366 



Crcagtirn at Natural $?t'stcrj) ; 



to and fro like a piston, and which is the 

 principal instrument in the act of suction, 

 is furnished with two longitudinal rows of 

 small teeth, and the mouth is lined with 

 several circular rows. On the top of the 

 head is a small orifice or spout-hole, through 

 which is discharged the superfluous water 

 taken in at the mouth and gills ; and on 

 each side the neck is a row of seven equi- 

 distant spiracles, or breathing-holes. In re- 

 ference to this respiratory apparatus Mr. 

 Owen has remarked, that " when the Lam- 

 prey is firmly attached, as is commonly the 

 case, to foreign bodies, by means of its suc- 

 torial mouth, it is obvious that no water can 

 pass by that aperture from the pharynx to 

 the gills ; it is therefore alternately received 

 and expelled by the external apertures." 

 The first dorsal fin, which is rather shallow, 

 with a rounded outline, commences towards 

 the lower part of the back ; the second is 

 nearly of the same extent, but with a sub- 

 triangular outline : the tail is short, and 

 slightly rounded. 



The Lamprey usually quits the sea in the 

 spring for the purpose of spawning, and after 



quantities in the Thames from Battersea, 

 Reach to Taplow Mills, and was sold to the 

 Dutch as bait for the Turbot, Cod, and other i 

 fisheries. Four hundred thousand have been I 

 sold in one season for this purpose, at the i 

 rate of forty shillings per thousand. From i 

 five pounds to eight pounds a thousand have i 

 been given ; but a comparative scarcity of 

 late years, and consequent increase in price, 

 has obliged the line fishermen to adopt other 

 substances for bait. Formerly the Thames 

 alone supplied from one million to twelve 

 hundred thousand Lamperns annually. 

 They are very tenacious of life, and the 

 Dutch fishermen managed to keep them | 

 alive at sea for many weeks." Great quan- i 

 titles are also taken in the rivers of Ger- i 

 many : after being fried, they are packed in i 

 barrels by layers, between each of which is \ 

 a layer of bay leaves and spices, sprinkled 

 over with vinegar ; and in this state they j 

 are sent to other countries. This species 

 spawns in April and May. It feeds on in- ! 



sects, worms, &c., and is a prolific fish i 



There are a few more species, of a smaller j 

 size ; but in all the main characteristics they 



an absence of a few months returns to its j correspond with the foregoing, 

 original marine element. When in motion 



hanging at rest, or obey 



the current, so strong is its power of suction. | ? 

 Its general habits seem pretty much to re- I I- 

 semble those of the eel ; and, 



the moticmlJf ! el y tra ! alld the bod y usual! y elongated and 

 i onmorii a t depressed ; by the thorax project- 

 e or less over the head : small man- 



^SSSSS^^TOrSS^ I Sl'lr^ml^cSws 1 rimp1eT^nd bi fc 



in high estimation ; those taken in the Severn 



pits 

 litv i 



species the females are apterous, 

 i others furnished only with short 

 They are voracious in their habits \( 

 in the larva state upon the bodies of snails, 

 : and not upon plants. The species are, for 

 ; the most part, exotic, and are often orna- 



water-side in the vicinity o1 

 these a little blood is thrown, 

 Lamprey to come forth, when 

 taken. 



readily 



The RIVER LAMPREY, or LAMPERN. (Pe- 

 tromyzonjluviatilis.) This well-known spe- 

 cies inhabits fresh waters, and is common iu 

 the Thames, the Severn, the Dee, the Tweed, 

 &c. It is from twelve to fifteen inches in 

 length ; has a rounded head, a slender cy- 

 lindrical body for about two-thirds of its 

 length, and then compressed to the end of 



the tail. " Formerly," says Mr. Yarrel. " the 

 Lampern was considered a fish of consider- 

 able importance. It was taken in great 



: Scarcely any exceed an inch in length. 

 j When alarmed, they fold their antennae and 

 j legs against the body, and remain motion- 

 ' less, as though dead ; many, also, at such 

 times, bend their abdomen downwards. The 

 three most important genera are Lycus, 

 Omalisus, and Dictyoptera. [See GLOW- 

 WORM.] 



LANNER. (Falco lannarivs.) A bird 

 of the long- winged Hawk kind, rather less 

 than the buzzard. It breeds in France, 

 where it continues the whole year, is very 

 docile, and seems well adapted to all the 

 purposes of hawking. It is also met with in 

 Ireland, and is thus described by Pennant : 

 The ear is a palish blue ; the crown of the 

 head, brown and yellow clay-colour ; above 

 each eye a broad white line passes to the 

 hind part of the head ; and beneath each a 

 black mark points downwards. The throat 

 is white ; the breast is tinged with dull 

 yellow, and marked with brown spots point- 

 ing downwards ; the thighs and vent are 

 spotted in a similar manner ; the back and 

 coverts of the wings are a deep brown, edged 

 with a paler tinge ; the quill-feathers are 

 dusky ; the inner webs arc marked with 



