Part 57

From the peculiar construction of the hinder claws, which are very long and straight, larks generally rest upon the ground; those which frequent trees perch only on the larger branches. They all build their nests upon the ground, which exposes them to the depredations of the smaller kinds of voracious animals, such as the weasel, stoat, &c., which destroy great numbers of them. The cuckoo, likewise, which makes no nest of its own, frequently substitutes its eggs in the place of theirs. The general characters of this species are thus described:—

The bill is straight and slender, bending a little towards the end, which is sharp pointed; the nostrils are covered with feathers and bristles: the tongue is cloven at the end; tail somewhat forked; the toes divided to the origin; claw of the hinder toe very long, and almost straight; the fore claws very short, and slightly curved.

_Twirling for larks_ is a species of amusement peculiar to the French, and is thus described:—

These birds are attracted to any given spot in great numbers, by a singular contrivance, called a mirror.

This is a small machine, made of a piece of mahogany, shaped like a chapeau bras, and highly polished, or else it is made of common wood, inlaid with small bits of looking-glass, so as to reflect the sun’s rays upwards; it is fixed on the top of a thin iron rod, on an upright spindle, dropped through an iron loop, or ring, attached to a piece of wood to drive into the ground. By pulling a string, fastened to the spindle, the mirror twirls, and the reflected light unaccountably attracts the larks, who hover over it, and become a mark for the sportsman. In this way, says an old sportsman, I have had capital sport. A friend of mine actually shot six dozen before breakfast; while he sat on the ground he pulled the twirler himself, and his dogs fetched the birds as they dropped. However, I go on in the common way, and employ a boy to work the twirler. Ladies often partake of the amusement, on a cold dry morning, not by shooting, but by watching the sport: so many as ten or a dozen parties are sometimes out together, firing at a distance of five or six hundred yards, and in this way the larks are constantly kept on the wing. The most favourable mornings are when there is a gentle light frost, with little or no wind, and a clear sky; for when there are clouds, the larks will not approach. One would think the birds themselves enjoyed their destruction, for the fascination of the twirler is so strong, as to rob them of the usual fruits of experience; after being fired at several times, they return to the twirler, and form again into groups, above it; some of them even fly down, and settle upon the ground within a yard or two of the astonishing instrument, looking at it this way and that way, and all ways together, as if nothing had happened.—_Sporting Anecdotes._—_Bewick._

LARVA, _s._ The enica or caterpillar.

LARUS (_Auctores_), _s._ Gull, a genus thus characterised.

Bill long or middle sized, strong, hard, compressed, cutting, curved towards the point, the under mandible forming a saliant angle. Nostrils at the sides, in the middle of the bill, slit lengthwise, straight, pierced from part to part. Legs slender, naked to the knee; shank long; three toes before, wholly webbed; the hind toe free, short, and jointed high upon the shank. Tail with the feathers of equal length; wings long, the first quill almost of equal length with the second.—_Montagu._

LASH, _s._ A stroke with anything pliant and tough; the thong or point of the whip; a leash, or string in which an animal is held.

LAUDANUM, _s._ A soporific tincture; liquid opium.

LAUGHING GULL (_Larus ridibundus_, LEISLER), _s._

Length fifteen, breadth thirty-seven inches; weight ten ounces. Bill and feet rich vermilion; irides hazel; round the eyes a few white feathers; lower part of the neck, tail, and belly white; the back and wings grey; primores white, the first with the outer margin black; the second tipped with black, and marked with a black spot on the inner web. In winter the head is white, with a black patch on the ear, and another in front of the eyes; under the wing blackish grey. Female similar. Nest, according to Wilson, in meadows and islands in fresh water lakes. Eggs three, olive, with dusky blotches. It leaves Scotland in winter, but is a permanent resident in England.

These birds appear to be subject to great variety, either from age or from change of season, and in those changes they have been described as different species. The red-legged gull of authors is only this bird before it is arrived at maturity; and there seems no doubt but the old birds lose the black on the head in the winter, and do not assume it again till the breeding season; but there is generally a little black about the ears; the bill and legs also lose their bright colour.

We have seen hundreds of these birds together in the winter, but have never seen one with a black head at that season. They appear in great abundance in the autumn, on the coast of Caermarthen and Glamorganshire, particularly about the mouths of rivers. At that time the head is white, in some mottled with brown, with a dusky spot behind the ear; the back and wing coverts in young birds are mottled with brown and white; the tail crossed with a dusky bar at the end; the bill and legs scarcely tinged with red. Towards spring the back begins to assume the ash-colour; then the wing coverts, and the bill and legs, obtain their proper colour; the black behind the ears spreads and meets behind, and on lifting up the feathers of the crown about the month of March, the stubs of the black feathers are to be observed. At this time also some few black feathers appear on the throat; but the perfect black head is not assumed during their stay in those parts. In Devonshire we have seen them complete in feather later in the spring, but never remember to have observed the same appearance in winter.

The laughing gull is said to breed in Lincolnshire in the fens, and in other parts of England, upon the borders of rivers.

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Dr. Plott assures us, in his History of Staffordshire, that in his time these birds annually visited a pool in Staffordshire. He also assures us that they would not breed on any other land than that of the proprietor of the before-mentioned place; and that on the death of the owner, they deserted the pool for three years, but only retired to another estate belonging to the next heir.

The young birds were accounted good eating, and were taken by driving them into nets before they could fly; that fifty dozen were taken at a driving, and that five shillings per dozen was the usual price.

The young were kept alive and fattened on offal. It is also added that three drivings were generally made in a season; and that anciently as many were taken as produced a profit of fifty or sixty pounds.

No author mentions their being seen in winter, having at that time been made a distinct species under various denominations.

