Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/320

PINSK 254 PIPE takes the trick leads for the next. When either side reaches 1,000 points the scorer calls "game," and the balance of the hands are void. PINSK, a town of west Russia, stand- ing in the midst of what were formerly vast marshes (in large part drained since 1875), on a branch of the Pripet, 98 miles E. of Brest-Litovsk; it manu- factures leather, and has a large transit trade. Pop. about 40,000. It was cap- tured in 1915 by the Germans. PINT, a measure of capacity used both for dry and liquid measures. It contains 34.65925 cubic inches, or the eighth part of a gallon. In medicine it is equivalent to 12 ounces. PINTAIL DUCK, a species of Quer- quedula; Q. acuta, or Dafila caudacuta, having the upper parts and flanks ash, PINTAIL DUCK with narrow stripes of black; under parts white; head umber-brown; tail pointed. It inhabits the N. of Europe and America. PINTUBICCHIO (pin-tu-rik'yo) ("the little painter"), an Italian painter of the Umbrian school, whose real name was Bernardino di Betto; born in Pe- rugia, Italy, in 1454. At Rome he was engaged on the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, being at this time under the in- fluence of Perugina. His chief work was a series of mural paintings illus- trating the life of Pope Pius II. in the cathedral library at Siena. There are also fine frescoes by him in the Buffalini Chapel ^ of the Church St. Maria in Aracceli, Rome. He left many exquisite altar pieces; he never painted in oil. He died in Siena, Italy, Sept. 11, 1513. PINZON, ALONZO, VINCENTE, YANEZ and MARTIN (brothers), Span- ish navigators, who had commands in Columbus' first voyage, and by whose exertions mainly it was that a sufficient number of men were induced to risk their lives on this perilous enterprise. Vincente Yanez was the more distin- guished of the brothers; he made several voyages, on the most important of which he sailed in December, 1499, and discov- ered Brazil and the river Amazon, three months before Cabral took possession of South America for the crown of Por- tugal. PIOMBI, the notorious roof cells {sotto piombi, "under the leads") of the state prisons of Venice, in which Casa- nova and many other notable prisoners were confined. PIONEER, one of a body of soldiers equipped with pickax, spade, etc., whose duty it is to clear and repair roads, bridges, etc. Also, one who goes before to prepare or clear the way, or remove obstructions for another, especially in the settlement of a new region. PIOTRKOW, a town of Russian Po- land, 87 miles S. W. of Warsaw. Cotton and wool spinning is largely prosecuted. It is one of the oldest Polish towns; here in the 15th and 16th centuries diets were held and the kings elected. Pop. about 45,000. The place was captured by the Germans in 1915. PIP, a disease in fowls, consisting in a secretion of thick mucus from the tongue and lining membranes of the mouth, by which the nostrils are stuffed and clogged. PIPA, a genus of Batrachian reptiles, closely allied to the common toad, but distinguished by the body being horizon- tally flattened, the head large and tri- angular, tongue wanting, tympanum concealed beneath the skin, the eyes small, placed near the margin of the upper jaw. The best known species is the^ Surinam toad, P. Surinamensis, which is considerably larger than the common toad. The pipa lays its eggs in the water, after which they are collected by the male, and placed on the back of the female, the skin enlarging in such a manner as to inclose the eggs in cells; here the development goes on till the young come forth as perfectly formed toads. PIPE, a long hollow body or tube, made of various materials, as earthen- ware, iron, lead, copper, glass, etc. The name is applied especially to tubes for the conveyance of water, gas, steam, and the like. Also a wind instrument of music, consisting of a tube of wood or metal. The tubes of an organ are called organ pipes or pipes. Also, a running vein in a mine, hav- ing a rock root and sole, and called a pipe vein.