L O M 
that great numbers of them often perifh in the 
Waters. The natives, however, watch the rivers 
during thefe months, and take them up in my- 
riads with the affiftance of fmall nets: part of them 
they eat frefh, part they broil on the coals, and 
the remainder they pickle. Being efteemed a 
great delicacy as well by the rich as the poor, they 
are regularly brought to market, and fold as larks 
or quails are in Europe. Indeed, it appears from 
Holy Writ that the Jev/s anciently fed on them; 
for Mofes, in the Book of Leviticus, permits them 
to eat four different fpecies, which he was careful 
to fpecify. However, this dilb has never been 
regarded as a luxury in Europe; and though the 
delicacies of the Eaft have in general been intro- 
duced, and too frequently eftablifhed, we are as 
yet happily behind the natives of Indoftan in this 
particular. 
Locust, Great West Indian. Confidered 
as an individual, this is the moft formidable of 
all the infefts which compofe this noxious tribe. 
It is about the thicknefs of a goofe-quill; and 
the body is divided into nine or ten joints, which, 
taken together, are about fix or feven inches long. 
It has tvv^o fmall eyes, projecSting out of the head 
like thofe of crabs ; and two filiform feelers. The 
whole bodv is iludded with fmall excrefcences not 
much larger than the points of pins. Tiie fliape 
is roundifh. The body diminifhes in circumfe- 
rence to the tail, which is bifid; and betv/een 
thefe there is a fort of Iheath, containing a fmall 
but dangerous fling. If any perfon happens to 
touch this infeft, he is inevitably ftung, and im- 
mediately feized with a ihivering and trembling 
all over his body: but more dangerous fymptoms 
may be ftopped by rubbing the place affefted 
with a fmall quantity of palm-oil. 
Locust, Water. A fpecies of aquatic infedl 
^ fomewhat refembling the common Locuft in 
foape. It is about three inches long, of which 
it's tail occupies about one inch and a quarter. 
The body is flender; and the legs are of various 
lengths, the fore-pair being always carried hori- 
zontally, in the form of antennas; but they all ter- 
minate in claws. The eyes are fmall, and not 
very prominent; the upper wings are cruftaceous; 
and the under ones are membranaceous, thin, and 
tranfparent. The middle joints of the legs are 
fuch, that the creature can only move them up- 
wards; and an acute tongue or probofcis runs un- 
der the belly, as in the water fcorpion and noto- 
ne^la. 
LOCUSTA PULEX. An appellation given 
by Swammerdam to a genus of infe<5ts fince de- 
fcribed by Rav under tiie name of cicadula. 
LOCUSTELLA ; the Gralhopper Lark. A 
fmall bird of the Lark kind, the Alauda Trivalis 
of Linnsus. It is fmaller than the common 
wren ; of a brownifh yellow colour, fpotted with 
black: the tail is long and brovv'n ; and the belly 
and thighs are variegated with oblong ftreaks of 
a blackifh brown. This bird feeds on infefts; 
and emits the fame kind of found as the grafhop- 
per, only confiderably louder. It ufually perches 
on the top of fome prickly fhrub; and, vibrating 
it's tail very brifkly, chirps without intermifllon, 
particularly during the fummer evenings: how- 
ever, it is feldom heard after the middle of Au- 
guft. 
LOIR. An appellation given by Buffon to 
the greater dormoufe. See Dormouse. 
LOMMIA. A web-footed aquatic fowl com- 
LOR 
mon on the Englifh coafls; and called in diffe- 
rent places the guillem, guillemot, fea-hen, kid- 
daw, and flcout: however, the lafi. name feems 
equivocal, as the natives of Scotland call the ra- 
zor-bill by the fame appellation. 
The Lommia, or Colymbus Troile of Lin- 
n?eus, bears a firong refemblance to the razor- 
bill, but is confiderably larger, being equal to 
the common duck in fize. The head, neck, 
wings, back, tail, and upper part of the throat, 
are of a mottled colour, compofed of black, 
brown, and grey; the breaft, belly, and lower 
part of the throat, are white; and the wings 
are variegated with an admixture of white. The 
bill is ftralght, black, and fharp; and the legs, 
which are placed far behind, are deftitute of the 
hinder toe. 
This bird builds it's neft in the high naked 
rocks that overhang feveral pares of the Britilh 
coafts: it is a very firnple, ftupid animal; and 
will calmly behold it's companions fiiot around 
it, without ever meditating it's own fafety. 
There is a variety of this bird, inferior in fize to 
the formicr, which frequents the Welfli coafts 
during the winter feafon, and likewife the frith 
of Forth, where it is called a morrot. 
LONG-LEGS. A common appellation for 
the tipula. 
LONG-TONGUE. A bird of the wood- 
pecker kind found near the Cape of Good Hooe, 
having a long, fiiarp tongue, as hard as iron: ic 
is as fmall at the extremity as the point of a nee- 
dle; and ufed by the creature, by way of defence, 
v/henever attacked. The feet refemble thofe of 
the nightingale, except that they are armed with 
fnarp claws. 
This curious bird is about the fize of the 
goldfinch: it's body is fpotted and mottled; 
but it's belly is yellow. It's fielh, which is very 
delicioufly tafted, is efteemed extremely falu- 
brious and nutritive. 
LOON. A name given by fome naturalifts 
to the colymbus major, or great diver; as alfo to 
the colymbus minor. 
LOPHIUS. A genus of the Amphibia 
Nantes in the Linnaean fyftem ; the charadlers of 
which are: that they have folitary fpiracles near 
the branchia; a number of fmall teeth; peftoral 
fins, incident in the branchis; and only three 
branchifie. The fpecies are the guaperva, the 
guacuia, and the ranapifcatrix. 
LORIPES. An appellation ufed by fome 
authors to exprefs the himantopus, an aquatic 
bird remarkable for the length and weaknefs of 
it's legs. 
LORIS. A fpecies of Lemur in the Linnrean 
fyftem, being the Lemur Tardigradus of that 
author. It is a native of the Ille of Ceylon; 
and, of all other animals, is the longeft- in pro- 
portion to it's fize, having nine vertebra in the 
loins, whereas other quadrupeds have only feven. 
The body appears ftill longer, by being deftitute 
of a tail. In other refpefts the Loris bears a 
ftrong refemblance to the maki kind, as well in 
it's hands and feet, as in it's fnout and theglofly 
qualities of it's hair. It is about the fize of the 
fquirrei ; and appears to be a docile, harmlefs lit- 
tle animal. 
LORY. A fubordinate genus of the parrot 
kind, which feems to conned the parrots, pro- 
perly fo called, with the parroquets; and, when 
confidered in a limited fenfe, Ihould be entirely- 
white I 
