L tr m 
gYowth and appearance in all its states varies 
much, according to the difference of seasons. 
It *is not very uncommon in many parts of 
En gland. 
The commonly supposed female differs so 
much in appearance from the male, that it 
has by some authors been considered as a dis- 
tinct species. It is not only smaller than the 
former, but totally destitute of the long and 
large ramified jaws, instead of which it has a 
pair of very short curved ones, slightly den- 
ticulated on their inner side: the head is also 
of considerably smaller diameter than the 
thorax. In point of colour it resembles the 
former. 
The exotic species of this genus are mostly 
natives of America, and one in particular, fre- 
quently found in Virginia, is so nearly allied 
to tire English stag-beetle as hardly to differ, 
except in having fewer denticulations or divi- 
sions on the jaws. 
A highly elegant species has lately been 
discovered in New Holland. This* differs 
from the rest in being entirely of a beautiful 
golden-green colour, with short, sharp-point- 
ed, denticulated jaws of a brilliant copper- 
colour. The whole length- of the insect is 
rather more than an inch. There are seven 
species of the lucanus. 
LUCIDA, in astronomy, an appellation 
giyen to several fixed stars on account of 
their superior brightness ; as the lucida coro- 
na*, a star of the second magnitude in the 
northern crown ; the lucida hydra:, or cor 
hydra:; and the lucida lyrae, a star of the iirst 
magnitude in that constellation. 
LUDW1GIA, a genus of the monogynia 
order, in the tetrandria class of plants, and in 
the natural method ranking under the 17th 
order, calycantheime. The corolla is tetra- 
petalous; the calyx quadripartite, superior; 
the capsule tetragonal, quadrilocular, inferi- 
or, and polyspermous. There are four spe- 
cies, annuals of the West Indies. 
LUES. See Medicine. 
LUMBAGO. See Medicine. 
LUMBR1CUS, the zvorm, in zoology ; a 
genus of insects belonging to the order of 
Vermes intestina. The body is cylindrical, 
annulated, with an elevated belt ' near the 
middle, and a vent-hole on its side. There 
are two species of this animal : 1. Lumbricus 
terrestris, the earth or dew worm, Mr. Bar- 
but observes, differs extremely in colour and 
external appearance in the different periods 
of its grow th, which has occasioned people 
little acquainted with the variations of this 
kind of animals to make four or live different 
species of them. The general colour is a 
dusky red. They live under ground, never 
quitting the earth but after heavy rains, or at 
the approach of storms. The method to 
force them out is, either to water the ground 
with infusions of bitter plants, or to trample 
on it. The bare motion on the surface of the 
soil drives them up, in fear of being surprised 
by their formidable enemy, the mole. The 
winding progression of the worm is facilitated 
by the inequalities of its body, armed with 
small, stiff, sharp-pointed bristles: when it 
means to insinuate itself into the earth, there 
oozes from its body a clammy liquor, by 
means of which it slides down. It never da- 
mages the roots of vegetables. Its food is a 
small portion of earth, which it has the faculty 
of digesting. The superfluity is ejected by 
wav of excrement, under a vermicular np- 
Vol. II. 
L V S 
pearance. Earth-worms are hermaphrodites, 
2. r J he marinus, marine worm, or lug, (see 
Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 255.) is of a pale red co- 
lour, and the body is composed of a number 
of annular joints; the skin is scabrous, and all 
the rings or joints are covered with little 
prominences, which render it extremely rough 
to the touch. It is an inhabitant of the mud 
about the sea-shores, and serves for food to 
many kinds of lish. The fishermen bait their 
hooks and nets with it. 
LUNAR caustic. ) See Silver, Che- 
LUNA cornea, jj mistry, and Salts, 
Detonating. 
LUNARIA, Satin - flower, Moon- 
wort, or H onesty, a genus of the silicu- 
losa order, in the tetradynamia class of 
plants, and in the natural* method ranking 
under the 39th order, siliquosae. The silicula 
is entire, elliptical, compressed-plane, and 
pedicellated; with the valves equal to the 
partition, parallel, and plane; the leaves of the 
calyx are alternately fritted at the base. There 
are three species. This plant is famous in 
some parts of the kingdom for its medicinal 
virtues, though it has not the fortune to be 
received in the shops. The people in the 
northern countries dry the whole plant in an 
oven, and give as much as will lie on a shilling 
for a dose twice a day in hemorrhages of all 
kinds, and with great success. The Welsh, 
among whom it is not uncommon, J)r. Need- 
ham informs us, make an ointment of it, 
which they use externally, and pretend it 
cures dysenteries. 
LUNATIC. See Idiot. 
LUNGS. See Anatomy, and Physio- 
logy. 
