How far off lie these armies? Id. She is become formidable to all her neighbours, as she puts every one to stand upon his guard, and have a continual larum bell in his ears. Howel. Of this nature was that larum, which, though it were but three inches big, yet would both wake a man, and of itself light a candle for him at any set hour. Wilkins. like larums, to call on them for four or five. Locke. Nor far beneath her in renown is she Young. LARUS, the gull, in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of auseres, the characters of which are, the bill is straight, cultrated, a little crooked at the point, and without teeth; the inferior mandible is gibbous below the apex; the nostrils are linear, a little broader before, and situated in the middle of the beak. There are several different species, principally distinguished by their colors. 1. L. articilla, the laughing gull, is in length eighteen inches, breadth three feet. It resembles the pewit in every thing but in the legs, which are black instead of red. It is found in Russia, on the river Don, particulary about Tschercask. The note resembles a coarse laugh, whence the name. It is met with also in different parts of the continent of America; and is very numerous in the Bahama Islands. 2. L. canus, the common gull, is in length sixteen or seventeen inches; in breadth thirtysix; weight one pound. The bill is yellow: the irides are hazel, and the eye-lids brown: the head, neck, under parts of the body, and tail, are white; the back and wings pale gray: the outer edge of the first four quills, and tips of the first five, are black; but the fourth and fifth have a white spot at the tips; the rest, except the three nearest the body, have the ends white: the legs are of a dull greenish white. This seems to be the most common of all the gulls, being found. in vast numbers on our shores and rivers contiguous to the sea. It is seen also very far north, as far as Iceland and the Russian lakes: it is met with in the neighbourhood of the Caspian Sea, in various shores of the Mediterranean, and as far south as Greece: and it is found also in America, on the coast of Newfoundland. It breeds on the rocks and cliffs, like others of the genus; and the eggs are two inches and a half in length, of a deep olive-brown, marked with irregular deep-reddish blotches. It is a tame species, and may be seen by hundreds on the shores of the Thames and other rivers, in the winter and spring, at low tides, picking up the various worms and small fish left by the tides; and will often follow the plough in the fields, for the sake of worms and insects which are turned up, particularly the cockchafer in its larva state, which it joins with the rooks in devouring most greedily. 3. L. cataractes, the skua gull, is in length two feet; the extent four feet and a half; the weight three pounds: the bill is two inches onefourth long, very much hooked at the end, and very sharp; the upper mandible covered more than half-way with a black sere or skin, as in the hawk kind; the nostrils are placed near the bend, and are pervious. The feathers on the head, neck, back, scapulars, and coverts of the wings, are of a deep brown, marked with rusty color; brightest in the male. The breast, belly, and vent are ferruginous, tinged with ash color. The tail when spread is circular, of a deep brown, white at the root, and with shafts of the same color. The legs are covered with great black scalons: the talons, black, strong and crooked: the interior remarkably so. This species inhabits Norway, the Ferroe Isles, Shetland, and the noted rock Foula a little west of them. It is also a native of the South Sea. It is the most formidable of the gulls; its prey being not only fish, but all the smaller sorts of water-fowl, such as teal, &c. Mr. Schroter, a surgeon in the Ferroe Isles, relates that it likewise preys on ducks and poultry. It has all the fierceness of the eagle in defending its young; when the inhabitants of those islands visit the nest, they defend themselves from its attack by holding a knife erect over their heads, on which the skua will transfix itself when darting on the invaders. The natives are often very roughly treated by them while they are attending their sheep on the hills; and are obliged to guard their heads by holding up their sticks. In Foula it is a privileged bird, because it defends the flocks from the eagle, which it beats and pursues with great fury; so that even that rapacious bird seldom ventures near its quarters. The natives of Foula on this account lay a fine on any person who destroys one: they deny that it ever injures their flocks or poultry; but imagine it preys on the dung of the arctic and other larger gulls, which it persecutes till they moot for fear. These birds are also frequent in many high latitudes of the southern hemisphere; particularly about Port Egmont, whence they have been called Port Egmont hens. In this place, and at Terra del Fuego, they were observed to make their nests among the dry grass. After breeding-time they disperse over the ocean, and for the most part are seen in pairs. They are met with in Kerguelen's Land, and off the Cape of Good Hope, and other parts. In all places the habits of this species are the same with respect to ferocity; it is frequently seen to attack the largest albatross, beating it with great violence so long as it remains on the wing; and this cowardly giant finds no other resource than to settle on the water; upon which the skua flies away. 4. L. fuscus, the herring gull, weighs upwards of thirty ounces; the length twenty-three inches, its breadth fifty-two: the bill is yellow, and the lower mandible marked with an orange-colored spot; the back and coverts of the wings are ashcolored; the upper part of the first five quill feathers are black, marked