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$aturc. 393 



often punctured with small holes ; cardinal 

 and lateral teeth distinct, but variable in 

 lumber. The foot of the animal is long and 

 jylindrical. 



LUMBRICUS. A genus of worms in the 

 ^innsean system, of which the common 

 Earth-worm is the type. They generally 

 ive beneath the surface of the ground, either 

 lerforating the dry soil, or burying them- 

 selves in mud, where many of them lead a 

 semi-aquatic life. [See EARTH-WORM.] 



LUMP-FISH. (Cyclopterus lumpus.) A 

 Halacopterygious fish, deriving its name 

 from the clumsiness of its form : its height 

 ieing about half its length, and its thickness 

 ..bout half its height. The names LrMP- 

 SUCKEK and COCK PADDLE are also given to 

 it. These fish are very remarkable for the 

 manner in which their ventral fins are ar- 

 ranged. They are united by a membrane 

 so as to form a kind of oval and concave disc ; 

 by means of which they are enabled to adhere 

 with great force to any substance to which 

 they apply themselves. This, the largest of 

 the" genus, sometimes weighs seven pounds. 

 The back is arched and sharp, of a blackish 

 colour, variegated with brown ; the body is 



covered over with sharp, black tubercles ; and 

 on each side there are three rows of large 

 bony scales, and another on the back. The 

 great resort of this species is on the Northern 

 seas, about the coast of Greenland : it is also 

 caught in many parts of the British seas, 

 during the spring season ; when it approaches 

 the shore for the purpose of depositing its 

 spawn. In the Northern seas great numbers 

 of them are devoured by the seals, who swal- 

 low all but the skins, quantities of which, 

 thus emptied, are seen floating about in the 

 spring months ; and it is said that the spots 

 where the seals carry on their depredations 

 can be readily distinguished by the smooth- 

 ness of the water. Its power of adhesion is 

 truly wonderful. Pennant says, " that on 

 placing a fish of this species, just caught, 

 into a pail of water, it fixed itself so firmly 

 to the bottom, that on taking it by the tail 

 the whole pail by that means was lifted 

 though it held some gallons, and that with- 

 out removing the fish from its hold." The 

 colours of the Lump-fish, when in the highest 

 perfection, combine various shades of blue 

 purple, and rich orange ; and in the month 

 of March it may be frequently seen in th 

 shops of London fishmongers, suspended by 

 the middle of the back, its singular form an< 

 brilliant colours being sure to attract the 

 attention of the public. The flesh is sof 

 and insipid ; but the Greenlanders gladly 

 avail themselves of the arrival of the species 



LURCHER. A species of Dog whose prin- 

 ipal use is to assist the poacher in his ne- 

 arious and demoralizing nocturnal trade, 

 t is supposed to be descended from the Shep- 

 icrd's Dog and the Greyhound, exhibiting 

 he stout, rough, homely character of the 

 ormer, combined with the long muzzle and 

 imbs of the latter. It is not eo tall as the 

 Greyhound ; its hair is rough and wiry ; the 

 ars are half erect ; and the tail is short and 

 pendent. None of the canine species evince 

 more sagacity, or serve their masters with 

 more fidelity. Whether it be required to 

 drive partridges into the net, to run down 

 a hare, to seize a fallow-deer, or to start a 



bbit, the Lurcher pursues his object in 

 ilence, and with so much skill as to render 

 Imost useless to the owner of him any other 

 description of sporting dog. 



LUTRARIA. A genus of Conchifera, 

 found in the sand at the mouth of rivers in 

 emperate climates. Foot of the animal 

 iharp, oval, and long. The shell is inequi- 

 Jateral, oblong or ovate, gaping at both ex- 

 tremities ; hinge with two cardinal teeth in 

 one valve, and a triangular pit; no lateral 

 teeth j in which respect it differs from the 

 genus Mactra, which it otherwise much re- 

 sembles. 



LYC^EN A . A genus of Butterflies closely 

 allied to Polyommatus. Referring the stu- 

 dent to the work of Messrs. Doubleday and 

 Hewitson, we here restrict ourselves to the 

 notice of two British species. 



The LYC^ENA DISPAR, or LARGE COPPER 

 BUTTERFLY. It is generally remarked that 

 this splendid insect is chiefly confined to the 

 fenny counties of Cambridge and Hunting- 

 don, and the neighbouring ones of Suffolk 

 and Norfolk. The upper surface of the 

 wings of the male are a brilliant copper 

 colour, with an obscure row of spots towards 

 the tip ; the costal and posterior margins, 

 and a patch at the base, black ; the posterior, 

 with a slender oblong discoidal line, and the 

 margins black ; beneath, the anterior wings 

 are pale fulvous orange, with ten distinct 

 ocelli, with a large black pupil and slender 

 white iris : posterior wings bluish, with an 

 elongate discoidal streak, and numerous 

 rather obsolete ocelli, with a black pupil and 

 pale blue iris : the hinder margin is deep 

 orange, except where it unites with the 

 anterior, margined internally and externally 

 with a series of black spots. In the female 

 the anterior wings above are divested of the 

 gloss so conspicuous in the male, and have 

 nine or ten black spots, two or three of which 

 are placed near the base of the costal margin, 

 the rest in an arcuated band near the tip : 

 the posterior wings are dusky brown, with 

 the nervures and a denticulated hinder band 

 copper-coloured. The ocellated spots vary 

 considerably in both sexes. Caterpillar 

 bright green, and somewhat hairy, with in- 

 numerable white dots : it feeds upon a kind 

 of dock. The chrysalis is at tirst green ; 

 afterwards pale ash, with a dark dorsal line, 

 and two abbreviated white ones on each side. 

 The LYC^ENA PIIL.EAS, or SMALL COPPER 

 BUTTERFLY. One very part of our island, as 