LUP1NUS , lupin, a genus of the decandrla 
order, in the diaaelphia class of plants, and in 
the natural method ranking under the 32d 
order, papilionaceae. The calyx is bilabiat- 
ed ; there are live oblong and five roundish 
anthera? ; the legumen is coriaceous. There 
are ten species, chiefly hardy herbaceous 
flowery annuals, rising with "upright stalks 
from one to three or four feet high, orna- 
mented with digitate or lingered leaves, and 
terminated by long whorled spikes of papilio- 
naceous flowers, white, blue, yellow, and 
rose-coloured. They are all easily raised 
from seed, and succeed in any open borders, 
where they make a line variety. 
LUPUS, in astronomy, a southern con- 
stellation, consisting of 19, or, according to 
Flamsteed, of 24 stars. 
LUSTRATION, in antiquity, sacrifices or 
ceremonies by which the antients purified 
their cities, field-, armies, or people, defiled 
by any crime or impurity. 
LUSTRE, a term signifying the gloss or 
brightness which appears on’lhe external sur- 
face of a mineral, or on the internal surface 
when newly broken. The- first is called the 
external, the second internal lustre. Two 
particulars respecting lustre require atten- 
tion, viz. the degree, and the kind. 
L With respect to degree, Dr. Thomson 
gives five terms of comparison, viz. 1 . very 
brilliant; 2. brilliant; 3. sub-brilliant; 4. 
glimmering, that is, having only certain 
parts brilliant ; 5. dull, or without lustre. 
2. \\ ltn respect to kind, the lustre is eithei 
metallic or common. The common lustre ii 
subdivided into vitreous or glossy, silky, 
waxy or greasy, mother of pearl, diamond, 
and scmi-metallic. 
L U T eg 
LT i E, a stringed instrument formerly 
much in use; antientlv containing only five 
rows ot strings, but to w hich six, or more 
wei e afterwards added. Hie lute consists of 
tom parts, viz. the table; the bodv, which 
has nine or ten sides; the neck, which has as 
many stops or divisions'; and the head, or 
cross, in which screws for tuning it are in- 
serted. In playing this instrument, the per- 
former strikes the strings with the fingers of 
the right hand, and regulates the sounds with 
those ot the left hand. The origin of this in- 
strument is not known, though generally be- ’ 
lieved to be of very early date. Indeed, au- 
thors are not agreed as to the country to 
which we are indebted for its invention. ' 
Some give it to Germany, and derive its 
name from the German "word latue, which 
signifies the same thing, while others ascribe 
it to the Arabians, and trace its name from 
the Arabic alland. 
LL 1 ES. In many chemical operations 
the \ esscls must be covered with something 
to preserve them from the violence of the 
fire, from being broken or melted ; and also 
to close exactly their joinings to each other, 
in order to retain the substances which thev 
contain, when they are volatile, and reduced 
to vapour. 
" Tie coating used for retorts. See. to defend 
them from the action of the lire, is usually 
composed of nearly equal parts of coarse 
sand, and refractory clay. r [ hose matters 
ought to be well mixed* with water and a 
little hair, so as to form a liquid paste, with 
which the vessels are eovered, layer upon 
layer, till it is of the required thickness. The 
sand mixed with the clay is necessary to pre- 
vent the cracks which are occasioned by the 
contracting ot the clay during its drying, 
which it always does when pure. The* hair 
serves also to bind the parts of the lute, and 
to keep it applied to the vessel; for, notwith- 
standing the sand which is introduced into it, 
some cracks are alw ays formed, which would 
occasion pieces of it to fall off. 
the lutes with which th? joinings of ves- 
sels are closed, are of different kinds, accord- 
ing to the nature of the intended operations, 
and ot the substances to be distilled in these 
vessels. 
When vapours of watery liquors, and swell 
as are not corrosive, are to be contained, it is 
sufficient to surround the joining of the re- 
ceiver, to the nose of the alembic, or of the 
retort, with slips of paper Or linen, covered 
with flour paste. In such cases also, slips of 
wet bladder are very conveniently used. 
M hen more penetrating and dissolving va- 
pours are to be contained, a lute is to be em- 
ployed of quick-lime, slacked in air, and 
beaten into a liquid paste with whites of eggs. 
\ his paste is to be spread upon linen slips, 
which are to be applied exactly to the joining 
ot the vessel. 1 tiis lute is very convenient, 
easily dries, becomes solid, and sufficiently 
firm. J 
Lastly, when saline, acid, and corrosive 
vapours are to be contained, we must then 
have reeour.e to the lute called fat-lute. 
1 his lute is made by forming into a paste 
some dried clay finely powdered, silted 
through a silken scarce, and moistened with 
water ; and then, by beating this paste well in 
a mortar with boiled linseed-oil, that is, oil 
w hich has been rendered dry bv litharge dis- 
solved in it, tills lute easily takes and retains 
M 
