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.
