Perception

3672

Perfumery

mean literally acco ding to heads, according
to stock. They are expressions in frequent u^c
hi statutes of distribution of property in case
of intestacy. When property descends per
capita it goes in equal shares to those of equal
degree of kinship to the common ancestor.
When, however, the surviving kindred are of
different degrees of relationship it descends per
stirpes—as, for instance, if a man dies leaving
two sons and three grandchildren, the children
of a deceased son, the two surviving sons take
each one-third, the grandchildren one third
divided between them. See DJL TRJBUTION,
STATUTES OF; INHERITANCE.

Perception, as a technical term of psychol-
ogy, means the direct apprehension of objects
in space. Perception is thus contrasted with
the processes of memory and conceptual think-
ing, which are later developed and obviously
presuppose perception, and mere sensation;
there is no perception in the strict sense of the
term where there is no apprehension of an
object.

Perceval, Sir, a knight of King Arthur's
<ourt, hero of a group of tales originally inde-
pendent of the Arthurian tradition. He be-
comes, by the discipline of experience, a wise
and valiant knight, and eventually king of
the mysterious Grail Castle.

Perch, a common 'spiny-finned' fresh-water
nsh, represented throughout most of the
northern hemisphere. The most typical and
best known are the 'yellow' perches of Europe,
Asia and North America, which are substan-
tially alike, and are favorites with anglers
and excellent to eat. The name of perch is
given to various other fishes, both fluviatilc
and marine, which have only a more or less
distant relationship to the true perches.

Perchloric Acid, HClOi is prepared by
distilling potassium perchlorate with concen-
trated sulphuric acid. It is a fuming, volatile,
colorless liquid, which dissolves in water with
evolution of heat, and is a violent oxidizing
agent, usually acting explosively.

Percussion, a means of medical examina-
tion, which depends on the varying resonance
of the different organs and tissues of the body.
When a sharp tap is made with the fingers over
air-containing organs such as the lungs, the
note 'elicited is resonant and clear, unlike
that produced by a blow over a solid organ
such as the liver.

Percussion Caps are small, hat-shaped
cups made from sheet copper. To the interior
adheres detonating powder.

Percy, a family in the n. of England. Wil-
liam de Percy (?io3o-g6), the founder, came

over with William the Conqueror, and re-
ceived lands in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and
Hampshire. At the coronation of Richard ji.
(1377) the fourth Lord Percy of Alnwick,
then marshal of England, was created Earl of
Northumberland. See NORTH UMRERLAND,
DUKKS OF.

Percy, George (1580-1632), American
colonial governor. He served for a lime in
the Low Countries, and in 1606 sailed with
the first expedition to Virginia, fie was gov-
ernor of that colony, after the departure of
John Smith, in September, 1609, till the ar-
rival of Gates in May, 1610—the period of the
terrible 'starving time'—and when Lord de la
Warr left in March, 1611, he again held
the same position until the arrival of Dale
in the following May. He returned to
England in 1612, and again fought in the
Low Countries, where he distinguished him-
self.

Percy, Thomas (1720-1811), bishop of
Dromore, was born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire,
He published Miscellaneous Pieces relating to
the Chinese (1762), and Five Pieces of Runic
Poetry (176.0. The Reliques oj Ancient Eng-
lish Poetry was published (1765), and by re-
newing interest in the older poetry marked an
epoch in English literature.

Pereda, Jose Maria de (1833-1906),
Spanish novelist, a strong and virile portrayer
of the humors and foibles of his countrymen,
was born at Polanco. His most brilliant works
arc Esccnas Monlancsas (1870), El Sab or de
la Tiemtca (1882), Perns Arriba (1895), and
Sotilesa (1885). Of another style, but not less
brilliant, is Don Gonzalv Gonzaks de, la Con-
solera, a socio-political satire. As a descriptive
writer of nervous prose Pereda has no equal
in Spain.

Perennials, a term applied to plants that
Jive for several years, as distinguished from
annuals and biennials, whose life is only of
one and two years respectively,

Perfectionism, or Perfectibility, the
doctrine that a perfect Christian life is at-
tainable in this life.

Perfectionists. Sec COMMUNISM.

Perfumery deals with the preparation and
properties of those fragrant-.smelling sub-
stances used for toilet purposes, or in indus-
tries such as the soap trade. The art of per-
fumery consists in extracting the odors ol
plants, the leaves and flower-buds being the
chief source of supply. By various means the
odors or perfumes of such plants arc isolated,
and, to render them applicable for use, arc ab-
sorbed in various materials, such as grease,