Poṇika (adjective) [from poṇa 2 ] that which is prone, going prone; Sv I 23 where the passage is "tiracchāna-gata-pāṇāpoṇika-nikāyo cikkhallika-nikāyo ti," quoted from S III 152, where it runs thus: "tiracchāna-gata pāṇā te pi bhikkhave tiracchānagatā pāṇā citten'eva cittatā." The passage is referred to with poṇika at Pj I 12, where we read "tiracchāna-gatā pāṇā poṇika-nikāyo cikkhallika-nikāyo ti." Thus we may take poṇikanikāya as "the kingdom of those which go prone" (i.e. the animals).