as fome have aficrted, courts an immediate death 
by fufpending itfclf from a forked branch of fome 
adjacent tree. 
Enemies fo numerous and deftru£tive would 
foon depopulate the country that produced them, 
did not the fame rapacity which prompts them to 
confume the labours of induftry, at laft impel them 
to deftroy each other. After committing incre- 
dible devaftations, they are at laft obferved to fe- 
parate into two arm.ies, oppofed with deadly 
hatred, along the banks of the larger lakes and 
rivers. The Laplanders, who watch their ma- 
nceuvres, inftead of confidering their mutual ani- 
mofities as a happy riddance from thefe moft dread- 
ful pefts, form ominous prognoftics from the 
manner of tlieir arrangements. They confider 
their combats as prefages of v/ar; and expert an 
invafion from the Ruffians or Swedes, according 
as the army towards thefe kingdoms happens to 
prove victorious. The two divifions, however, 
ftill continue their engagements till the one has 
overcome the other; after which they totally dif- 
appear. Nor is it well known what then becomes 
eitherofthe conquerors or the conquered: fomefup- 
pofe that they rufh headlong into the fea, and perilh; 
others, that they deftroy themfelvcs, as fome are 
found hanging on the forked branches of trees; and 
others again, that the young fpring herbage proves 
fatal to their exiftence. But the moft probable 
opinion is, that having devoured the vegetable 
produftions of the country, and being deftitute of 
any farther fuppiies, they fiill to devouring each 
other; and, having once habituated themfelves 
to this fort of repaft", they continue it ever after. 
However that may be, they are often found dead 
by dioufands, and their carcafes have been known 
fo to infeft the ambient air, as to produce very 
malignant diforders. The plants which they have 
gnawed feem alfo to be contaminated; for fuch cat- 
tle as afterwards feed in thofe places over which 
they have paffed, frequently languifh, and die. 
Thefe animals are prolific beyond conception : 
and, what is very extraordinary, their breeding 
does not hinder their march; for an individual 
has fometimes been obferved to carry one young 
•.one in it's mouth, and another on it's back. The 
ermine preys on thefe creatures without mercy; 
and, according to fome authors, the rein-deer 
find in them very deleftable food. The Swedes 
and Norwegians, who praclife agriculture, con- 
fider an invafion from thefe vermin as a terrible 
vifitation ; but the cafe is very different with re- 
gard to the Laplanders, who leading a vagrant 
life themfelves, like the Lemmings, can eafily 
retire from one parr of the country to another. 
Thefe people indeed ahvays exprefs great fatisfac- 
tion when they are vifited by an army of Lemmings; 
they feaft on their flefliwith peculiar avidity; and 
yet, from the beft accounts we have received of 
it's nature and quality, it appears to be fuch food 
as cats and dogs turn away from with averfion. 
In former times, the Swedes and Norwegians 
exerted fpiritual arms againft thefe deftruftive ani- 
mals; the prieft performed exorcifms ; and a long 
form of prayer wascompofed and repeated in order 
to avert the evil. Happily, however, for man- 
kind, their emigrations feldom happen more than 
once or twice in the courfe of twenty years. 
LEMUR. A genus of the order of primates, 
in the clafs of mammalia; the diftinguilhing cha- 
radters of which are : that thefe animals have four 
iipper fore-teeth, feparate from each other i and 
LEO 
fix lower ones, which are longer, comprefifed, and 
parallel : the laniarii are fingle ones ; and the mo- 
lares are numerous, the fore ones being longer and 
fharper than the reft. 
LEO. The claffical appellation for the lion. 
See Lion. 
LEO PULEX. a fpecies of infe^ fo called 
by Reaumur: it feeds on the pulex arboreus, or 
common tree puceron, in the fame manner that 
the formica leo does on ants, being likewife an 
animal in an imperfeft ftate. 
The Leo Pulex is ufually bred among the pu- 
lices, which it devours in prodigious numbers. It 
is originally a worm of the hexapode or fix-legged 
kind, and afterwards becomes a green fly with four 
win.Q;s. 
Another animal of this kind, and equally de- 
ftruftive to the genus of pulices, is a hexapode 
worm of a whitifh colour, and fmaller than the 
former, which finally becom.es a round-bodied 
beetle. A third fpecies is called vermis hyftrix, the 
porcupine worm, from the vaft number of fpiculse 
with which it is armed: this alfo finally becomes a 
fmall round beetle. 
LEOCROCOTTA. An appellation given 
by the ancients to an imaginary animal, faid to be 
the fwifteft in nature. It is defcribed as a mon- 
grel, unable to propagate it's own fpecies, being 
generated between the hyjena and the lionefsj 
but, with reipe£l to it's exiftence, we have no au- 
thentic accounts. Latin authors feem to confound 
this creature with the mantichora; and attribute 
what has been faid of the one to the other. 
LEOPARD. An animal of the feline kind, 
extremely fierce, nim.ble, and a61:ive; the m^ale of 
which is fometimes, but improperly, called par- 
dus, and the female panthera. 
Leopard, CojMMOn. This animal, called alfo 
the panther of Senegal, is a native of Senegal and 
Guinea. The principal difference between it and 
the panther, with which it is frequently con- 
founded, are the following : the large panther is 
often found to be fix feet long from the nofe to 
the infertion of the tail ; and the Leopard, or pan- 
ther of Senegal, feldom exceeds four. The large 
panther is marked in difi^erent places with five or 
fix fpots, forming a kind of circle, with a large one 
in the centre: the latter has a more beautiful coat; 
the fpots are fnaller, and difpofed in clufters, 
which have a pleafing efieft, as the yellow ground 
is very brilliant. In other refpefts, the Ipots of 
both are black; they are both Vv^hitifh under the 
belly; and the tails of both are long: but thofe of 
the Leopard are fomewhat longer in proportion. 
Thefe animals fpare neither man nor qua- 
druped. When they cannot obtain a fufficient 
fupply of beafts of the chace, they defcend in mul- 
titudes from the internal parts of Africa, and make 
terrible devaftation among the numerous herds 
that cover the rich meadows of Lower Guinea : 
they tear their prey in pieces both with their claws 
and teeth ; and, though ever devouring, are always 
emaciated. 
Thefe Leopards are taken in pitfalls, covered 
over with flight hurdles, on which a bait of flefii 
is placed. Their flelli is fiiid to be well tafted, 
and to poflefs the delicacy and whitenefs of veal. 
Their fkins, which are very valuable, are often im- 
ported into Europe; and the negro wom.en make 
collars of their teeth, to which they afcribe extra- 
ordinary virtues. 
Befides the countries already mentioned, this 
animal 
