LEA 
is compofed of thofe which are large ; have even, 
not forked, tails; and a tubercle in the lower chap 
of the bill : the other genus is compofed of the 
fmaller ones, which have all forked tails, without 
any tubercle. Of the firft genus are the great 
gull, the herring-gull, the fea-mall, the fea-meb, 
the tarrock, the pewit, the gannet, the catarafta, 
the martinazza, the coddy-moddy, the winder- 
meb; the cepphus, the brown tern, and the ga- 
viota: of the fecond, or fmaller kind, are the 
fterna, which LinnjEus has made a feparate genus ; 
the fifcherlin, the fcare-crow, and four fpecies of 
the Larus fidipes. 
LARUS FIDIPES. A peculiar kind of bird 
of the Larus or gull kind; except that it's toes are 
loofe, as on inland fowls. There are four known 
Ipecies of this genus, which all feed on fifli. 
LATUS. A fifh of the coracinus or umbra 
kind, caught in the River Nile, and in the Adria- 
tic and Mediterranean feas. It bears a ftrong re- 
femblance to the common coracinus, but is confi- 
derably larger, and deftitute of the beard depend- 
ing from the iaw of that Ipecies. It's fiefli is 
efteemed verv delicate food. 
LAVARETUS. A fmail fifh, called by fome 
naturaliUs the gang-fifli, and the rhingau; and by 
Marcgrave the Curimata. It feems to be of a mid- 
dle nature between the trout and herring kind ; is 
caught in vaft quantities, during the months of 
March and April, in fevcral of the German lakes; 
and, after being pickled, is fent to different parts 
of the world. It feldom exceeds four inches in 
length. 
LAVIN. An appellation given by the natives 
of the Philippine iflands to a , fpecies of hawk, 
beautifully variegated with yellov/, black, and 
white. It is ibmetimes called Sicub. 
LAUNCE ; the Ammodytes Tobianus of Lin- 
nseus. This fifh, called alfo the fand-eel, refem- 
bles the common eel in lhape, being long and 
round, and generally about nine or ten inches in 
length. The back is blue, varying v/ith green; 
and the fides are of a filvery white colour. It 
is deftitute of fcales; it has a fharp fnout, and a 
wide mouth without teeth; the lower jaw is 
longer than the upper, but the latter is moveable, 
and capable of benig protruded. A long narrow 
nn, confifting of fifty-eight rays, extends almoft the 
whole length of the back; and there is alfo a pair 
of fins at the gills, but none under the belly. The 
irides are filvery. The tail is furcated; but the 
lobes are rounded at their extremities. 
Thefe fifhes abound on the fandy fhores of this 
iiland during fome part of the fummer. On the 
recefs of the tides, they conceal themfelves about 
half a foot under the furface of the water, in thofe 
places where it is left about the depth of one foot; 
and from thefe retreats they are drawn by means of 
hooks adapted for that purpofe. Their flefli is 
very delicate; but it is moft commonly ufed as a 
bait for other nfh. 
_ LEAPING FISH. This fifh, which is a na- 
tive of the Oriental feas, derives it's name from it's 
leaping and playing on the furface of the water. 
It IS about the fize of the herring: it's head is full 
of knots; it's body is of a greyiih colour, fpotted 
with black; and it has ao dorfal fins. It's flefh is 
much efteem^ed. 
LEATHER-MOUTHED. The Engliih 
expreffion for Malacoftomous ; a diftinftive epi- 
thet applied to fuch fifhes as have thick lips, and 
no teeth in their jaws ; of which kind are the tench^ 
the carp, the bream^ and the roach. 
Vol. II. 
LEE 
LECCIA. An appellation frequently given to 
a large fifh caught in the Mediterranean, more ge- 
nerally known by the names of the glaucus and 
amia. _ It is probably a fpecies of the fcomber; and 
is diftinguifhed by Artedi under the name of the 
fcomber with two dorfal fins, and the ray of the 
hinder fin very long. 
LEECH. In the Linnasan fyftem, the Leech 
is a genus of inteftina, comprehending nine diffe- 
rent fpecies. The diftinguifhing charafters of this 
animal are ; that the body is oblong, deftitute of 
feet, and of a black colour with various fpots and 
lines; that the mouth has three diftind apertures; 
and that it's motions are performed by dilating the 
head and tail, and raifing the body into an arched 
form. 
Leech, Common ; the Hirudo Medicinalis of 
Linnsus. This fpecies, which is ufually about 
the length of the middle finger, exhibits the gene- 
ral figure of a worm. It's fkin is compo^id of 
rings, by means of which it acquires it's agility, 
and fwims in the water. When touched, after be- 
ing feparated from it's proper element, it contrads 
itfelf in fuch a manner as not to exceed one inch 
in length. It has a fmall head; a black fkin, 
edged with a yellow line on each fide, and fome 
yellowifh fpots on the back ; and the belly, which 
is of a reddifh colour, is marked with whitifh yel- 
low fpots. But the moft remarkable part of this 
animal is it's m.outh, which confifts of five difi^e- 
rent parts, confounded under one general appella- 
tion: thefe are two regular lips; a cavity, which is 
properly the mouth ; certain inftruments for pierc- 
ing; others which ferve for fucking; and, laftly, a 
throat or sefophagus, through Vv'hich it fwallows the 
blood of animals, that it is fo well adapted to ex- 
trad. 
In a quiefcent ftate, the upper lip of the Leech 
forms a regular femicircle ; and the lower a {eg- 
ment of a circle whofe diameter would be much 
more confiderable. When it extends it's head in 
order to move, the femicircle of the upper lip 
forms two oblique lines, the jundion of which 
makes a faliant angle, capable of being applied to 
any objed on which it would fix: that angle is 
m.arked with a regular black fpot on the exterior 
edge of the lip. The extreme foftnefs of the fibres 
of this pait renders it very ferviceable to the ani- 
mal in readily aiTuming any figure occafionally. 
Whenever the Leech attaches itfelf to any ob- 
jed, the two lips regularly fix, and in that ftate 
form a fort of acetabulum, like the hollow of the 
tail : this may be obferved in it's fixing on the fides 
of the glafs velTel wherein it is kept; in which fitu- 
ation the mouth, or the aperture between the iips^. 
is diftindly feen. The mouth, like the lips, is 
formed of^ fuch extremely fupple fibres, that it 
takes the figure of the part to which it is applied, 
and adheres very clofely thereto. When the lips 
are fixed on the flefh, in order to fuck, the mouth 
continues moveable under them, and explores the 
compafs of the flefh inclofed in the larger circle of 
the lips, for the fpot where the blood may be moft 
eafily extraded. Within this mouth is placed the 
inftrument for piercing the fl-iin, which is diiTerenr 
from the fucker of the gnat, as may be proved by 
examining the wound it leaves. This wound is 
compofed of three cuts, making three rays, and 
uniting in a centre under equal angles, Thefe 
three openings, on the fourth day after the appli- 
cation, appear as if made by a fine lancet. On ex- 
amining the Leech, the organ deftined for in- 
fliding the wound is found to be placed between 
D the 
