LYONS, RICHARD BICKERTON PEMELL, Lord LIONS (1817-S7). An English diplomat. Ile was bon' in Lymington, Hampshire, England, and after a short service as a midshipman with his father, Admiral Lord Lyons, he was placed at school in Winchester, and later entered Christ Church College. Oxford. where he took his B.A. in 1838. Upon leaving college he entered at once the diplomatic service as attach(' at Athens. There he remained until 1852, in which year he was transferred to and in 1853 to Flor ence, where in 1530 he became secretary of the legation, and in 1858 envoy. in December, 1858, he was appointed British 3Iinister to the United States, where he remained throughout nearly the whole period of the Civil War, resigning on ac count of III health in February, 18115. 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, 1861, when called upon to present the de mands of Great Britain for the release of 'Mason and Slidell (cm.v.). the Confederate Commission ers, his moderation and good sense, as much as any other one thing, averted the threatened con flict. In August, 1865. he was sent as British Ambassador to Constantinople, whence, in 1867, he was transferred in a similar capacity to Paris. Ile resigned his post at Paris in November, 1SS7, and died shortly afterwards. He was created first Earl Lyons in the year of his death.
LYRE (Fr. lyre, from Lat. lyra, from Gk. Xttpa, lyre). A stringed musical instrument 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 body, and they were joined by a cross-piece from which the strings were stretched to the bottom of the body. The strings were further supported by a cross piece upon the body of the lyre. The shape of the hotly 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 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 Egypt 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 eithara and ehelys, and the Jewish kinno•. The modern instrument most nearly akin to the lyre is the Nubian kisses-, for an illustration of which see CITIIARA. For the im of the lyre in the development of Greek musical theory. see GREEK 'MUSIC; and, for illus tration, see Plate of _MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
A small bat (Jlegaderma lyre) of the family Nyeteriffie. 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. hut
attacks- smaller bats, frogs, and even small fish, 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. 31any interesting particulars as to its habits are given in the works of Jor don, Myth. Blanford, and other East Indian zo ologists. See Plate of BATS.
The lyre-birds (\lenura) 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 Mcmuridte, of which Menura is the only genus. They seem to be survivors of a very ancient and now almost extinct branch, whose nearest ex isting relatives are the Australian scrub-birds (Atrichiidme). Two species are known. both inhabitants of Australia, but retreating before the advance of civilization, and becoming greatly reduced in numbers. They are found in the 'scrub' or sparsely wooded portions of unsettled country, are very shy, hard to approach, and difficult to flush. They are rapid 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 resemble gallinaceous birds, and arc 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 lyre, 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 superba) there is little rufous about the plumage, and the outer tail-feathers are long and marked with light bars, while in the second species (Zllenura Alberti) 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 deposits a single egg. which is very dark-colored, as though blotched over with ink. The males also scrape up mounds of 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, 1893-96). See Plate of LYREBIRDS, ETC.