Fossils are abundant in the Lias; Lyme Regis, Shepton Mallet, Rugby, Robin Hood's Bay, Ilminster, Whitby and Golden Cap near Charmouth are well-known localities. The saurian reptiles, _Ichthyosaurus_ and _Plesiosaurus_, are found in excellent preservation along with the Pterodactyl. Among the fishes are _Hybodus_, _Dapedius_, _Pholidophorus_, _Acrodus_. The crinoids, _Pentacrinus_ and _Extracrinus_ are locally abundant. Insect remains are very abundant in certain beds. Many ammonites occur in this formation in addition to the forms used as zonal indexes mentioned in the table. _Lima gigantea_, _Posidonomya Bronni_, _Inoceramus dubius_, _Gryphaea cymbium_ and _G. arcuata_ are common pelecypods. _Amberleya capitanea_, _Pleurotomaria anglica_ are Lias gasteropods. _Leptaena_, _Spiriferina_, _Terebratella_ and _Rhynchonella tetrahedra_ and _R. variabilis_ are among the brachiopods.
Certain dark limestones with regular bedding which occur in the Carboniferous System are sometimes called "Black Lias" by quarrymen.
See "The Lias of England and Wales" (Yorkshire excepted), by H. B. Woodward, _Geol. Survey Memoir_ (London, 1893); and, for Yorkshire, "The Jurassic Rocks of Britain," vol. i., "Yorkshire," by C. Fox-Strangways, _Geol. Survey Memoir_. See also JURASSIC. (J. A. H.)
LIBANIUS (A.D. 314-393), Greek sophist and rhetorician, was born at Antioch, the capital of Syria. He studied at Athens, and spent most of his earlier manhood in Constantinople and Nicomedia. His private classes at Constantinople were much more popular than those of the public professors, who had him expelled in 346 (or earlier) on the charge of studying magic. He removed his school to Nicomedia, where he remained five years. After another attempt to settle in Constantinople, he finally retired to Antioch (354). Though a pagan, he enjoyed the favour of the Christian emperors. When Julian, his special patron, restored paganism as the state religion, Libanius showed no intolerance. Among his pupils he numbered John Chrysostom, Basil (bishop of Caesarea) and Ammianus Marcellinus. His works, consisting chiefly of orations (including his autobiography), declamations on set topics, letters, life of Demosthenes, and arguments to all his orations are voluminous. He devoted much time to the classical Greek writers, and had a thorough contempt for Rome and all things Roman. His speeches and letters throw considerable light on the political and literary history of the age. The letters number 1607 in the Greek original; with these were formerly included some 400 in Latin, purporting to be a translation, but now proved to be a forgery by the Italian humanist F. Zambeccari (15th century).