with a white spot near their end; the legs of a pale flesh color. These birds breed on the ledges of rocks that hang over the sea: they make a large nest of dead grass; and lay three eggs of a dirty white, spotted with black. The young are ash-colored, spotted with brown. This species is a great devourer of fish, especially of herrings; it is a constant attendant on the nets, and so bold as to seize its prey in presence of the fishermen. It is common in this kingdom, and frequents the same places as the black-backed gull. It is also found in most of the northern parts of Europe, as well as about the Caspian and Black Seas; the rivers which fall into them, and the great lakes of Siberia. It is seen also in Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson's Bay. In winter it migrates south, being found in Jamaica; and is said to breed on some of the islands on the coast of South Carolina. 5. L. hybernus, the winter gull, winter mew, or coddy moddy, weighs from fourteen to seventeen ounces; the length eighteen inches, the breadth three feet nine. The irides are hazel; the bill is two inches long, but the slenderest of any gull: black at the tip, and whitish towards the base. The crown of the head, and hind part and sides of the neck, are white, marked with oblong dusky spots; the forehead, throat, middle of the breast, belly, and rump, white; the back and scapulars of a pale gray, the last spotted with brown: the coverts of the wings are of a pale brown, edged with white; the first quillfeather is black, the succeeding ones are tipt with white; the tail is white, crossed near the end with a black bar; the legs are of a dirty bluishwhite. This kind frequents, during winter, the moist meadows in the inland parts of England, remote from the sea. 6. L. marinus, the black backed gull, is in length twenty-nine inches; in breadth five feet nine. The bill is very strong and thick, and almost four inches long; the color a pale yellow; but the lower mandible is marked with a red spot, with a black one in the middle. The head, neck, whole under side, tail, and lower part of the back, are white: the upper part of the back and wings are black; the quill-feathers tipt with white, the legs of a pale flesh-color. It inhabits several parts of England, and breeds on the highest cliffs. The egg is blunt at each end; of a dusky olive color; quite black at the greater end, and the rest of it thinly marked with dusky spots. It is also common on most of the northern coasts of Europe. It frequents Greenland; but chiefly inhabits the distant rocks. It lays three eggs in May, placing them on the heaps of dung which the birds leave there from time to time. It is said to attack other birds, and to be particularly an enemy to the eider duck. It very greedily devours carrion, though the most general food is fish. It is common also in America as low as South Carolina, where it is called the old wife. 7. L. nævius, the wagel, is a large species, being nearly two feet in length, and in breadth about five; weighs nearly three pounds. The bill is black; two inches and a half long: the irides are dusky: the whole plumage is composed of mixed brown, ash-color, and white; the middle of each feather brown: the under parts of the body are the same, but paler: the quills are black the lower part of the tail is mottled black and white; near the end is a bar of black, and beyond this the end is white: the legs are of a dirty flesh-color, in some white. This species frequents the sea-coasts of many parts of England, though not in considerable numbers. At times it is seen on the banks of the Thames along with other gulls; and is there supposed to be the female of the black-backed. 8. L. ridibundus, the pewit, or black-headed gull, is in length fifteen inches, breadth three feet, and weight ten ounces. The bill is rather slender, and of a blood-red: the eye-lids are red and the irides hazel: the head and throat are dusky brown, in old birds black; and on each eye-lid is a small white spot; the back and wings are of an ash-color; the neck, all the under parts, and tail, are white: the first ten quills are white, margined, and more or less tipped with black; the others of an ash-color, with white ends: the legs are of the color of the bill, the claws black. This species breeds on the shores of some of our rivers; but full as often in the inland fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and other parts of England. They make their nest on the ground, with rushes, dead grass, &c., and lay three eggs of a greenish brown, marked with red-brown blotches. After the breeding season, they again disperse to the sea-coasts. They breed also in Northumberland, and are found throughout Russia and Siberia, as far as Kamtschatka, but no farther to the north. They are seen throughout the winter at Aleppo, in great numbers; and so tame, that the women are said to call them from the terraces of their houses, throwing up pieces of bread, which these birds catch in the air. They inhabit North America, coming into New England in May, and departing in August. The young birds in the neighbourhood of the Thames are thought good eating, and are called red legs. They were formerly more esteemed, and numbers were annually taken and fattened for the table. 