Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/656

LYONS. bravery in his attack on the sea defenses of Stbastopol. In 1855 he succeeded Dundas in chief command. He became vice-admiral and received tcinijorary rank as admiral in 1857.

LYONS, KiciiAKD BiCKERTON Pemell, Lord Lyo:ns (1817-87). An English diplomat. He was born in Lyniiugton, Hampshire, England, and after a short service as a midshipman with his father, Admiral Lord Lyons, he was jjlaccd at school in inehesler, and later entered Christ Church College. O.xford, where he took his B.A. in 1838. Upon leaving college he entered at once the diplomatic service as attache at Athens. There he remained until 1852, in which year he was transferred to Dresden, and in 1853 to Flor- ence, where in 1850 he became secretary of the legation, and in 1S58 envoy. In December, 1858, he was appcjinted British JMinister to the United States, where he remained tliroughout nearly the whole ])eriod of the Civil War, resigning on ac- count of ill health in February. 1805. This position, rendered exceedingly difficult by the strained relations between the governments of Great Britain and the United States, he main- tained with dignity and great tact. In Novem- ber, 18(il, when called ujion to present the de- mands of Great Britain for the release of Mason and Slidell (qq.v. ), the Confederate Commission- ers, his moderation and good sense, as much as any other one thing, averted the threatened con- flict. In August, 1805. he was sent as British Ambassador to Constantinople, whence, in 1807, he was transferred in a similar capacity to Paris. He resigned his post at Paris in November, 1887, and died shortly afterwanls. He was created first Earl Lyons in the year of his death.

LYRE (Fr. hjre, from Lat. lyra, from Gk. Xi}/)o, lyre). A stringed musical instnunent of the ancients, differing from the harp in having fewer strings and from the lute or guitar in having no keyboard. Two branching arms stretched upward from a hollow bod^', and they were joined by a cross-inece from which the strings were stretched to the bottom of the body. The strings were further supported bj' a cross- piece ujion the body of the lyre. The shape of the body and the number of strings varied greatly, the strings being increased from three (the original number) to ten or twelve. Both the fingers and the plectrum seem to have been used in playing the lyre. As there was no key- board, each string could give but one tone. The early history of the lyre is involved in consider- able obscurity. It is probable that the lyre originated in Assyria, and that both Egi-pt and Greece derived their instrument from that coun- try. It reached its most perfect form in Greece, but there is little real difference between the lyre, the Greek cithara and chelys, and the .Jewish kinnor. The modern instrument most nearly akin to the lyre is the Nul)ian kis.inr. for an illustration of which .see Citiiara. For the im- portance of the lyre in the development of Greek musical theory, see Greek ili'sic; ami, for illus- tration, sw Plate of JIusicAi, Instrument.s.

LYRE-BAT. A small bat {Megaderma hira) of the family Nycterida-. Huge ears are one of its characteristics. It is common in India and Ceylon, where it is known as 'vampire.' or more properly 'false vampire.' and is believed to have bloodsucking habits. It eats not only insects, but attacks smaller bats, frogs, and even small first sucking their blood and then consum- ing the body. It is exceedingly abundant about old buildings, ruins, and caves, and swarms in the cave-temples. Manj- interesting jiarticulars as to its habits are given in the works of Jer- don, Blyth, Blanford, and other East Indian zo- ologists. See Plate of Bats.

LYRE-BIRD. The lyre-birds (Mennra) are among the most notable of Australian birds, not merely because of the remarkable tail, but be- cause of certain points in the anatomy, which indicate their position among the lowest and least specialized forms of Passeres. These curious birds constitute a family by themselves, the Menurida;, of which Menura is the only genus. They seem to be survivors of a very ancient and now almost extinct branch, whase nearest ex- isting relatives are the Australian scrub-birds ( Atrichiidai). Two species are known, bolli inhabitants of Australia, but retreating before the advance of civilization, and becoming greatly reduced in numbers. They are foiuid in the 'scrub' or sparsely wooded portions of unsettled country, are very shy, hard to approach, and difficult to flush. They are rajjid runners and always seek to escape in that way. They are good singers and are said to be very capable mimics. In their feeding and other habits they I'csemble gallinaceous birds, and are commonly called "pheasants' by the colonists, "in size they approach the domestic fowl and the tail is about two feet in length (or height) when erected. The color is a sombre grayish brown, with more or less of a rufous cast. The sexes are alike in color, but the female has simply a long, wedge- shaped tail, while the tail of the cock consists of sixteen feathers, of which the two outermost are so curved as to form the outline of a l3're, and these have a wide inner vane; the two cen- tral feathers are very long and have a vane on one side only and that narrow; the vanes of the remaining twelve feathers are made up of widely separated barbs. This tail is not perfected until the bird has reached its fourth year, and in the .semi-annual molt following the breeding season is shed to be renewed about six months later for the next nuptial season. In the best-known spe- cies {Menura siipcrha) there is little rufous about the plumage, and the outer tail-feathers are long and marked with light bars, while in the second species (Menura Albcrli) there is considerable rufous, and the outer tail-feathers are short and without bars. Their food consists of insects, snails, etc. The breeding habits of the lyre-birds are very remarkable, for they are said to build on the ground a large, well-woven, dome-shaped nest, with an entrance at one side, wherein the female dcjiosits a single egg. which is very dark-colored, as though blotched over with ink. The males also scrape up mounds ol earth, where they spend much time strutting about and displaying the tail. A full account, with many bibliographical references, will be found in Newton, Dictionary of Birds (London, 1803-90). See Plate of Lyre-Birds, etc.

LYREMAN. Any of the commoner cicadas, partieularly the dog-day harvest-fly. See Cicada.

LYRIC POETRY (Lat. lyricus, from Gk. vpii<6!, h/rikos, relating to the lyre, from pa, li/ra. lyre). A name given by the Greeks to a kind of poetry chanted or sung to the accom- paniment of a lyre. Though the lyric element.