Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/992

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LEV

they have two very long teeth in the forepart of their mouths. Ray's Syn. Quad. p. 204.

LEPRAS, in zoology, the name of a fea fifh of the turdus, or wrafle kind, remarkable for the great variety and beauty of its colouring. It is feldom caught of more than five or fix inches in length, and is considerably broad and flat. It fometimes grows to a foot long, but that only in the ocean, never in the Mediterranean Sea, where it is ufually caught ; and even there very rarely. It is fpotted all over like the body of a leopard. It has only one long fin on the back, the anterior rays or ribs of which are prickly, the others foft and flexile; and this, as well as all its other fins, is fpotted with blue, green, red, and yellow. Its body is alfo covered with fpots and lines of the fame colours, very beautifully difpofed, and the edges of all its fcales are of a Strong red. Its mouth is fmall ; its teeth fmall and Sharp; and it has the appearance of lips. Its fcales are large, and its fide lines finely arched and bent. Its head is lefs variegated than any other part of it, yet this has a number of red, green, and blue lines. Its eyes are fmall and round, and their iris, as the fifh turns them about, appears of a great variety of co- . lours. It is one of the moft beautiful fifli of the Mediter- ranean, but is not much efteemed at table, being of an in- fipid and watery tafte. Ballon, de Pifc. Gefner. de Pifc. p. 559. See Turdus.

LEPROSO amovendo, in law, an anticnt writ that lay to remove a leper, or laze?; who thruft himfelf into the company of his neighbours in any parifh, either in the church, or at other publick meetings, to their annoyance. Reg. Orig. 237. The writ lies againft thofe lepers that appear outwardly to befuch, by fores on their bodies, fmell, c5V. and not againft others : and if a man be a leper, and keep within his houfe, fo as not to converfc with his neighbours, he ft all not be removed. New Nat. Br. 521. Blount, Cowel,

LEPTODECARHOMBIS, in natural hiftory, the name of a genus of foflils of the clafs of the felenitts. The word is derived from the Greek, *=7t]os, thin, ^xa?, ten, and i°t*&°<:., a rhombic figure, and expreffes a thin or Jlender rhomboidal body, confifting of ten planes, or fides. The characters of this genus are, that the felenitee of it confift of ten planes, each fo nearly equal to that oppofite to it, as very much to approach to a decahedral parallello- piped, but they never truly or regularly are fo. Two of the planes in this genus, which may properly enough be called the top and bottom, are ever broader and flatter than the reft, and thefe, though not regularly equal, ufually very nearly anfwer one- another, as do alfo the other eight, in two fets of fours.

There are four Shorter planes meeting in fomewbat acute angles, two and two, from the ends, or two Shorter edo-es of the two flat and broad rhomboidal planes, called the top and bottom ; and four longer meeting in more obtufe angles from the fides, or longer edges of the fame rhom- boidal planes.

As the broader and flatter planes, or the top and bottom, in this genus are not regularly equal to each other, fo nei- ther are the eight narrower to their oppofites, but there are ufually differences both in their angles, and in the breadth of them.

Of this genus there are only five known fpecies. 1. A thin, fine, pellucid, and Slender Streaked one with tranfverfe Stria?, found in considerable quantities in the ftrata of clay in moft parts of England, particularly near Heddington in Oxford- fhire. 2. A thin, dull-looking, opake, and Slender ftreaked one, more fcarce than the former, and found principally in Leicestershire and Staffordshire. 3. A thin fine ftreaked one with longitudinal Stria:, found in the clay pits at Rich- mond, and generally lying at great depths. This has often on its top and bottom a very elegant fmaller rhomboide, defcribed by four regular lines. 4. A rough kind with thick tranfverfe ftrias, and a fcabrous furface, very common in Leicestershire and Yorkfhire. And 5. a very Short kind with thick plates, common in the clay pits of Northamptonshire and Yorkshire. Hill's Hift. of FoST. p. 118 to 120.

LEPTOS Hbanctis, in the materia medica of the antients, a name given by fome of the Greek writers to the fmall frankincenfe, that is fuch as came to their hands in fmall flakes, broken from the larger mafles in the gatherino- or packing up. This was alfo called manna ihuris, the manna of frankincenfe, the word manna being of old ufed to exprefs any thing formed of granules, or fmall pieces. The anti- ents eSteemed this lepios Ubanotis, or manna thuris, when pure, beyond any other kind, for they always valued that frankincenfe moft, which was drieft and moft brittle, and fuch only as was fo, could break off in thefe fmall flakes. The medicine, however, foon grew fubjeel: to adulteration and ioft its credit; for the duft of the frankincenfe being allowed to be put up among this manna thuris, Diofcorides tells us that in his time people, greedy of gain, had found the way to adulterate it, by adding, inftead of this genuine duft, the Sifted powder of the refin of the pine tree.

