L A Tt 
it often attacks, in order to make them difgorgc the fiih 
or other food, which this common plunderer greedily 
catches up. Molt authors have told us, that it is the dung 
of the birds which it fearches after in. the purfuit; but 
later obfervations inform us that the circumftance is not 
true; though, from that fuppofition, the bird has obtain¬ 
ed the name of Jlrunt-jager, or dung-bird. Edwards re¬ 
ceived both his birds of this fpecies from Hudfon’s Bay, 
where he informs us that it is called the man of war .. 
19. Larus crepidatus, the black-toed gull: two middle 
tail-feathers a little longer than the reit. This is fifteen 
inches in length ; thirty-nine in breadth ; and weighs 
eleven ounces. The bili is an inch and a half long; the 
head and neck are white ; the fides ot the laff marked with 
dufky; bread: and belly white, eroded with numerous 
dufky and yellowifh lines ; fides and vent barred tranf- 
verfely with black and white ; the back, fcapulars, wing- 
coverts, and tail, black, beautifully edged with white or 
pale ruft-colour; the fhafts and tips of the quills white; 
the exterior web, and upper half of the interior, black ; 
but the lower part of the latter white; tail black, tipped 
with white; the two middle feathers about one inch longer 
than the others; the fhafts white ; the exterior webs of 
the outmoft fpotted with ruft-colour ; the legs of a blu- 
ifh lead-colour ; lower part of the toes and webs black. 
A bird of this kind was taken near Oxford ; and another 
was met with between the illands of Tenerifte and Bona- 
vifta. 
In the Leverian Mufeum was one of this fpecies, but 
much fmaller than the above-deferibed ; the general co¬ 
lour brown ; the head and neck eroded with numerous 
tranfverfe darker lines; breaft and belly mottled with 
dufky white; fides barred with the fame; bale of the tail 
'white; the reft of its length dufky black ; fhape rounded ; 
the two middle feathers not particularly longer than the 
others; legs, and half the toes, and webs, yellowifh 
brown; the end half black. 
20. Larus cataraftes, the fkua-gull: greyifh ; quill and 
tail-feathers white at the bafe; tail nearly equal. This 
fpecies is about the fize of a raven; length two feet; 
breadth four feet fix inches ; weight three pounds. The 
bill is an inch and three quarters in length, and black ; 
it is much curved at the end, and covered, for three parts 
of its length, with a black cere, at the end of which the 
noftrils are placed, which are pervious. The plumage on 
the upper parts of the head, neck, back, and wings, is 
very deep brown, the feathers margined with ferruginous 
brown ; the head and neck incline to afli-colour, efpe- 
cially the forehead and chin ; the breaft, belly, thighs, and 
vent, pale dufky ferruginous ; legs black, rough, and 
warty ; claws very hooked ; the hind toe very fhort, but 
the claw crooked and fliarp. This is a very voracious 
and fierce fpecies, and inhabits the northern parts of thefe 
kingdoms, for the molt part; we however now and then 
meet with it towards the fouth. It moftly frequents the 
Shetland Ifles, and thole of Ferro. Is alfo common in Nor¬ 
way, and as far as Iceland. On the rocky ifland of Foula 
it is much efteemed, as it is faid to defend the flocks from 
the eagle, which it beats and purfues with great fury; the 
natives denying that it ever injures or attacks the poultry. 
Dr. Forfter informs us, that it often tears lambs to pieces 
in the Ferro Ifles, and carries them to the neft. It alfo 
preys on the fmall gulls, and other birds, in the fame man¬ 
ner as the hawk ; and is feen to attack the firft on the w ing, 
in ordertomake them difgorge the fifh they may havetaken, 
and then quickly gobbles it up. The rapidity and violence 
with which it darts down to attack its prey, induced Lin¬ 
naeus to give it the name of cataraEles. During incubation, 
it is courageous to an alarming degree, in regard to its 
young; as it will then attack feveral perfons in company, 
without fear, fhould they approach its haunts. Thefe 
birds are frequent in the high latitudes of the fouthern 
hemifphere; our circumnavigators met with them in the 
Falkland Ifles, particularly about Port Egmont, where 
shey are called Port-Egnwnt kens. In that place, and at 
'’VOL.XII. No. 827. 
