LOMIS. 



LOPHIAD.K. 



nrrriouJy employed by Cuvier for a genus of fishes. ( 

 eu/orit and 0. tayittaritu, Linn., belong to this group, which M far as 

 ret known U confine*! to the Transition Strata, in which it occurs in 

 Norway. Bohemia, France, North Germany, Shropshire, Ac., generally 

 accompanying trilobite*. (Bronn, Letkcra Geognottica.) 



LOUIS. [HOMOLIDJK.] 



LONCHE'RES, llliger's name for a genus of Rotlentt, including 

 t'ckimyi of (Jeoffroy, a species of ffytlrix of Schreber and others, and 

 a specie* of ilyonu of Zimmerman and othem. [HvsTRU ID.K ] 



LONCHO'PTERIS, a genu* of Fossil Ferns established by M. 

 Adolpbe Brongniart. The species belong principally to the Coal For- 

 mation, but one, Lonchoptcrit Mantdli, is found in the Wealden deposit* 

 and in the Greenland. 



The leaves are multipinnatifid, the pinnules adnate to the rachis, 

 marked by a midrib, and equal reticulated nervures, and uniform 

 areolte. [Co.vi.-Pi.Asrs.] 



LONCHU'RA, a genus of Frinyillidtr, separated from Fringilla 

 (Trinm.) by Lieut-Colonel Sykes. 



The bill is strong, short, broad ; mandibles entire, the upper one 

 extending in an angle on the forehead, and with it forming the arc of 

 a circle. Wings moderate, subacuminate ; first quill very short and 

 Biibspurious ; the second, third, and fourth nearly equal and longest. 

 Tail graduated, lanceolate; middle tail-feathers a little exceeding the 

 others in length. Feet moderate, rather slender. . 



Colonel Sykes observes that the peculiar spear-head form of the tail, 

 and the ridge of the upper mandible and the forehead, forming a 

 segment of the same circle, together with the habits of Lonchura 

 Huoria, L. Vkttt, and L. leuconota, afford sufficient characteristics for 

 thrir separation. Colonel Sykes adds that the Uros-Bec Longicone of 

 the PI. CoL 96 (Embrriia tjuddricvlor, Lath.), belongs to the same group. 



The three specie! are found in the Dukhun (Decoan). The first two 

 are recorded as found only in the Ghauts. 



L. Ckttt (Sykes) is described as of a pale cinnamon-brown ; the 

 body below and the rump white ; quills and tail-feathers deep brown. 

 I rides deep red-brown. Female with the colours less intense. Length 

 of the body 3] inches; of the tail 2 inches. 



Colonel Sykes states that these birds live in small families, and that 

 bo frequently found them in possession of the deserted nests of the 

 I'locttu Pkilippentit ; their own nest, which he exhibited on a subse- 

 quent occasion, U a perfect hollow ball, made of a delicate Agrostis, 

 with a lateral bole for the entrance of the birds. It was found in the 

 fork of a branch of the Mimosa Arabica, and contained ten oblong 

 minute white eggs, not much larger than peas, being yths of au inch 

 long by ,th* in diameter. The cry of the bird is ' cheet, clieet, cheet,' 

 uttered simultaneously by flocks in flight. (' /.out. Proc.') 



LONDON CLAY. The most considerable of the Tertiary Forma- 

 tion! of Great Britain is thus designated, from its development in the 

 valley of the Thames under and around the metropolis. It may be 

 viewed in three parts, occupying the following series : 



Upper part, ' Bagshot Sand,' in which several remarkable fishes 

 have been noticed. 



Middle part, ' London Clay,' containing a few bands of sand, nodules 

 of septaria, and multitudes of marine shells. 



Lower part, ' Plastic Clay* and Sands.' Various coloured clays and 

 *and*, with lignite, and marine, icstuary, and fresh-water shells. 

 [TERTIARY SYSTEM.] 



LONDON riMI >K. [SAXIFRAOA.] 



LONDON ROCKET. (SISTMBHIOM.] 



