among critics, an author who publishes a book under a false or feigned name: as cryp- PSYDIUM, the guava; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the icelandica class of plants. There are two species: 1. The pyrifera, or white guava; 2. The pomiferum, or red guava. Both these are thought to be only varieties of the same plant. The red guava rises to the height of 20 feet, and is covered with smooth bark; the branches are angular, covered with oval leaves, having a strong midrib, and many veins running towards the sides, of a light green colour, standing opposite upon very short footstalks. From the wings of the leaves the flowers come out upon footstalks an inch and a half long: they are composed of five large roundish concave petals, within which are a great number of stamens shorter than the petals, and tipped with pale yellow tops. After the flower is past, the germen becomes a large oval fruit shaped like a pomegranate.

A decoction of the roots of guava, is employed with success in dysenteries: a bath of a decoction of the leaves is said to cure the itch and other cutaneous eruptions. Guayava, or guava, is distinguished from the colour of the pulp, into the two species above mentioned, the white and the red; and, from the figure of the fruit, into the round, and the pear-fashioned or perfumed guava. The latter has a thicker rind, and a more delicate taste than the other. The fruit is about the bigness of a large tennis-ball; the rind or skin generally of a russet stained with red. The pulp within the thick rind is of an agreeable flavour, and interspersed with a number of small white seeds. Therind, when stewed, is eaten with milk, and preferred to any other stewed fruit. From the same part is made marmalade; and from the whole fruit is prepared the finest jelly in the world. The fruit is very alluring, and nearly of the same quality with the pomegranate; so should be avoided by all who are subject to be colicive. The seeds are so hard as not to be affected by the fermentation in the stomachs of animals; so that when voided with the excrements, they take root, germinate, and produce thriving trees. Whole meadows in the West Indies are covered with guavas, which have been propagated in this manner. The buds of guava, boiled with barley and liquorice, produce an excellent pith for diarrhoeas, and even the bloody-flux, when not too invertebrate. The wood of the tree, employed as fuel, makes a lively, ardent, lasting fire.

PSYLLI, (Strabo, Ptolemy): a people in the south of Cyrenaica, so called from king Pylus, (Agatharcides, quoted by Pliny;) almost all overwhelmed by sand driven by a south wind, (Herodotus). They had something in their bodies fatal to serpents, and their very smell proved a charm against them, according to Pliny, Lucan, &c.

Though we may justly look upon it as fabulous that these people had any thing in their bodies different from others, it is however certain that there are in Egypt at this day some persons who have a method of handling the most poisonous serpents without any hurt. Of these Mr. Haffelquist gives the following account.

"They take the most poisonous vipers with their bare hands, play with them, put them in their bosoms, and use a great many more tricks with them, as I have often seen. I have frequently seen them handle those that were three or four feet long, and of the most horrid form. I inquired and examined whether they had cut out the vipers poisonous teeth; but I have with my own eyes seen they do not. We may therefore conclude, that there are to this day Pylus in Egypt; but what art they use, is not easily known. Some people are very superstitious, and the generality believe this to be done by some supernatural art which they obtain from invisible beings. I do not know whether their power is to be ascribed to good or evil; but I am persuaded that those who undertake it use many superstitions." He afterwards says, "He had vipers of four different sorts brought him by a Pylus, who put him, together with the French consul Lironcourt, and all the French nation present, in consternation. They gathered about us to see how she handled the most poisonous and dreadful creatures alive and brisk, without their doing, or even offering to do, her the least harm. When she put them into the bottle where they were to be preserved, she took them with her bare hands, and handled them as our ladies do their laces. She had no difficulty with any but the vipers officinales, which were not fond of their lodging. They found means to creep out before the bottle could be corked. They crept over the hands and bare arms of the woman, without occasioning the least fear in her; she with great calmness took the snakes from her body, and put them into the place destined for their grave. She had taken these serpents in the field with the same ease she handled them before us; this we were told by the Arab who brought her to us. Doubtless this woman had some unknown art which enabled her to handle these creatures. It was impossible to get any information from her; for on this subject she would not open her lips. The art of fascinating serpents is a secret amongst the Egyptians. It is worthy the endeavours of all naturalists, and the attention of every traveller, to learn something decisive as to this affair. How ancient this art is among the Africans, may be concluded from the ancient Marii and Pylus, who were from Africa, and daily showed proofs of it at Rome. It is very remarkable that this should be kept a secret for more than 2000 years, being known only to a few, when we have seen how many other secrets have within that time been revealed. The circumstances relating to the fascination of serpents in Egypt, related to me, were principally,

1. That the art is only known to certain families, who propagate it to their offspring. 2. The person who knows how to fascinate serpents, never meddles with other poisonous animals, such as scorpions, lizards, &c. 3. There are different persons who know how to fascinate these animals; and they again never meddle with serpents. 4. Those that fascinate serpents, eat them both raw and boiled, and even make broth of them, which they eat very commonly amongst them; but in particular, they eat such a dish when they go out to catch them. I have been told, that serpents fried or boiled are frequently eaten by the Arshians both in Egypt and Arabia, though they know not how to fascinate them, but catch them either alive or dead. 5. After they have eaten their soup, they procure a blessing from their sheikh (priest or lawyer) who