LIM 
LIBELLULA. A genus of the neuropterii 
clafs of infeils; the diftinguifhhig charaflers of 
which are: that the mouth is furnifhed with jaws; 
that the antennse are fhorter than the thorax ; that 
the wings are extended; and that the tail is termi- 
nated by a kind of forceps. 
LinnjEus enumerates twenty-one fpecies of this 
genus ; fome of which carry their wings ere£l when 
at reft, and others horizontally. See Dragon- 
Fly. 
LIGURINUS. A name ufed by many au- 
thors to exprefs the bird more commonly known 
by that of the fpinus ; in Englilh, called the filkin 
and aberdavine. See Aberdavine. 
LILLE. An appellation given by the Rho- 
dians to the labrus. 
LIMANDA. A name fometimes ufed to ex- 
prefs the paiTer afper of naturalifts ; called in Eng- 
iilh the dab. See Dab. 
LIMARIA. A name by which Gaza, and 
fome other authors, exprefs the thynnus or tunny- 
fifh; called alfo the Spanifh mackarel. 
LIM AX. A genus of animals comprehend- 
ing all the naked, fimply-formed fnails. See 
Snail. 
In the Linnasan fyftem, the Limax belongs to 
the order of mollufca or foft worms. Animals of 
this genus are dellitute of fhells, but fupplied with 
members. The Limax is of an oblong figure ap- 
proaching to cylindric, perforated in the fide with 
a hole, which ierves for it's genitals and neceflary 
evacuations; higher up is a flefliy kind of buckler, 
formed convexly above, and flat beneath ; and the 
tentacula are four in number, of which two exhibit 
the appearance of eyes. There are fevcral fpecies 
of this genus. 
LIMAX MARINA. An appellation fre- 
quently given to the lipparis ; or, as it is commonly 
termed in Englifli, the fea-fnail. Thefe creatures 
are caught in confiderable numbers at the mouths 
of fome of the Yorkfliire rivers. The fhell is 
compofed of eight parts or joints, finely wrought, 
as if engraved: it is prominent v/ithout, and hol- 
low within; externally of a dark brown colour 
tending to greenifti; and internally whitiili, tinged 
with a blueifh green. See Cylindrus. 
LIME-GALLS. A kind of Galls or vegeta- 
ble protuberances formed on the edges of lime- 
tree leaves, occafioned by worms v/hich inhabit 
them during the whole term of their lives; being 
found of all fizes, from the moft minute to thofe 
of full growth, which is about half an inch in 
length : but, when their period of life as worms 
draws near, they defert their habitations, and fix- 
ing on others, there change into their chryfalis 
ftate. This is alfo the cafe with many worms 
which inhabit the excrefcences on other trees : they 
remain irt them during their worm ftate, but al- 
ways undergo their transformations in fome other 
fituations. 
LIMONIUM-GALL. A fpecies of Gall ferv- 
ing for the habitation of an infect produced from 
the egg of a butterfly, and changing to a real ca- 
terpillar. The butterfly depofits her eggs on the 
leaves and ftalks of this plant; and the young ca- 
terpillar, as foon as it is hatched, eats it's way 
through the furface; and continuing it's depreda- 
dations »after it is fafely lodged within, occafions 
an abundant derivation of juices to the part, by 
means of which a protuberance is formed, fu- 
ftained by a pedicle, and in every refpe£l refem- 
bling fruit; this is of a roundilh figure, and by de- 
LIM 
grees acquires the fize of a nutmeg. It is com- 
pofed of feveral coats or crufts; of which the exte- 
rior ones are foft and fpongy, and the interior ones 
hard and woody. This feems to be the only 
known inftance of a Gall formed by a genuine ca- 
terpillar. 
LIMOSA; the Scolopax Glottis of Linnsus. 
A long-legged aquatic bird, common in Italy; and 
called by fome Glottis, Totano, and Pluvialis ma- 
jor. This animal is fmall, feldom weighing more 
than fix ounces: the beak is black, but fomewhat 
reddifli near the angle of the under jaw, which re- 
fledls a little upwards. The upper part of the 
head, the neck, fhoulders, wings, and fore-part of 
the back, are variegated with brown and grey; 
the middles of the head feathers are black, and 
their tips whitifh ; and over each eye pafl^es a white 
line. The rump, the whole breaft, belly, and 
throat, are white; the long wing-feathers are 
brown; the inner coverts of the wings are beauti- 
fully interfered with double and triple bars of a 
dufky colour; the tail-feathers are variegated with 
brown and grey; and the legs, which are very 
long, are naked a confiderable way above the 
knees. 
Thefe birds are feen in fmall flocks on our 
coafts, and in marfhy grounds, during winter^ 
but they foon remove to their native climates. 
LiMosA is alfo an appellation given bv Salvian 
to the common mackarel; and likev/ile to the 
thynnus, or tunny-fifli. 
LIMPET. A genus of fliell-fifli, of the teflra- 
cea clafs of worms in the Linn^ean fyftem; the 
charafters of which are: the fliell is univalve, of a 
gibbous fhape, almoft conic, without fpires, al- 
ways fixed to a rock or fome hard body; and hav- 
ing it's apex or lijmmit fometimes fliarp-pointed, 
at others obtufe, fometimes ftraight, at others 
crooked, fometimes whole, and at others perfo- 
rated: v/hich variations occafion fo many fpecific 
diftinftions. The enclofed animal is a (lug. 
Latin authors denominate this fhell Patella, 
from it's refemblance to a difli ; and Greek ones 
term it Lepas, as if they confidered it a fcale or 
flake of a ftone. Indeed, it adheres fo firmly to 
the rocks that it may almoft pafs for a confti- 
tuent part of it. 
The means by which the Limpet affixes itfelf 
to a rock were firft clearly explained by Reaumur ; 
though the fa6t was fo long and fo well known^ 
that it antecedently became in fome places a pro- 
verbial comparifon. The ftiell of the Lim.pet ap- 
proaches to a conic figure; the bafe of which is oc- 
cupied by a large mufcle, which alone contains 
nearly as much flefh as the wliole body of the fifti: 
this mufcle is not confined within the fhell, but 
affifts the creature in it's progreiTive motion, or in 
fixing itfelf at pleafure. When in a quiefcent 
ftate, which is commonly the cafe, it applies this 
mufcle every way round to the furface of fome 
ftone, and fo firmly attaches itfelf to it, that it is 
not eafily feparated even with the affiitance of a 
knife. 
Reaumur informs us that, in order to try tlie 
force of the adhefion of thefe fifhj he tied lines, 
having weights at their ends, to the fliells, when 
placed in an horizontal diredlion on the ftones; 
and found that they could not be removed with 
a lefs weight than that of thirty pounds, and that 
they even fupported this for fome minutes. Hence 
it might namrally be fuppofed, that the caufe of 
this ftrong adhefion originated from the animal's 
thrufting 