I.ONGICOKNE3, the fourth family of Tetramerous Coleoptera in 

 Latnille'i arrangement of Insects, ft includes a vast number of 

 Urge and beautiful Beetle*, all remarkable for (lie length of their 

 antenna;, which in many specie* are aeveral times longer tliau their 

 bodies. They inhabit woods, where the females deposit their eggs 

 beneath the bark of trees, effecting the operation by means of a long, 

 strong, horny ovipositor with which they are provided. The females 

 ar* iiKually larger than the male*. The larva live beneath the bark 

 of tree* or in the wood, in which they bore deeply and do much 

 damage. The greatent assemblage of *pecic* and the largest forms 

 are found in South America; but Ixmgicorn Beetle* are very generally 

 dupcned. This family i divide.) into three great groups, of which 

 the genera Prtonui, (.'rramliyr, and /xyrfiira are the respective type*. 



LOXOIPKXNKS, ( 'iivier'n family name for the long-winged Oceanic 

 Bird* (Grand* Voiliers), *uch a* the Petrels, Albatroues, & c . The 

 genera which he inclinl>- in HIM family are J'wdlarin, I'uffinvt, 

 llalodroma, Pachyj-tila, and Jtivm'ilrn. [DioMrDF.tx.t:; AUIATIIOSS; 



I.MNGIROSTKE.S. Cuvier 1 * name for a family of Wading Birds 

 (Oi*eanz de Rivage), in which he include* the genera I bin, Nummiut, 

 Kcolopoj; Miynckira, ZMUMO, (,'alulru and Tringa, Arenaria (C'alidrit, 

 Vig.), /V/irfna, PaMntUa (EnJia, Vieill. Scolopaf pyymira. Linn.), 

 Markela, /frmi/Hilama, Kurinorkyncktu, I'kalamptu, filrepulai, Totantu, 

 Lnbipet, and J/imaniopui the greater part of which, as he observes, 

 would come under the great Linnean genus Scolopas. He remarks 

 that one can hardly place the Avotctt, Renurinulra, Linn., in any other 

 position than at the end of the Lmyirodm. [ScoLorAClDX.] 



I.OMl'K'liA, a genus of Plant* named after Adam Ixniicer, a 

 German botanist, who was born in 1528 and died in 1686. He prac- 

 ti**d a* a physician at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and wrote a Herbal, 



which was merely a compilation of what had been done by others. 

 There is olio a John Louicer mentioned who wrote a commentary on 

 Diosoo rides. 



Thi* genus is the type of the natural order Capri foliaeea:, and has 

 the tube of the calyx 5-toothed, the corolla tubular, campanulate or 

 funnel-shaped, with a 5-cleft usually irregular limb ; 5 stamen* ; a 

 filiform style ; a capitate stigma ; 3-celled berries, and crustaoeou* 

 seed*. The species are erect or climbing shrubs, with opposite 

 exstipulate leaves and axillary flowers. There are about 60 species of 

 l^onicera, most of which have handsome flowers and emit a delicious 

 perfume. 



L. Caprifolium, Goataleaf, or Pale Perfoliate Honeysuckle, ha* 

 ringent whorled terminal and sessile flowers ; deciduous obtuse leave*, 

 glabrous on both side?, the upper leave* connate perfoliate ; the style 

 glabrous. It ha* a twiuing stem, with white or purplish flowers and 

 orange-coloured berries. It is a native of the middle and south of 

 Europe, and is found in woods and thickets in many parts of England 

 and the south of Scotland. 



L. Periclymenum, the Woodbine, or Honeysuckle, has climbing 

 branches, the leaves all separate, deciduous, sometimes downy, glau- 

 cous beneath, ovate, obtuse, attenuated at the base, upper ones the 

 smallest ; the heads of flowers all terminal ovate, imbricated ; the 

 flowers ringent The flowers ore pale yellow; the berries red, and 

 accompanied with permanent bracts. This plant in early time* was 

 supposed to possess powerful medical properties, but it is not now 

 used. It is however extensively cultivated in the gardens and shrub- 

 beries of Europe on account of the delicious perfume of its flowers. 

