Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/558

552 LIZARD'S-TAIL LLAMA with a black band on each side bordered with white above and below, and a black dorsal streak along the spine; the under parts are orange yellow with black spots. The tail does not diminish in thickness until about its mid- dle. It is found most frequently in moun- tainous regions of Europe, but occasionally in dark and damp woods ; it is timid, very active, and feeds principally on dipterous insects. Toward the month of June the female lays five to seven eggs, from which the young come forth in a few minutes perfectly developed, and sometimes, it is said, the eggs are entirely hatched within the oviducts. The green lizard (L. viridis, Daud.) attains a length of about 18 in., of which the tail is a foot ; the color above is either uniformly green, or brown spotted with green, or the latter spotted with yellow, and the under parts yellow; there is considerable variation, and some specimens are marked with white and black streaks. It is generally distributed over Europe (except in the northern parts), northern Africa, and western Asia. The other group of crelodonts Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis). have the fingers with lateral serrations or in- ferior ridges, by means of which they can run rapidly over the arid sand in which they live. LIZARD'S-TAIL, a plant with heart-shaped leaves and long, slender, gracefully curving spikes of white flowers, growing in large clumps in swamps and along the margins of ponds and slow rivers from New York west- ward and southward. The name is simply a translation of the generic name saururus (Gr. aavpoc, a lizard, and oi>pd, a tail), while the speci- fic name cernuus has reference to the nodding habit of the flower spikes. It is a plant likely to attract attention for its neat appearance and its very pleasing fragrance. It is our only representative of a small family, the sauru- racece, which in its relationships is close to the pepper family. The flower spike, while pleas- ing as a whole, will repay a close examination, as it is one of the few instances we have of perfectly naked flowers ; the essential parts of the flower, the stamens and pistil, are present, but there is no trace of anything like calyx or corolla ; each flower upon the spike is in the axil of a small bract. In some of the southern states the roots of this plant are boiled and beaten up to serve as a poultice ; and as they will produce the emollient effects of warmth and moisture, they may be as useful as any other similar application. Those who have bodies of ornamental water upon their grounds LizanTs-Tail. will find the lizard's-tail a charming plant to grow along the margins. LLAMA (auchenia, Illiger), a ruminant ani- mal representing the camel family in the west- ern hemisphere. The dentition is as follows ; incisors -f , the upper placed at the side of the intermaxillary bone close to the canines, which they much resemble ; of the six lower incisors, the four median are very broad, curved, and gouge-shaped, the two external near to and resembling the canines ; canines %i ; molars |zf . There is no hump on the back ; the soles are divided into two toes, each with a strong horny nail or hoof with a thick pad beneath ; the ears long, pointed, and movable ; the upper lip is swelled and cleft, the head camel-like, the orbits prominent, and the nose small ; the form is less heavy and the appearance less stupid than in the camel ; the head is carried nearly perpendicular ; the size and strength are much inferior to those of the camel ; there is a conformation resembling the camel's hump in the shape of a thick bed of fat under the skin ; as they kneel down like the camels, they have callosities on the knees of the fore legs ; the stomach has a system of superficial cells, which in some degree may be considered equivalent to the water reservoirs in the camel. The structure of the feet is not adapted for trav- elling on sandy wastes, but for securing a firm hold among the mountains where they dwell ; their native region is the slopes of the Andes, especially in Peru, and, though in a tropical latitude, often within the limits of perpetual snow. In the wild state they are vigilant and shy, living in flocks upon the mountains, and descending into the plains in search of food. When irritated they eject the contents of their mouth, which are very disagreeable, upon theft