencil or watering spout; at the head is a kind of ruff, and within it is formed like the end of a watering spout, perforated with many holes, which, when the fish is alive, are filled with very fine threads, like the hairs of a painter's pencil. Fig. 6. are called dentales from their resemblance of elephants teeth; the point or apex is white, and the other extremity green. They are both ribbed and nakered, and are distinguished from each other only by some excrescences which appear on the uppermost. Fig. 7. are two small shells of the dental figure, called for distinction antales. They are perfectly smooth; one is white, and the other reddish.