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L U T R A R I A L Y C ^E N I D JE. 



hairs exhibit that varying somewhat metallic gloss 

 which is common to most aquatic mammalia." 



Several other species or varieties of otters have 

 been mentioned as occurring in one place or other of 

 Central America ; but most of them differ little from 

 the more generally distributed species, except in 

 size and colour ; a mere list of them will therefore 

 suffice. 



The otter of Trinidad is about two feet three inches 

 in length, and the tail measures a foot and a half. The 

 upper part is bright brown, and the sides of the head, the 

 throat, and the breast, whitish yellow ; its fur is short 

 and very smooth. It is probably nothing more than 

 an immature specimen of the common American 

 one. 



The otter of Guyana is three feet and a half in 

 length, and has the tail one-third as much. It is 

 very bright brown on the upper part, with the throat 

 and sides of the head nearly white. 



The Carolina otter is rather larger than the pre- 

 ceding ; blackish brown on the upper part, and with 

 the sides of the head, extremity of the muzzle, and 

 throat, greyish. 



All the three, we believe, are described from mere 

 museum specimens, which have no history farther 

 than that they in all probability were brought from 

 those parts of America after which they are named ; 

 and it does not appear that in structure or in habits 

 they differ from that American variety whose history 

 is better known ; and indeed they differ so little in 

 manners from the European otter, that any farther 

 notice of them would be quite superfluous. 



THE NIR-NAYEE OTTER (L. Nair), is a native of 

 India, over which it appears to be pretty generally 

 distributed ; though in that wide country there may 

 be expected to be varieties of colour similar to those 

 of the American otters. It is about two feet and a 

 half long, with the tail one foot and a half. There is 

 less of the fine woolly fur upon it than upon the otters 

 of colder climates. The upper part of it is bright 

 chestnut, lighter on the sides of the body than on the 

 sides of the back ; the under part, the throat, sides of 

 the head, and over the lips, reddish white j there are 

 two spots of the same colour, one placed above and 

 the other below the eye, of a russet colour, and the 

 extremity of the muzzle is the same. 



THE BARANG OTTER (L. Barang), is found in 

 India, but more particularly in Java and the other 

 isles to the south-east. It is sand brown on the upper 

 part, has the throat brownish grey ; the length of the 

 body is twenty inches, and that of the tail eight. It 

 is probable that this is an immature specimen of a 

 larger species which is found in the same country, 

 and which after all differs very little from that formerly 

 mentioned. 



THE CAPE OTTER (L.inunguis), is of course brought 

 from Southern Africa. There are some distinguishing 

 characters between it and the other otters, the most 

 striking of which are found in the feet. The toes on 

 the fore feet are thick and short, and joined by very 

 short membranes, they are more unequal in length ; 

 the first phalanx on them is soldered to the next in 

 the second and third ; and there are no claws on any 

 of the toes except on two large ones on the hind feet. 

 It appears, however, to live by fishing indiscriminately 

 upon fishes and Crustacea. It is larger than the Eu- 

 ropean species, but very closely resembles that one in 

 the structure of its teeth. The general colour of the 

 body is chestnut brown, and the throat and point of 



the muzzle are white. It does not appear to differ 

 much in its habits from the others, only the structure 

 of the fore feet would lead one to suppose that it is 

 incapable of digging a burrow for itself. 



Such is a very brief outline of the otter genus ; u 

 genus, the species of which very much resemble each 

 other, if we except the sea otter of the Northern 

 Pacific. That one is unique, as it is the only one 

 whose chief habit is marine ; and it is peculiar in 

 being confined to one locality, and also for the great 

 beauty of its fur. 



Altogether, the otters are very interesting to the 

 student of natural history who wishes to investigate 

 the adaptation of animals to the places in which they 

 live. They are also remarkable for the very striking 

 generic likeness which pervades them all, and not less 

 for the variations of size and colour, which are almost 

 the only distinctions that can be made between them, 

 so as to form them into species. They are, therefore, 

 exceedingly puzzling to those who place much reli- 

 ance upon minute scientific arrangement ; but they are 

 not on this account the less inviting to the real student 

 of natural history who can, with the exception of the 

 sea one, find in the careful observation ot any one of 

 them, a very ample and very accurate representation 

 of the whole. 



LUTRARI A (Lamarck), MyA(Gmelin), MACTRA 

 of some authors. This mollusc was considered by 

 Linnaeus a Mya, and by more recent naturalists a 

 Mactra ; it is, however, perfectly distinct from either, 

 and is more nearly allied to the Anatina, to which it 

 may be said to offer a natural transition to the Mya, 

 preceding the Mactra. This shell is inequilateral, 

 transversely oblong, or rounded, gaping at the lateral 

 extremities, hinge with one tooth, as it were folded 

 or plaited in two, one side of which is plain, ligument 

 internal and fixed in the hollow cavities of the pri- 

 mary teeth. The want of lateral teeth at once dis- 

 tinguishes these shells from the genus Mactra. 

 See the following article. 



LUTRICOLA (De Blainville). In this genus of 

 molluscs De Blainville has included the genera Li- 

 gula of Leach, and Lutraria of Lamarck. The most 

 of them inhabit the European seas, three only being 

 described from the Indian Ocean. De France has 

 described several fossil species. In the system of 

 Malacology this genus thus belongs to the first section 

 of the ninth family Pyloridea, third order Lamelli- 

 branchiata, third class Acephalophora. 



LUZULA (De Candolle). A genus of unculti- 

 vated plants found on waste ground, in woods, or 

 mountains, and belonging to the natural order Juncece, 

 of which it form a very interesting feature. 



LYCjENID^E (Leach). A family of diurnal lepi- 

 dopterous insects, distinguished by the smaller size or 

 rudimental structure of the fore legs, the entire and 

 simple claws, the posterior tibiffi with a single pair of 

 spurs. The larva? are broad and resemble wood-lice, 

 and the pupae or chrysalides are attached by a layer 

 of silk at the extremity, as well as by a cord passing 

 round the centre of the body. This family comprises 

 an extensive series of butterflies of small size, delicate 

 structure, and comparatively feeble flight ; by which 

 latter character, as well as by the entire claws of the 

 tarsi, they are well distinguished from the Nym- 

 phalid(B, amongst which the "swift Camilla" and the 

 high-flying purple emperor pre-eminently exhibit the 

 superior activity of the last-named family. From the 

 Pajrilionida and Hesperiida: they are distinguished by 



