liffjmtar JBtctumarg of gmmatctr $ature. 385 



nuhited. The only known species (.L. lig- 

 nornm) is like a small wood-louse in general 

 appearance. It is of an ash-colour, with black 

 eyes : it was first discovered in Britain by 

 Mr. Stevenson, the builder of the Bell Rock 

 Lighthouse, who found it exceedingly de- 

 structive to the wood-work necessary in lay- 

 ing the foundations of that useful structure, 

 which it perforated in every direction. It 

 is found in other parts of the British and 

 Irish coasts, and has even attracted notice 

 in France by its perforating ravages into 

 wooden piles, piers, jetties, and other struc- 

 tures embedded in the sea. The small 

 line by the side of the figure denotes the 

 natural size of this Lilliputian but destruc- 

 tive Isopode. [See CHEJLUKA.] 



LITHOSIID^E. This family of Hetero- 

 cerous Lepidoptera is of small extent, and 

 the species are weak and inactive : the body 

 is slender ; the antennae are slender and se- 

 taceous ; the mouth considerably developed, 

 the maxillae being long and spiral, and the 

 labial palpi of moderate size, and three- 

 jointed ; the thorax is not crested ; and the 

 wings are comparatively of delicate struc- 

 ture, and elongated. The brilliant colours 

 of some of these insects would seem to in- 

 dicate that they flew by day ; but the con- 

 trary is the case, and their flight is short and 

 feeble. The larvae are cylindrical, often 

 somewhat hairy, with six pectoral, eight 

 ventral, and two anal feet : they are solitary 

 in their habits, and never reside either in a 

 case or in a general tent-like web. There 

 are several exotic species of this family which 

 are very splendid. The species of the genus 

 Lithosia found in this country are very 

 sombre in colour. 



LLAMA, or GUANACO. (Auchenia gla- 

 ma.) This animal bears a strong resem- 

 blance to the Camel in form and structure, 

 but is much inferior in size. It is a native 

 of South America, and is particularly plen- 

 tiful in Peru, where it inhabits, in a wild 



state, the highest and coldest parts of moun- 

 tains, feeding in numerous herds, and flying 

 with great rapidity at the sight of man. 

 The ancient Peruvians, however, completely 

 subdued and domesticated it as a beast 01 

 burthen, and to them it answered the same 

 purposes as the camel and dromedary of 

 the old continent. The general size of the 



Jama is nearly that of a stag, or about four 

 eet and a half in height, and six feet in 

 ength : the neck is very long, and habitually 

 upright ; the head is small ; the eyes large 

 and brilliant ; the lips thick ; and the ears 

 ong and movable : the haunches are slightly 

 elevated ; and on the breast is a bunch which 

 constantly exudes a yellowish oily matter. 

 Its general colour is a light brown, the under 

 parts being whitish ; and sometimes it is 

 said to be varied or patched with darker and 

 ighter shades on different parts, and to have 

 a black stripe running down the back. The 

 tail is about five inches long, small, straight, 

 and slightly curved downwards. The hoofs 

 are divided, and terminated by small horny 

 appendages, rounded above, and on either 

 side somewhat curved. It has no upper 

 cutting teeth. In the wild animal the hair 

 s long and shaggy ; in the domesticated 

 imoother and closer. It requires no care or 

 expense with respect to attendance or pro- 

 ision for its sustenance ; it is satisfied with 

 egetables, requiring neither corn nor hay ; 

 and it even exceeds the camel in its absti- 

 nence and endurance of thirst. The voice 

 of the Llama resembles the shrill neighing 

 of the horse. It is naturally patient and 

 enduring ; but when angry or attacked, it 

 strikes with its feet, and ejects from its mouth 

 a quantity of saliva, which is said to be of 

 so caustic a nature as to inflame the skin 

 and produce slight eruptions. When the 

 Spaniards invaded South America, it was 

 kept in immense numbers for the purposes 

 of traffic, and also for food ; its skin, also, 

 was prepared as leather, and its wool spun 

 and manufactured into cloth. Immense 

 numbers were constantly employed in the 

 transport of ore from the mines ; the ordi- 

 nary load of each Llama was about 100 IDS., 

 and its rate of travelling with this burthen 

 over rugged mountain passes was from twelve 

 to fifteen miles a day. At the present time, 

 however, the horse, the ass, and especially 

 the mule, which have been introduced from 

 Europe, have very generally superseded the 

 Llama as beasts of burthen ; whilst the in- 

 troduction of the sheep, the goat, and the 

 ox, has rendered it less necessary as affording 

 either food, leather, or wool. The fleece of 

 the Gucmaco, the name usually given to the 

 wild Llama, is longer than that of the do- 

 mesticated animal, and is in much request 

 for the manufacture of many woollen cloths 

 of a delicate texture. 



LOACH, or LOCHE. (Cobitis barbatula.) 

 A small fish, often found secreted under 

 stones in small, shallow, clear streams, and 

 which swims rapidly away when disturbed 



T.OACH. .COB.TIS SARBATtJtA.) 



by moving the stone. It seldom exceeds 

 four inches in length ; has six barbules about 

 the mouth ; feeds on worms and aquatic in- 



