anatomy, denotes either the thumb or great toe, according as manus or pedis is added to it.

Pollichia, in botany: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the monandrae class of plants; and in the natural method ranking with those that are doubtful. Of this there is only one species, viz. the campesfris, or whorl-leaved pollichia, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and flowers in September.

Pollicipes, the toe-shell, in natural history, is the name of a genus of shells, the characters of which are these: they are multivalve flat shells, of a triangular figure, each being composed of several laminae, which end in a sharp point. They stand upon pedicles, and are furnished with a great number of hairs. We have only one known species of this genus, which is always found in large clusters.

Pollicis pressio, and Pollicis versio, were used at the combats of gladiators as signals of life or death to the vanquished combatant; or to the victor to spare or take the life of his antagonist. The pollicis pressio, by which the people granted life to the prostrate gladiator, was no more than a clenching of the fingers of both hands together, and so holding the two thumbs upright close together. The pollicis ve sio, which authorized the victor to kill the other as a coward, was the bending back of the thumbs. Such is Dacier's opinion; but others say the pollicis pressio was when the people held up one hand with the thumb bent, and the pollicis versio when they showed the hand with the thumb raised. Authors, however, are not perfectly agreed, though the phrases pollicem premere, and pollicem vertere, frequently occur in the Latin classics as indications of the people's will that a gladiator should live or die.

Pollio (Caius Asinius), a celebrated Latin poet and orator, was of consular dignity, and composed some tragedies which were esteemed, but are now lost. He was the first who opened at Rome a library for the use of the public. He was the friend of Mark Antony; which prevented his complying with the solicitations of Augustus, who pressed him to embrace his party. At length Augustus having wrote some verses against Pollio, he was urged to answer them: on which he said, "I shall take care of writing against a man who has the power of proferring us." He is praised by Virgil and Horace, whose patron he was.

There was another Pollion, a friend of Augustus, who used to feed his fishes with human flesh. This cruelty was discovered when one of his servants broke a glass in the presence of Augustus, who had been invited to a feast. The master ordered the servant to be seized, but he threw himself at the feet of the emperor, and begged him to interfere, and not to suffer him to be devoured by fishes. Upon this the causes of his apprehension were