LAR 



LAR 



in it is to become a butterfly ; and the 

 wonder is, in what manner a creature of 

 this helpless kind, which lias neither legs 

 to dig-, nor teeth to gnaw with, is to make 

 its way out of so firm and strong 1 a lodg- 

 ment as this in which it is hatched. The 

 butterfly, as soon as hatched, discharges 

 a liquor which softens the viscous matter 

 that holds the case together ; and so its 

 .several fragments falling to pieces, the 

 way lies open. Reaumur judged, from 

 the effects, that this liquor must be of a 

 singular nature, and very different from 

 the generality of animal fluids; and in 

 dissecting- this creature in the caterpillar 

 state, there will always be found near the 

 mouth, and under the oesophagus, a blad- 

 der of the sifce of a small pea, full of a 

 limpid liquor, of a very quick and pene- 

 trating smell, and which, upon trial, 

 proves to be a very powerful acid; and 

 among other properties, which it has in 

 common with other acids, it sensibly 

 softens the glue of the case, on a common 

 application. It is evident that this liquor, 

 besides its use to the caterpillar, remains 

 with it in the chrysalis state, and is what 

 gives it a power of dissolving the struc- 

 ture of the case, and making its way 

 through in a proper manner at the neces- 

 sary time. 



Boerhaave adopted the opinion that 

 there are no true acids in animals, except 

 in the stomach or intestines ; but this 

 familiar instance proves the contrary. 

 Another very curious and mysterious arti- 

 fice is that by which some species of 

 caterpillars, when the time of their chang- 

 ing into the chrysalis state is coming on, 

 make themselves lodgments in the leaves 

 of the trees, by rolling them up in such a 

 manner as to make themselves a sort of 

 hollow cylindric case, proportioned to the 

 thickness of their body, well defended 

 against the injuries of the air, and care- 

 fully secured for their state of tran- 

 quillity. Besides these caterpillars, which 

 in this manner roll up the leaves of plants, 

 there are other species which only bend 

 them once, and others, which, by means 

 of thin threads, connect many leaves to- 

 g-ether to make them a case. " Ail this is 

 a very surprising work, but much inferior 

 to this method of rolling-. 



The different species of caterpillars 

 have different inclinations, not only in 

 their spinning- and their choice of food, 

 but even in iheir manners and behaviour 

 one to another. Some never part com- 

 pany from the time of their being hatched 

 to their last change, but live' and feed 

 tog-ether, and undergo together their 



change into the chrysalis state. Others 

 separate one from another as soon as able 

 to crawl about, and each seeks its tor- 

 tune single; and there are others which 

 regularly live to a certain time of their 

 lives in community, and then separate, 

 each to shift for itself, and never to meet 

 again in that state. See ENTOMOLOGY, 

 INSECTS, &.c. 



LARUS, the gull, in natural history, a 

 genus of birds of the order Anseres. Ge- 

 neric character: bill strong, straight, 

 sharp edged, bending down somewhat at 

 the tip; lower mandible exhibiting an an- 

 gular prominence ; nostrils in the middle 

 of the bill; body light ; wings long; legs 

 small, and naked above the knee ; back 

 toe small. They inhabit principally the 

 northern climates, subsisting on carrion, 

 and on fishes. They are reported, when 

 greatly alarmed, almost universally to 

 throw up from their stomach the food 

 they have recently swallowed. Gmelin 

 reckons fifteen species, and Latham nine- 

 teen. L, marinus, is twenty-nine inches 

 in length, and of the weight of five 

 pounds. It is found in various parts ot" 

 England, and on most of the northern* 

 coasts of Europe. It breeds in the most 

 elevated cliff's, laying its eggs on heaps 

 of dung deposited by various birds. It 

 feeds principally on fishes, but sometimes 

 attacks birds, and is said to bear a parti- 

 cular enmity to the eider-duck. See 

 Aves, Plate IX. fig. 2. 



L. fuscus, or the herring gull, is some- 

 what less than the former, frequents the 

 same situations, and subsists, like that,, 

 chiefly upon fish. In the herring season 

 it is seen watching the nets of the fisher- 

 men, and is daring enough frequently to 

 seize its prey from the boats and nets. 



L. canus, is sixteen inches long, and 

 about a pound in weight. It breeds on 

 the rocks and cliffs on the British coasts ; 

 and on the banks of the Thames, near its 

 union with the sea, may be seen in im- 

 mense numbers, picking up the worms 

 and small fishes deposited by the tide- 

 It will also follow the course of the 

 plough ever the fields, and delights in 

 the insects and worms which are thrown 

 up by it. The cockchafer, in its larva 

 state, is a particular favourite with this 

 bird. See Aves, Plate IX. fig. 1. 



L. ridibundus, the black-cap, or pewit 

 gull, breeds in the fens of Lincolnshire 

 and Cambridgeshire, England; and, after 

 the season of breeding is over, returns to 

 the coasts. In some parts of Syria these 

 birds are so familiar as to approach on 

 being called, Knd to catch pieces of bread 