LAS S33 
Terra del Fuego, they were obferved to make their nefts 
among the dry grafs. After breeding-time, they difperfe 
over the ocean, and, for the raoft part, are feen in pairs. 
They are found in Kerguelen’s Land, and off the Cape of 
Good Hope. In all places its manners are the fame in 
refpeft to its ferocity ; it is frequently feen to attack the 
larged albatrofs, beating it with great violence fo long as 
it remains on the wing; at which time this cowardly 
giant finds no other refource than to fettle on the water; 
on which the gull flies away. 
21. Larus keeafk, the Equimaux gull: brown ; wing- 
coverts variegated with white; tail black, fpotted and 
tipt with white. This is a native of Hudfon’s Bay; dif- 
covered by Mr. Hutchins. Length twenty-two inches. 
It comes in April, makes a flight neft of grafs, and lays 
two pale ferruginous eggs fpotted with black: as the 
winter approaches, it retreats to open water, and is there 
known by the name of Efquimaux keeafk. This fpecies 
is faid to be fometimes found in Denmark, fkulking among 
cattle, and may then be taken by the hand; appearing by 
this as if it were tired after a long flight, or refting for # 
while, in order to purfue its route. 
LAR'WICK. See Lerwick. 
LARYM'NA, a town of Bceotia, where Bacchus had a 
temple and a ftatue.—Another in Caria. 
LARYN'GEAL, adj. in anatomy, an epithet applied 
to parts belonging to the larynx. The laryngeal arteries 
are the vefiels more commonly deferibed under the name 
of thyroid arteries. The laryngeal nerves, fuperior and in¬ 
ferior, are branches of the par vagum. 
LARYNGOT'OMY, /. [from the Gr. the up- 
per part of the windpipe, and reuya, to cut.] An opera¬ 
tion wdiich confifts in making an artificial opening into 
the larynx with a knife, a meafure fometimes neceflary in 
certain cafes of difeafe to prevent fuffocation, as well as 
to enable the practitioner to inflate the lungs in inftances 
of fufpended animation. The incifion is now generally 
made in the windpipe itfelf, and the operation called tra- 
cheotomy. See the article Surgery. 
LA'RYNX,/. [Greek.] The upper part of the trachea,, 
which lies below the root of the tongue, before the pha¬ 
rynx.—There are thirteen mufcles for the motion of the 
five cartilages of the larynx. Der/iam. —See the article Ana¬ 
tomy, vol. i. p. 603, 4. 
LARYS'IUM, a mountain of Laconia. 
LARZICOU'R, a town of France, in the department 
of the Marne, on the Marne: nine miles fouth-eaft of Vi- 
try le Francois. 
LAS CA'SAS. See Casas, vol. iii. p. 863. 
LASA'IA, a town of Naples, in Principato Citra s 
twenty-one miles fouth-fouth-weft of Cangiano. 
LAS'BERG, a town of Auftria: three miles eaft-fouth- 
eaft of Freyftatt. 
LAS'BOROUGH, Gloucefterfhire, five miles from Tet- 
bury, and nineteen from Gloucefter, is a fmall village ; it* 
church is a free chapel. A few years flnee a monumental 
ftone was turned up by the plough, in Bowldown-field in 
this parifli; and, by the infeription, it appears to have been 
there before Chriftianity was eftabliflied in this country. 
LASCAR', f. A native Indian failor. 
LAS'CARIS, Emperor of the Eaft. See the article Rome. 
LAS'CARIS (Conftantine), a learned defeendant of the 
imperial family of that name, was a native of Conftanti- 
nople. Quitting his country at the capture of the city by 
the Turks, in 1454, he came to Italy, where he was ami¬ 
cably received by duke Francis Sforza, of Milan. Such 
were the ideas then prevailing of the education proper for 
a female of rank, that the duke placed his daughter Hip- 
polita, then about ten years of age, under the care of Laf- 
caris for inftruftion in the Greek language. It was for 
her life that he compofed his Greek Grammar. From 
Milan it is fuppofed that Conftantine went to Rome, and 
patTed fome time in the court of his countryman cardinal 
Beffarion. Thence, upon the invitation of king Ferdi¬ 
nand, he repaired to Naples, wh^re he opened a public 
3 T lckcwd 