9. L. tridactylus, the tarrock, is in length fourteen inches, breadth thirty-six; weight seven ounces. The bill is short, thick, and black: the head, neck, and under parts, are white: near each ear, and under the throat, there is a black spot; and at the hind part of the neck a crescent of black: the back and scapulars are bluishgray; the wing-coverts dusky, edged with gray, some of the larger wholly gray; the exterior sides and ends of the first four quills are black, tips of the two next black, all the rest white: the ten middle feathers of the tail are white tipped with black, the two outermost wholly white: the legs are of a dusky ash-color; in lieu of the back toe, it has only a protuberance. This species breeds in Scotland with the kittiwake; and inhabits other parts of northern Europe; as Iceland and Spitzbergen, the Baltic, and White Seas, and Kamtschatka. It is common in Greenland in summer. It comes in spring, and frequents the sea-coasts; builds in the rocky crags of the bays; in June lays two eggs of a greenishash color spotted with brown; and retires from the shores in autumn. It is observed frequently to attend the whales and seals, for the sake of the fish which the last drive before them into the shallows, when these birds dart into the water suddenly, and make them their prey. They are ery noisy, especially during the time of incubaon. They both swim and fly well, and for a ong time together; they are often observed on portions of ice swimming in the sea. Both the flesh and eggs are esteemed by the Greenlanders, and the skins used as garments. LARYBUNDER, a port of the province of Sinde, Hindostan, about twenty miles up the Pitty River. Owing to the mud-banks of the river, and the dangers of its navigation, the town of late years has much declined. In 1793 in the agreement between Nadir Shah and the emperor Mohammed it was stipulated that Larybunder should be the west boundary of Hindostan. Long. 57° 25′ E., lat. 24° 40′ N. LARYNX. See ANATOMY. LASCARIS (Andrew John), surnamed Ryndacenus, a learned writer of an ancient Greek family, which emigrated into Italy, after the taking of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. He was well received by Laurence de Medicis ; and was twice sent to Constantinople to collect the best Greek MSS., by which means numberless scarce and valuable treasures of literature were carried into Italy. On his return Louis XII., king of France, prevailed on him to settle in the university of Paris, and sent him twice ambassador to Venice. Ten years after cardinal John de Medicis being elected pope, under the name of Leo X., Lascaris, his old friend, went to Rome, and had the direction of a Greek college. He died in Rome in 1535, at about the ninetieth year of his age. He brought into the west most of the fine Greek MSS. that are now extant, and composed some epigrams in Greek and Latin. LASCARIS (Constantine), one of the Greeks principally concerned in the revival of learning in the west. He retired into Italy in 1454, and taught polite literature at Milan, whither he was called by Francis Sforza; he afterwards went to Rome, where he was well received by cardinal Bessarion. He afterwards taught rhetoric and the Greek tongue at Naples; and ended his days at Messina, leaving the senate of that city many excellent MSS. which he had brought from Constantinople. He was interred at the public expense, and the senate of Messina erected a marble tomb to his memory. He wrote some grammatical works. LASCARS, Indian seamen. LASCENA (Peter), a learned Neapolitan, born 25th of September, 1590. His merits procured him the patronage of cardinal Barberini, The reason pretended by Augustus was the lusciviousness of his Elegies, and his art of Love. Dryden's Preface to Ovid. Notwithstanding all their talk of reason and philosophy, and those unanswerable difficulties which, over their cups, they pretend to have against Christianity; persuade but the covetous man not to deify his money, the lascivious man to throw off his lewd amours, and all their giant-like objections against Christianity shall presently vanish. South. Repel all impure and lascivious thoughts, which taint and pollute the mind; and, though hid from men, are known to God, in whose eye they are abominable. Mason. LASERPTIUM, lazar-wort, a genus of the digynia order, and pentandria class of plants; natural order forty-fifth, umbellatæ. The fruit is oblong, with eight membranaceous angles; the petals inflexed, emarginated, and patent. There are several species, none of which are at all remarkable for their beauty, but are only preserved in botanic gardens for the sake of variety. They are natives of Germany, Italy, and the south of France. All of them abound with an acrid juice, which turns to an excessively acrimonious resin. This was used by the ancients to take away black and blue spots that came by bruises or blows; also to take away excrescences. It was likewise by some of the ancients used internally; but produced such violent effects, that the more prudent refrained from the use of it. generally supposed that the silphium of the ancients was procured from one of the species of this genus; but of this we are uncertain. It is LASH, n. s., v. a. & v. n. Į Fr. lags; Ital. LASH ER, N. s. laciro; Lat. laqueus, a net or cord. The thong of a whip; a cord or string of any kind: hence the stroke given with a whip or cord; any stroke; and, metaphorically, a satirical or sarcastic one: to lash follows these significations, and also means to tie or confine by a cord or rope. The eyelash is the line of hair that laces or borders the eye-lid. See LACE and EYE. The farmer they leave in the lash, Tusser's Husbandry. birds breed on the ledges of rocks that hang over the sea: they make a large nest of dead grass; and lay three eggs of a dirty white, spotted with black. The young are ash-colored, spotted with brown. This species is a great devourer of fish, especially of herrings; it is a constant attendant on the nets, and so bold as to seize its prey in presence of the fishermen. It is common in this kingdom, and frequents the same places as the black-backed gull. It is also found in most of the northern parts of Europe, as well as about the Caspian and Black Seas; the rivers which fall into them, and the great lakes of Siberia. It is seen also in Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson's Bay. In winter it migrates south, being found in Jamaica; and is said to breed on some of the islands on the coast of South Carolina. 