LOB 
tisfied with vegetables, it craves neithet" corn nor 
hay ; and it even exceeds the camel of the Old 
"World in it's abftinence and endurance of thirfb. 
Indeed, of all creatures, the Llama feems leaft to 
require water, being naturally fupplied v/ith fuch 
large quantities of faliva, that it fpits it out on 
every occafion ; which fpittle feems to be the only 
offcnfive weapon this harrnlefs creature has obtain- 
ed from nature for the expreflion of it's rcfentment. 
When overloaded or fatigued, it falls on it's belly, 
and emits a quantity of this fluid againfl: its driver, 
which, though probably no v/ays injurious, very 
much intimidates the Indians; who alTert that, 
wherever it falls, it is of fuch an acrimonious na- 
ture, as either to burn the fkin, or excite very dan- 
gerous eruptions. 
Such are thefe animals in a domeftic fcate; but 
they are alfo found wild in amazing numbers, and 
exhibit fbrong marks of force and agility : the frag 
is fcarcely more fv/ift, or the goat and the fnam- 
moy more dextrous in climbing. In a ftate of 
nature, all their fliapes are more delicate and ftrong 
than when reduced to human fervitude; their co- 
lour is tawny, and their wool fhort. In their na- 
tive folitudes they are gregarious, and often feen 
in flocks of two or three hundred at a time. When 
they perceive an intruder, they regard him atfirfl: 
with afl:onifliment, and apparently without any in- 
dications of fear orlurprize; but, fliortly after, as 
if by commion confent, they fnufl^up the air, fomiC- 
whar like horfes, and at once betaking themJelves 
to flight, feek refuge on the tops of the mountains. 
They feem to be more attached to the northern 
than the fouthern fide of the Andes ; they often 
climb over the fnowy trafts of that immenfe chain ; 
and appear to acquire frefii vigour in proportion to 
the inclemiCncy of their fituation. 
The native Americans hunt the wild Llamas for 
the fake of their fleeces. If the dogs furprize any 
of them on plain ground, they are fometimes fuc- 
cefsful; but if they once reach the rocky precipi- 
ces of the mountains, the hunters defifl: from the 
purfuit, being fenfible that all their labours would 
eventually prove fruitlefs. 
LOACH. An Englifli appellation for the fifli 
called alfo the groundling. It is a fpecies of the 
cobitis, and diftinguiflied by Artedi under the 
name of the linooth fpotted cobitis with a cylin^lric 
body. See Loche. 
LOBSTER. A fpecies of the fquilla, accord- 
ing to fome naturalifts J but, in theLinnsanfyftem, 
conftituting a fpecies of the cancer or crab. The 
general charafter of the kind are, that the body 
is cylindric, that the antenns are long, and that 
the tail is large and long. There are a variety of 
Ipecies. 
Lobster, Common ; the Cancer Gammarus of 
Linnsus. This fpecies has a fmiOoth thorax ; a 
Ihort ferrated fnout; very long antenna, and be- 
tween them two fliorter bifid ones. The claws and 
fangs are large, the greater being tuberculated, 
and the lefler ferrated on their interior edges; there 
are four pair of legs ; the tail has fix joints ; and 
the caudal fin is rounded. 
The Lobfter is an animal of fuch an extraordi- 
nary form, that at firfl: fight the head is apt to be 
miftaken for the tail; but it is foon difcoverable 
that the creature moves with it's claws foremoft; 
and that the part which plays within itfelf by joints, 
like a coat of mail, is the tail. The two great 
'claws of the Lobfl:er confl:itute it's inftruments of 
provifion and defence ; thefe, by opening like a 
pair of nippers, pofl'efs great flrrength, and take a 
firm hold; and being ufually notched like a faw, 
this circumfl:anceflill farther in crea^rs their tenacity* 
Befides thefe powerful inflrrumenis, that may be 
confidered as arms, the Lobfi:er has eight legs, 
four on each fide ; which, together with the tai], 
give the animjal it's progreflive motion. Between 
the two claws is placed the head, very iinall, 
and furnifted with eyes, which appear like two 
black corneous fpecks on each fide; and thefe are 
prqjecftile or retractile, according to the pleafure 
of the Lobfter. The mouth, like that of an in- 
left, opens longitudinally, and is furnifhed with 
two teeth for the comminution of it's food; but as 
thefe alone are infufficient, it has three more in the 
ftomach, one on each fide, and the other below. 
Between the two teeth there is a flefliy fubftance 
fiiaped like a tongue. The inteflines confift of one 
long gut, reaching from the m.outh to the vent: 
but, what is very peculiar in this animal, the fpi- 
nal marrow is lodged in the breaft-bone. It is 
furniflied with two long feelers or horns, ifiljing 
from each fide of the liead, which feem to corrcd 
the dimnefs of the animal's fight, and apprize it 
either of it's danger or it's prey. The tail, or that 
jointed inftrum.ent at the otlier extremity, is it's 
grand inftrument of motion, by means of which 
it is enabled to raife itfelf in the v/ater. Under 
tlie tail, the fpawn is commonly lodged in great 
abundancjs; each particle adhering to the next by 
a very fine filament v/hich is fcarcely percepti- 
ble. Every Lobfl:er is an hermaphrodite, and liip- 
pofed to befclf-impregnated. The ovary, or place 
where the fpawn is fi.rft produced, is fituated back- 
v/ard tov^^ards the tail, where a red fubftance is 
always found, compofed of a number of fmall 
fpawns, too minute for exclufion : from this re- 
ceptable proceed two canals, which open on each 
fide of the junctures of the flieil, tov/ards the belly; 
and through thefe pafiages the Imall round par- 
ticles, deftined for the future young, defcend to 
be excluded, and arranged under the tail, where 
the animal preferves them till they arrive at matu- 
rity; when, being furnifhed with limbs and mo- 
tion, they drop ofl^ into the water. 
As foon as the young quit the parent Lobfliers, 
they feek refuge in the minute clifl^s of rocks, and 
fuch crevices at the bottom of the fea where the 
entrances are but fmall, and the apertures can be 
eafily defended : there, without any apparent means 
of fubfiftence, they grow larger by degrees, from 
the mere accidental fubftances which the water 
forces into their retreats. In the Ipace of a few 
weeks, they acquire hard, firm fhells, which fur- 
nifli them both with defenfive and ofl^enfive armour. 
They then begin to ifiiie from their fortrefles ; and 
boldly creep along the bottom, in hopes of meet- 
ing with more diminutive plunder: the fpawn of 
fifti, and the fmaller animals of their own kind, 
but chiefly fuch worms as harbour at the bottom 
of the fea, fupply them with plenty. In this man- 
ner they crawl among the rocks, bufily employed 
in turning the fandin qucft of worms, or furprizing 
fuch inadvertent little animals as happen to come 
within their reach. Thus they have little to ap- 
prehend, except from each other ; for among them, 
as among fifties, the large are the moft formidable 
of all other animals to the fmaller. 
But this life of eafe and abundance is of fhort 
duration. The body of the Lobfter ftill conti- 
nues to encreafe, while it's fliell remains unaltera- 
bly the fame : the animal becomes too large for it's 
habitation ; 
