Pipestone

3741

Pis

which was passed round among the warriors
in order of rank and age.

Pipestone, city, Minn. Extensive deposits
of building stone and Indian pipestone are
quarried, and the city has a considerable
trade in grain; p.4,682.

Pipettes, tubes open at both ends, used
for accurately measuring off small quantities
of liquids.

Pipette.

Piping Crow, a genus of passerine birds,
related to the shrikes. They are large birds
with glossy black and white plumage and
have a clear, ringing cry. There are four
species, confined to Australia and Tasmania.

Pipi Pods, the fruits of the tropical le-
guminous tree Ccesalpina pipai. The pods
possess astringent properties.

Pipit, a large genus of passerine birds,
most nearly related to the wagtails, but pre-
senting some superficial resemblance to the
larks, with which they are sometimes con-
fused. The best known American species is
the Titlark.

Meadow Pipit.

Piquet, one of the oldest of card games,
said to have been invented in the reign of
Charles vn.

Piracy. Among the acts defined as piracy
arc 'the crime of piracy as defined by the law
of nations, robbery committed in any ves-
sel upon the high seas; robbery on shore by
the crew of a piratical vessel; murder or
robbery committed upon the high seas or in

any river, harbor, basin or bay out of the
jurisdiction of any particular state; mur-
der, robbery, or any act of hostility against
the United States committed on the high seas
by a citizen under a commission of a foreign
state or by the citizen of a foreign state
which is at peace with the United States;
and the taking of a negro from any foreign
shore for the purpose of slavery, or the for-
cible detention of a negro on board a vessel
for a similar purpose.' The penalty origin-
ally prescribed for piracy by act of Congress
was death, but this was in 1897 changed to
imprisonment for life. The English law of
piracy is substantially like that of the United
States.

Piraeus, (Gr. Peiraieus), town, Greece, in
ancient Attica, 4^ m. s. of Athens, whose
seaport it was after about 485 B.C. Since
1835 ft has again become a flourishing port,
It has an arsenal, exports olives and olive oil.
and has cotton mills, machinery factories,
and other manufactures. It is the chief
port of entry in Greece for imports. The
most important item exported from Piraeus is
marble from the quarries of Pentelicus; p
251,328.

Pirandello, Luigi (1867-1936), Italian
author and dramatist was born in GirgentL
He wrote his first play after his fiftieth
year. In 1934 he received the Nobel prize in
literature. His work is marked by a con-
stant seeking for reality, and the problem
of personality seems to be almost an obses-
sion with him. Among his plays are Six
Characters in Search of an Author, Florian's
Wije, As You Desire Me. In 1932, As You
Desire Me was filmed with Greta Garbo in
the leading role.

Pirano, town, Italy. The churches of San
Francisco and San Michele contain valuable
works of art. It has important salt works
and wine and olives are exported. Until
after the Great War it belonged to Austria;
p. 16,000.

Pirot, town, Yugoslavia. It is a fortified
place of strategic importance, and is noted
for the manufacture of carpets. During the
Great War it was taken by the Bulgarians;
p. 10,462.

Pisa, city, Italy, capital of the province
of Pisa. Its chief glory is the Piazza del
Duomo with the cathedral, baptistery lean-
ing tower and Campo Santo. The cathedral,
a magnificent Gothic structure, commenced
hi 1063, was completed in 1118; the Campo
Santo, or cemetery begun in the i3th cen-