5. L. hybernus, the winter gull, winter mew, or coddy moddy, weighs from fourteen to seventeen ounces; the length eighteen inches, the breadth three feet nine. The irides are hazel; the bill is two inches long, but the slenderest of any gull: black at the tip, and whitish towards the base. The crown of the head, and hind part and sides of the neck, are white, marked with oblong dusky spots; the forehead, throat, middle of the breast, belly, and rump, white; the back and scapulars of a pale gray, the last spotted with brown: the coverts of the wings are of a pale brown, edged with white; the first quillfeather is black, the succeeding ones are tipt with white; the tail is white, crossed near the end with a black bar; the legs are of a dirty bluishwhite. This kind frequents, during winter, the moist meadows in the inland parts of England, remote from the sea. 6. L. marinus, the black backed gull, is in length twenty-nine inches; in breadth five feet nine. The bill is very strong and thick, and almost four inches long; the color a pale yellow; but the lower mandible is marked with a red spot, with a black one in the middle. The head, neck, whole under side, tail, and lower part of the back, are white: the upper part of the back and wings are black; the quill-feathers tipt with white, the legs of a pale flesh-color. It inhabits several parts of England, and breeds on the highest cliffs. The egg is blunt at each end; of a dusky olive color; quite black at the greater end, and the rest of it thinly marked with dusky spots. It is also common on most of the northern coasts of Europe. It frequents Greenland; but chiefly inhabits the distant rocks. It lays three eggs in May, placing them on the heaps of dung which the birds leave there from time to time. It is said to attack other birds, and to be particularly an enemy to the eider duck. It very greedily devours carrion, though the most general food is fish. It is common also in America as low as South Carolina, where it is called the old wife. 7. L. nævius, the wagel, is a large species, being nearly two feet in length, and in breadth about five; weighs nearly three pounds. The bill is black; two inches and a half long: the irides are dusky: the whole plumage is composed of mixed brown, ash-color, and white; the middle of each feather brown: the under parts of the body are the same, but paler: the quills are black the lower part of the tail is mottled black and white; near the end is a bar of black, and beyond this the end is white: the legs are of a dirty flesh-color, in some white. This species frequents the sea-coasts of many parts of England, though not in considerable numbers. At times it is seen on the banks of the Thames along with other gulls; and is there supposed to be the female of the black-backed. 8. L. ridibundus, the pewit, or black-headed gull, is in length fifteen inches, breadth three feet, and weight ten ounces. The bill is rather slender, and of a blood-red: the eye-lids are red and the irides hazel: the head and throat are dusky brown, in old birds black; and on each eye-lid is a small white spot; the back and wings are of an ash-color; the neck, all the under parts, and tail, are white: the first ten quills are white, margined, and more or less tipped with black; the others of an ash-color, with white ends: the legs are of the color of the bill, the claws black. This species breeds on the shores of some of our rivers; but full as often in the inland fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and other parts of England. They make their nest on the ground, with rushes, dead grass, &c., and lay three eggs of a greenish brown, marked with red-brown blotches. After the breeding season, they again disperse to the sea-coasts. They breed also in Northumberland, and are found throughout Russia and Siberia, as far as Kamtschatka, but no farther to the north. They are seen throughout the winter at Aleppo, in great numbers; and so tame, that the women are said to call them from the terraces of their houses, throwing up pieces of bread, which these birds catch in the air. They inhabit North America, coming into New England in May, and departing in August. The young birds in the neighbourhood of the Thames are thought good eating, and are called red legs. They were formerly more esteemed, and numbers were annually taken and fattened for the table. 9. L. tridactylus, the tarrock, is in length fourteen inches, breadth thirty-six; weight seven ounces. The bill is short, thick, and black: the head, neck, and under parts, are white near each ear, and under the throat, there is a black spot; and at the hind part of the neck a crescent of black: the back and scapulars are bluishgray; the wing-coverts dusky, edged with gray, some of the larger wholly gray; the exterior sides and ends of the first four quills are black, tips of the two next black, all the rest white: the ten middle feathers of the tail are white tipped with black, the two outermost wholly white: the legs are of a dusky ash-color; in lieu of the back toe, it has only a protuberance. This species breeds in Scotland with the kittiwake; and inhabits other parts of northern Europe; as Iceland and Spitzbergen, the Baltic, and White Seas, and Kamtschatka. It is common in Greenland in summer. It comes in spring, and frequents the sea-coasts; builds in the rocky crags of the bays; in June lays two eggs of a greenishash color spotted with brown; and retires from the shores in autumn. It is observed frequently to attend the whales and seals, for the sake of the fish which the last drive before them into the shallows, when these birds dart into the water |