JBicttonanj of gmmatctt Astute. 367 



oval rust-coloured spots ; and the tail is 

 spotted in the same manner as the wings. 



LANTERN-FLY. (Fulgora lantern- 

 aria.') Tliis insect is curious both on ac- 

 count of its size and its singular properties. 

 It is nearly three inches and a half in length 

 from the tip of the front to that of the tail, 

 and about five inches and a half broad with 

 its wings expanded : the body is of a length- 

 ened oval shape, sub-cylindric, and divided 

 into several rings or segments ; while the 

 head is distinguished by a singular prolon- 

 gation, which sometimes equals the rest of 

 the body in size. In this projection the lumi- 

 nous property of the Lantern-fly is said to 

 exist ; but the luminosity of this insect of 

 which there are several species is doubted 

 by most naturalists ; who say, that if it 

 really exists, it is only at particular seasons. 

 It is therefore but right that we should give 

 our authority : Madame Merian, in her 

 work on the Insects of Surinam, says, " The 

 Indians once brought me, before I knew 

 that they shone by night, a number of these 

 Lantern-flies, which I shut up in a large 

 wooden box. In the night they made such 



a noise that I awoke in a fright, and ordered 

 a light to be brought ; not knowing from 

 whence the noise proceeded. As soon as we 

 found that it came from the box, we opened 

 it ; but were still much more alarmed, and 

 let it fall to the ground in a fright, at seeing 

 a flame of fire come out of it ; and as many 

 animals as came out, so many flames of fire 

 appeared. When we found this to be the 

 case, we recovered from our fright, and again 

 collected the insects, highly admiring their 

 splendid appearance." 



The ground-colour is an elegant yellow, 

 with a strong tinge of green, and marked 

 with numerous bright brown stripes and 

 spots : the wings are very large, and the 

 lower pair are decorated with a large eye- 

 shaped spot on the middle of each, the iris 

 or border of the spot being red, and the 

 centre half red and half semitransparent 

 white ; the head or lantern is pale yellow, 

 with longitudinal red stripes. This beauti- 

 ful insect is a native of several parts of 

 South America. [See FULOORA.] 



The Fulgara candelaria, a native of 

 China, is a much smaller species; measuring 

 about two inches in length, and two inches 

 and a half in breadth. The body is oval, 

 and the head produced into a long horn- 

 shaped process : the colours are very elegant; 

 the head and horn being of a fine reddish 



brown, and covered^ with numerous white 

 specks : the thorax is of a deep yellow, and 

 the body black above, but deep yellow be- 

 neath : the wings are oval ; the upper pair 

 blackish, with numerous green reticulations, 

 dividing the whole surface into innumerable 

 squares, and farther decorated by several 

 yellow spots : the under wings are orange- 

 coloured, with broad black tips. 



LAP-DOG. The little pets of the draw- 

 ing-room and boudoir who bear the enviable 

 appellation of Ladies' Lap-dogs, and who 

 for years past have been growing " small by 

 degrees and beautifully less," belong to that 

 race of Dogs which have been described as 

 "timid, fond, and affectionate the most 

 grateful for kindness, the most patient under 

 Ill-treatment;" of course we mean the 

 SPANIELS ; and, therefore, under that word 

 will the Lap-dog's zoological character be 

 found. Nature originally, without doubt, 

 had some hand in the production of these 

 highly-favoured diminutives ; but her em- 

 pire over them has long been usurped by 

 Fancy and Fashion, who have agreed that 

 the ears of these companions of female love- 

 liness should be remarkably long and full, 

 and the hair (of the ears more especially) 

 plentiful and beautifully waved; that 

 " liver-colour-and-white," though its pre- 

 tensions to beauty are but moderate, is not 

 to be despised ; that " black-and-white " is 

 entitled to our particular regard ; but that 

 the dear little " black-and-tan " variety is 

 vastly to be preferred to either ; while it is 

 absolute treason to honour any with the 

 title of " King Charles's breed " which do 

 not possess certain indubitable signs of royal 

 descent, as a black-roofed mouth, &c. There 

 is also a variety of the Spaniel, generally of 

 a white colour, and the hair of which is ex- 

 tremely long : it is called the Maltese dog, 

 and is said to be one of the most elegant of 

 the Lap-dog tribe. 



LAPPET [MOTH]. A name given by 

 collectors to species of Moths, of the genera 

 Gastropacha and EutriclM. 



LAPWING or PEE WIT. ( Vandlus cris- 

 tatus.) This bird, which is about the size of 

 a pigeon, belongs to the snipe and plover 

 tribe. It is found in this country in large 

 flocks, except during the pairing season, 

 when it separates for the purposes of incuba- 

 tion. It builds a slight inartificial nest on 



the ground, and lays four eggs of an olive 

 The Lapwing's 

 bill is black ; the crown of the head and the 



cast spotted with black. 



crest are of a shining black ; the cheeks and 

 sides of the neck, white : the throat and fore- 

 part of the neck are black ; the hind part, a 

 mixture of red, white, and cinereous. The 

 back and scapulars are of a glossy green co- 

 lour, the latter variegated with purple : the 

 small wing-coverts are of a resplendent black 

 blue and green hue ; the greater quill-fea- 

 thers are black ; and the breast and belly 

 are white. The vent and coverts of the tail 

 are orange-coloured ; the tail IB black and 

 white ; and the legs are red. The young 

 birds run about very soon after they are 

 hatched. During this period the old ones 



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