LABRADORITE. 



LABRID.E. 



of UM tribe 



tbM imrated, 

 tkrw Ui leaflet*. 

 |*rpl*->Ur<i. 1 



This gem* like /W.rAo., from which it 

 tod, M twisting climber, with leaves competed of 

 t. The flower* are in raceme*. and either white or 

 The legume* are Urge, tcimitar-thaped, flat, and 

 tubercuUrly muricatod along the luturet, and having 

 UM ttd separated from one another by trannverae partition!. It U 

 on account of tbete ted* and legume* that the specie* are rained and 

 rultiT>u-d in hot oountrie* such a* India, Egypt, and the Went India 

 at well a* in China, In India L. rttiyarii and A. cx/tralni 



are chiefly cultivated in the rainy season in gardens, and may bo 

 eoatidered the analogue* of the French and kidney beans of Euro]K-an 

 gardea*. 



LABRADORITE (Labrador Fibpar, Glaucolitt), a Mineral which 

 occur* in rolled or imbedded crystalline nisite*. Its cleavage is parallel 

 to the plane* of a doubly-oblique prism. Fracture uneven, oonchoidal. 

 Hanlnett 55 to 05. It tcratehe* phosphate of lime, and U scratched 

 by quirt*. Colour white, gray ; richly iridescent Lustre vitreous. 

 franalucent Specific gravity 2'09 to 278. 



When powdered and heated in muriatic acid it gelatinises. On 

 charcoal before the blow-pipe it fuse* into a compact glass, with a 

 brilliant fracture. 



It is found on the coast of Labrador, and in Devonshire imbedded 

 in a trap rock. It it probably a variety of A Ibile. 



The following is an analysis of the mineral from Labrador : 



Silica 5575 



Alumina 2650 



Lime 11-00 



Soda 4-00 



Oxide of Irou 1'25 



Water 0'50 



99 



LABRAX (Cuvier), a genus of Fishes of the section Acanthopleryyii 

 and family Ptrcida. The fishes of this genus are closely allied to the 

 true Perches, but may be distinguished by the opercular bone? being 

 covered with scales, the absence of denticulations on the suborbital 

 and interopercular bones, the operculum being terminated by two 

 pines, and likewise by the tongue being almost entirely covered with 

 minute and cloMly-tet teeth. There are two dorsal fins. 



/.. L*I:*I (Cuvier), a fish commonly known in this country by the 

 name of the Bute, and nomrtimes called the Sea-Dace, is abundant in 

 the Mediterranean ; its flesh being excellent food, it has been long 

 known, and was called by the Romans LIIJUU, and by the Greeks 

 LabrtLT. 



I 



The Dam is not unfreqm-ntly met with on our own shores : it 

 gnwrlly from about IS to 18 inche* in length, but sometimes attains 

 ti.nrh larger tine. The upper part* of the head and body are 

 iln-kj l.lur, pasting into lilrery white on the side* ami Ix-lly ; the Kim 

 aro pale-brown. In form it r^nr much retemble* the pVn-h, and, 

 like that Ash, it ha* two distinct rlor-al fin*, th- ray. of the fir-t 1 in*; 

 pinoiM, tnd thane of the second being flexible : the scales are of 

 moderate HI*. 



n'oliu of Cuvier and Valenciennes, the Rock-Kish or Striprd 

 Base of the t'nitod Kuti,al*o belong* to the present geaur, and in>l.. .1 

 very dourly r. wmUm L. !.,,* In form, but attains a Urgtr tiie, and 

 b Mlonwl with aeren or eight longitudinal black line* on a tilvery 

 I colour. There U alto a second American specie* of Bute, 

 the L. mmmnal-t of CuvW and Valenciennes, which diQVr* from the 



former in having no black line* on the aide* of the body, and in being 

 of a smaller size and deeper and shorter funn. 



I.A'ltKin.K (Labroides, Cuvier). according to Cuvier'* ' Regne 

 Animal,' a family of Fishe* of tlie order Acantli-iii'tryjii. The fishe* 

 belonging to thin family are of an oblong form, covered with scales, 

 usually of large size, formed of simple kiuinic, and with the external 

 or posterior margin smooth ; they have a single dorsal fin supported 

 in front by spinous rays, each of which is generally furnished with a 

 membranous appendage; the jaws are covered by thick fleshy lips; 

 two upper pharyngealt are attached to the cranium, and, together 

 with a large lower phuryngeal, are armed with teeth, which are large 

 and rounded, sometimes pointed or laminated, and generally very 

 strong. The intestinal canal is without cocoa, or when these ajipen- 

 dages are present they ore of small size, and there is a simple and 

 strong natatory bladder. The following are the genera contained in 

 this family : 



Labrut proper, the characters of which are opercula and pi-coper- 

 cula without spines or dentation! ; cheek and operculum covered with 

 scalc8 ; lateral line straight, or nearly so. Of this genus, the specie* 

 nf which are called Wrasses, we have several example* on the British 

 DOMt 



L. maculatut, Bloch, the Bnllan Wrasse, is not unfrequently met 

 with on various parts of our coast; it is about 18 inches long, of a 

 red colour above, pale-orange beneath, and adorned with bluish-green 

 oval spots ; the fins and tail are green, with n few red spots, the dorsal 

 fin is spotted at the base. The length of the head compared to the 

 whole length of the Ash is as one to four, and the depth of the body 

 is equal to the length of the head. The fin-rays are dorsal, 20+11 ; 

 pectoral, 15; ventral, 1+5; anal, 8 + 9; caudal, 13. Besides this 

 species Mr. Tamil describes, in his ' History of British Fishes,' the 

 following: L. lincatut, the Green-Streaked Wranse; L. raritgaita 

 (Grael., Linn.), the Blue-Striped Wrasse ; L. retula (Bloch), the Sea- 

 Wife; L. rarneni (Bloch), the Red Wrasse; L. comber (GrneL, Linn.), 

 the C'omber- Wrasse. 



Ballun Wrasse (Lalrus mnnilutii.^. 



Cktilinnt, Lacop. The species of this genus differ only from the 

 true Laliri in having the lateral line interrupted opposite the eu.l ( 

 the dorsal fin, and commencing again a little below the break. The 

 scales on the tail are large, and extend on the fin. These fishes 

 inhabit the Indian Ocean, and are very beautiful in colouring. 



Lachnolaimtu, Cuv., may be thus characterised : Anterior spines 

 of the dorsal fin with long flexible filaments ; pharyngeals furnished 

 with n villous membrane, with rounded flat teeth on the hinder part. 

 The known species are from America. 



Jnlit, Cuv., is distinguished from Labriu proper by the head being 

 entirely smooth and without scales, and the lateral line being suddenly 

 bent opposite the end of the dorsal fin. 



Juiii Mcdilerranm, Risso (/. rulgarit, Cuv.), the Rainbow- Wrasse, 

 has been caught off the British coast; but it appear- I.,T.' to be 

 scarce, though a well-known fish in the Mediterranean. It is of 

 slender and elongated form, and remarkable for the elegant distri- 

 bution of its colours, which change according to the light and position : 

 on each side of the body is a broad dentated stripe, extending from 

 the head nearly to the tail, of a silvery and fulvous colour. Ti 

 rays are dorsal, 9 + 13; anal, 2 + 13; caudal, 13; pectoral, 1 2 ; mid 

 ventral, 1 + 5. A specimen described by Donovan, which exceeded 

 wven inches in length, was caught off the coast of Cornwall, and is 

 the only recorded inwtnnco of the occurrence of the species on the 

 Britioli coa*t 



Rainbow Wra< ;./. .V.Jiltrraura), 