LEPTUM, in antiquity, a fmall piece of money, which, according to fome, was only the eighth part of an obolus j butchers will have it to be a filver or brafs drachm. Pitif X. 3

Lex^n

LEPUS, the hare, in theLinnaean fyftem of zoolngv, makes a diftinct genus of animals ; the characters of which are^ that the animals of it have feet made for running, with five toes on the fore ones, and four on the hinder, and have very long ears. Under this genus the author takes in all the creatures of the hire and rabbit kind. L'mntsi Syftem. Nat.

p. 38.

What is moft particular in the hare is, that the hinder legs are much longer than the fore ones, and are furnifhed with extremely Strong mufcles ; by which means the creature, naturally defencelcfs, is furnifhed with a power of running- very fwiftly from whatever aflails it. The head is roundiSh ; the eyes prominent; and the upper lip Split. Its ears are very long; and it is faid to Sleep with its eyes open, for fear of danger. It lies hid all day, but in the night goes out in fearch of food. Ray's Syn. Quad. p. 204.

Lepus aqueus, the water hare, a name given to the crefted diver, or colymbus of America, which is the fame fpecies with the larger European kind, though defcribed by many authors as a different bird. It has the name of the Jea hare, or water hare, from its great nimblencfs in the water. It is caught with much difficulty; and the Mexicans have a thoufand fabulous Stories about it ; as that it is able to call up the winds to overfet the boats of people who hunt it, that it has a jewel of great value in its heart, and the like ridiculous ftories. Ray's Orni. p. 257.

LESBIUM marmor, a name given by the antients to a fpe- cies of marble of a blueifti white, fometimes ufed for vafes and other ornamental works, but principally in the walls of public buildings.

LESSON, in the manege, is ufed for any piece of inStrudt.ion. in that art, whether given to the fcholar or the horSe.

UKT-fall, at fca, the word of command for putting out a fail, when the yards are aloft, and the fail is to come down from the yard ; but when the yards are ftricken down, then the fail is loofed below, before they hoife the yard. Let-fall is not properly faid of top-fails, becaufe they lie on the top; and therefore the word for them is, Heave oat your top-falls. Nor can it be applied to the mitten ; for the word is, Strike the miffen and fit it. So that in ftrictiiefs the term let-fall belongs only to the main-fail, fore-fail and fprit-fail, when their yards are hoiftcd up aloft.

LETTER {CycL) — Letters of marque, in the Britifh domi- nions, are to be granted by the admiralty. See Prizes.

Ajfyrian Letters. See Assyrian.

Hebrew Letters. See Hebrew.

LETTUCE, lafiuca, in botany. SeeLACTUXA.

We have the feveral fpecies of lettuce cultivated in the kitchen gardens about London, all of which are excellent fallad herbs, and fucceed one another in their feveral feafons. The feveral kinds are, 1. The common lettuce. 2. The cabbage kind. 3. The Silefia. 4. The Dutch brown. 5. The Aleppo. 6. The Imperial. 7. The green capuchin lettuce. 8, The Verfailles, or upright white cos lettuce. 9. The black cos. 10. The white cos lettuce. 11. The red capuchin lettuce. 12. The Roman Uttua. 13. Prince lettuce, and 14. The royal lettuce.

The firft of thelc forts is very common in all gardens, and is commonly fown for cutting very young, to mix with other falad herbs in Spring; and the fecond, or cabbage lettuce is only this, mended by culture. It may be fown at all times of the year, but in the hot months requires to be fown in fliady borders. The cab- bage lettuce may alfo be fown at different feafons to have a continuation of it through the fummer. The firft crop ftould be fown in February in an open Situation ; the others, at three weeks distance, but the later ones under co- vert, but not under the drippings of trees. Miller's Gard- ners Diet.

The Silefia, imperial, royal, black, white and upright cos lettuces, may be fown firft in the latter end of February or the beginning of March, on a warm light foil, and in an open fituation ; when the plants are come up, they muft be thinned to fifteen inches diftance every way, they will then re- quirenofarthercarethanthe keeping them clearof weeds; and the black cos, as it grows large, mould have its leaves tied together to whiten the inner part. Succeeding crops of thefe Should be fown in April, May, and June, and toward the latter end of Auguft they may be fowed for a winter crop, to be preferved under glafies, or in a bed arched over with hoops and covered with mats.

The moft valuable, of all the Englifh lettuces, are the white cos, or the Verfailles, the Silefia, and the black cos. The brown Dutch and the green capuchin are very hardy, and may be fown late, under walls, where they will Stand the winter, and be valuable, when no others are to be had. The red capuchin Roman, and prince lettuce-, are very early kinds, and are fown for variety, as are alfo the Aleppo ones for the beauty of their fpotted leaves.

The milk of the common garden lettuces is hypnotic, while the root of the plant is cooling, diluent and nourishing. Dr. Afton. ap. Med. EST. Edinb. Vol. 5. art. 12.

LEVARE antiphona?n, in the mufic of the RomiSh, church, is to begin or open the firft note of an anthem.

LEVA-