 This plant is the true Woodbine of the poets, and Milton has applied 

 to it the name Twisted Eglantine. This plant has obtained the name 

 of Woodbine, a corruption of wood-bind, from its habit of twisting 

 round the stems of tree*. 



Thus Shakspeare says 



" So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle, 

 Gently cntwist the maple." 



The name Honeysuckle is derived from the habit of children, who 

 draw the corolla out of the calyx and suck the collected honey from 

 its nectary. Several varieties of this plant are recognised by botanists. 

 All these are beautiful climbers and very fragrant ; and trained against 

 a wall, twining round a pole, or climbing and rambling amongst bushes, 

 are very ornamental in gardens. It is a native of middle Europe, and 

 very abundant in some parts of Great Britain. 



L. Xylotteum, Fly-Honeysuckle, has 2-flowered woolly peduncles as 

 long as the flowers ; the calyx-limb deciduous ; the berries slightly 

 connected at the base ; the leaves oval, downy ; the stem erect. The 

 flowers are of a pale yellow, and the berries ore scarlet. It is a native 

 of nearly the whole of Europe, in thickets, hedges, and rocky place*, 

 and by the side of woods. It is found in the same situations, but is 

 a rare plant, in Great Britain. 



L. Tartarica, the Tartarian Honeysuckle, has a glabrous erect stem; 

 cordato-ovate sub-acute leaves ; the peduncles shorter than the leaves ; 

 the berries distinct when young and nearly globose, but at length 

 connate at the base ; flowers rose-coloured, short, somewhat gibbous 

 at the base ; the fruit black, with one of the berries usually abortive; 

 the peduncles 2-flowered. It is a native of Tartory, and is one of the 

 most hardy of European shrubs, growing in the open air in the 

 gardens of St. Petersburg and Stockholm. It is very common in 

 British gardens, and is valued much on account of its early leafing 

 and flowering. 



L. Iberica, the Georgian Honeysuckle, is an erect plant, with 

 petiolate, cordate, roundish, tomentose, or pubescent leaves ; the 

 peduncles 2-flowered, shorter than the leaves, the bracteas oolong, 

 ciliated ; the berries globose, blood-coloured, joined together to the 

 middle; the ovarium tomentose. This plant is a native of Georgia, about 

 Teflis, and is a neat little bush with which to form garden-fences. 



All the species of Lonicera may be cultivated, and are well adapted 

 for gardens, shrubberies, &.C. The climbing species may be trained on 

 trellis-work, or in arbours, or against walls. The upright hardy specie* 

 are best adapted for shrubberies. They will grow in any common 

 garden soil, and may be propagated by cuttings planted in autumn, 

 either in a sheltered situation or under a hand-glass, according as they 

 are more or less tender. 



(Don, Dicklarfiydeout Plantt ; London, Arborelum et FnUicetum; 

 Uabington, Manual of JlriiM Jiotany.) 



LOON. (COLYMIIID.K] 



LOOSESTRIFE. [LYTIIRUM; LYSIMACIHA.] 



I.O'PHIAD.K, a family of Fishes of the order Acanthopterygii. 

 The fishes of thi* family (which forms the Pcctorales P&liculce* of 

 Cuvier) are distinguished by the bonesjof the carpus being elongated, 

 and forming a kind of arm, which supports the pectoral fins. The 

 f-keleton is semicartilaginous. The family contains four genera : 

 l.n],liiut (Cuv.), Antcnnaritu (Commerson), Maltht (Cuv.), and Balra- 

 ckui (Bloch., Schn.). 



Lopkiiu is thus characterised : Skin without scales ; the ventral 

 fins situated in front of the pectorals : opercule and branchiostegous 

 rays enveloped in the skin ; gill-opening situated behind the pectorals ; 

 branchiostegous membrane forming a Urge purse-like cavity in the 

 axilla ; two distinct dorsal fins, in front of which are some free rays 



