L I A T R I S L 1 M A X. 



A light flower border is suitable fur them, and they 

 are increased by seeds or dividing the roots. 



LIATRIS (Gtertner). A genus of North Ame- 

 rican herbaceous plants, belonging to Composite: 

 Several species are in our flower gardens, and 

 esteemed handsome. Some of them have this pecu- 

 liarity, that whereas most other plants having a spike 

 of flowers, blow from the bottom upwards; this 

 blooms first at the top, and successionally flower 

 after flower downwards. They are propagated by 

 slips and by seeds, which should be sown as soon 

 as ripe. 



LIBELLULID.E (Leach). A family of neuro- 

 pterous insects, comprising the dragon-flies, or genus 

 Libellula of Linnaeus, distinguished by the minute 

 size of the antennas (whence they form with the 

 ephemerae the group named Subulicornes of Latreille), 

 and the large size of the mandibles. Having in our 

 articles DRAGON-FLY and INSECT (vol. ii. p. 847), 

 given various details relative to the natural history of 

 these insects, it only here remains for us to notice 

 the mode in which the Linnaean genus has been 

 divided by recent authors. Fabricius introduced two 

 additional genera, JEschna and Agrion, and Dr. Leach 

 divided the Linnajan grojp into two families, Agrio- 

 md<E, which see, and LibelluUdte ; in the latter of 

 which the wings are horizontally extended when at 

 rest. He also proposeed the additional genera, Anax, 

 Cordulia, Cordulegaster, and Gomphus, all of which 

 are British, founded upon tne form of the wings, and 

 of the abdomen and anal appendages ; the typical 

 genus Libellula (having for its type the Lihellu/a de- 

 pressa of Linnaeus), having the posterior wings alike 

 in both sexes, and the abdomen more or less de- 

 pressed. The typical species above mentioned is a 

 large and handsome insect, often to be seen in the 

 summer hovering over stagnant water ; the abdomen 

 of the males being of an opaque blue colour, and that 

 of the females dark fulvous brown ; the wings have a 

 large dark patch at the base. 



LICHENES. Is a natural order of Jussieu's 

 second grand division, Cellulares. There are thirty- 

 h've genera and four hundred and twelve species 

 already described, and no doubt many more remain 

 to be discovered. The lichens are useful in the eco- 

 nomy of nature in preparing the surface of the earth 

 for the reception of larger vegetables. Some few of 

 them are eatable, others are used by the dyer, and 

 and several are medicinal. Various species appear 

 as the weather-stains on old walls ; they cover desert 

 wastes, or mottle the bark of ancient trees. 



LIC IN US (Latreille). A genus of coleopterous 

 insects, belonging to the family CarabidaE, sub-family 

 Harpalides, having the last joint of the palpi large and 

 hatchet-shaped, the mentum without a central tooth, 

 and obtuse mandibles ; the body is broad and depressed, 

 and the species are of black colours. Three only are 

 found in England, Carabus sdphoides of Fabricius 

 being the type. 



LIGHTFOOTIA (Le Heretier). A genus of 

 undershrubs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 belonging to Pentaiidria monogyiiia, and to the natural 

 order, Campanulacece. Generic character : calyx of 

 five sepals ; petals lance-shaped, stamens, filaments 

 dilated at the base, and forming a hollow ; stigma 

 from three to five-cleft ; seed-vessel three to five- 

 celled. Succeeds with the ordinary green-house 

 management. 



LIGULUS. A genus of molluscs constituted by 



Dr. Leach, but now forming a subdivision of the 

 genus Lnttnaoia. 



LIGUSTICUM (Linnaeus). A genus of large 

 herbaceous perennials, natives chiefly of Europe. 

 The flowers are pcntandrious, and the genus belongs 

 to the order Umbellifcrcc. The common sort is cul- 

 tivated in gardens under the name of lovage, used as 

 a potherb, and propagated by seed. 



LIGUSTRUM (Linnaeus). A genus of two 

 species, und of one of which there are several varie- 

 ties. Class and order, Dccandria inojwgynia, and 

 natural order, Oleiiuc. The common privet is a native 

 of Britain, and one of its varieties is an evergreen,- 

 and much in repute for thickening shrubberies and 

 forming evergreen hedges for shelter or ornament. L. 

 lucidum, the Chinese privet, is rather a tender plant, 

 and requires a sheltered situation ; both are easily 

 propagated by cuttings or layers. 



LILAC. Is the Syringa rulgarix of Linnaeus, of 

 which there arc four varieties in our shrubberies. 

 Two other species ornament our gardens, namely, 

 the Chinese and the Persian: of the latter there are 

 two or three varieties. They are all easily propagated 

 by layers or suckers from tne root. 



LILIUM (Linnaeus). A splendid genus of bul- 

 bous flowering plants, belonging to the sixth class of 

 Linnaeus, and to the natural order, Tiilipacca:. Ge- 

 neric character : corolla bell-shaped, regularly six- 

 parted, segments spreading and reflexed, with a nec- 

 tariferous furrow down the centre ; stamens inserted 

 into the base of the corolla; anthers versatile ; style 

 columnar ; stigma three-lobed ; capsule three-sided, 

 six-furrowed, three-celled, three-valved ; valves united 

 by a fibrous net ; seeds compressed. The L. can- 

 didum, the white lily, stands deservedly at the head 

 of the genus : and nothing shows more decidedly the 

 estimation in which it is held, than that it is seen in 

 almost every cottage garden. The superb, the chal- 

 cidonian, and the tiger species, are all equally valued ; 

 indeed, the whole of the twenty-six species are highly 

 ornamental, and easily increased by offsets from the 

 bulbs. They affect a light rich soil ; but the North 

 American species do best in moor-earth. 



LILY OF THE VALLEY. Is the Convallaria 

 majalis of Linnaeus. A British plant so much admired, 

 as to be seen in every garden. 



LIMAX (Linnaeus, and modern authors). This 

 mollusc is so well known as the common slug of all 

 countries, that a description of it would here be use- 

 less merely to point out its general character ; but as 

 it is one of those unfortunate animals whose appear- 

 ance inspires mankind with disgust, and renders it an 

 object of persecution and destruction, few of our 

 readers would probably be tempted to examine it 

 minutely for his instruction, or deem it worthy of 

 attracting any portion of his admiration. We shall, 

 therefore, give a more particular description of its 

 wonderful structure than so humble an inhabitant of 

 this planet may appear to deserve; we would also 

 gladly awaken sentiments of compassion towards it, 

 upon the principle we have attempted to establish 

 with regard to its neighbour and relative, the com- 

 mon snail. The body of this terrestrial mollusc is an 

 elongated, oblong, oval form ; it is completely gaste- 

 ropod, or crawling on its belly, possessing no exter- 

 nally formed legs, but progressing in its motion by 

 means of certain internal muscles, so arranged as to 

 give a fixed reliance on each in succession, as the 

 advance or step forward is made, from the first seg- 