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It makes a nest on the ground with rushes, dead grass, and such like materials, and lays three eggs, of an olivaceous brown, marked with rusty brown blotches.—_Montagu._

LAUNCEFISH, or SANDLANCE, _s._ A sea fish which buries itself, on the recess of the tide, more than a foot deep in the sand. It is much used for baits.

LAUNCH, _v._ To force into the sea; to rove at large.

LAUREL, _s._ A tree, called also the cherry bay.

LAVARET, _s._ A bird; a lake fish.

Lavaret is a fish known in England by the name of shelley or fresh water herring, in Wales by that of gwinniad; in Ireland by that of pollan; and in Scotland by that of vangis. In colour it is most like a grayling, but with broader and larger scales; it is common in the large lakes of most Alpine countries, and is known at Geneva by the name of ferra; and I believe that the salmo ceruleus, or wartmann of Bloch, or the gang-fisch of the Lake of Constance, from a comparison that I made of it with the ferra, is a variety of the same fish. It sometimes is as large as two pounds, and when quite fresh, and well fried or boiled, is an exceedingly good fish, and carves like grayling. The lavaret of different lakes has appeared to me to vary in the number of the spines in the fins. One brought me from the Lake of Zurich, thirteen inches long and eight inches in girth, had twelve spines in the dorsal fin, fifteen in the pectoral fins, eleven in the ventral, thirteen in the anal, and eighteen in the caudal. The gang-fisch, from the Lake of Constance, which was of a bluer colour, but I think decidedly only a variety of the same fish, was seven inches and three-quarters long, and four in girth, had twelve spines in the dorsal fin, fifteen in the pectoral, eleven in the ventral, twelve in the anal, and eighteen in the caudal. A lavaret from the Traun See had twelve spines in the dorsal fin, seventeen in the pectoral, thirteen in the ventral fin, twelve in the anal fin, and twenty-four in the caudal fin. One from the Hallstadt See was a larger and broader fish, but did not differ from the lavaret of the Traun See, except in having two spines less in the tail. It is only taken with nets. It feeds on vegetables, and in the stomachs of those I have opened I have never found either flies or small fishes.—_Salmonia._

LAWN, _s._ An open space between woods; fine linen.

LAXATIVE, _s._ Medicines that open the bowels moderately, without stimulating them so much as to increase their secretions. They consist of castor, olive, or linseed oils; the neutral salts, common salt, and small doses of aloes, as in the following formula:—

LAXATIVE DRENCH.

1. Castor oil 1 pint.

2. Sweet oil, or linseed, or rape oil 1 pint.

3. Epsom salt 6 to 12 oz. Whey or gruel 1 quart. Castor oil 6 to 12 oz.—Mix.

4. Powdered aloes 2 to 3 dr. Carbonate of potash 2 dr.

5. Water 8 oz. Castor oil 8 oz.—Mix.

BALL.

Aloes 3 to 4 dr. Soap 3 to 4 dr. Syrup enough to form a ball.

LAY, _s._ Grassy ground, meadow, ground unploughed.

LEA, _s._ Ground enclosed.

LEAD, _s._ A soft heavy metal.

Many useful preparations are made from this metal; among which are the following:—

_Acetate_, or _super-acetate_ of lead, commonly called _sugar of lead_, is used in making cooling lotions and eye-washes.

_Red Lead_, or _Minium_, is a red powder, made by mixing lead in a high degree of heat. It is used in the composition of plasters and charges.

_White Lead_ is often employed in the composition of healing and softening ointment, for horses that are subject to cracked heels.

LEAD, _v._ To fit with lead in any manner; to lead lines. _Vide_ LINES.

LEADER, _s._ One that leads or conducts; commander; one who goes first; foremost horse in a tandem or team.

LEAGUE, _s._ A measure of length, containing three miles.

LEAN, _a._ Meagre, wanting flesh; out of condition.

LEAN, _s._ The part of flesh which consists of the muscle without the fat.

LEAP, _v._ To pass over or into by leaping.

LEAP, _s._ Bound, jump, act of leaping; space passed by leaping; an assault of an animal of prey; embrace of animals.

LEASH, _s._ A brace and a half; a leather thong, by which a falconer holds his hawk, or a courser leads his greyhound; a band wherewith to tie anything in general.

Leash is a sporting term in use to imply the number three; as exceeding one, and not reaching two brace; for instance, a brace of hares, a leash of pheasants, and two brace of partridges. A brace of pointers, a leash of greyhounds, and two brace of spaniels. Custom, however, in this, as in most other things, admits of deviation and exception; in proof of which we say a brace of spaniels, a couple and a half of hounds, and two brace of pointers; a brace of snipes, a couple and a half of woodcocks, and two couple of rabbits. It is therefore consistent and sportsman-like to say a leash of birds (partridges), a leash of pheasants, a leash of hares, or any other article where two are termed a brace; but improper to call three a leash, where two of the kind are called a couple.

LEATHER, _s._ Dressed hides of animals.

LEECH, _s._ A physician, a professor of the art of healing; a kind of small water serpent, which fastens on animals, and sucks the blood.

LEEWARD, _a._ Under the wind, on the side opposite to that from which the wind blows.

LEG, _s._ The limb by which animals walk, particularly that part between the knee and the foot in men.

The part of the limb between the knee and the fetlock consists of three bones—a large one before, called the cannon or shank, and two smaller or splint bones behind. The shank-bone is rounded in front, and flattened, or even concave behind. It is the straightest of the long bones, as well as the most superficially situated, for in some parts it is covered only by the skin. The upper head is flat, with slight depressions corresponding with the lower row of the bones of the knee. The lower head is differently and curiously formed. It resembles a double pulley. There are three elevations, the principal one in the centre, and one on each side; and between them are two slight grooves; and these so precisely correspond with deep depressions and slight prominences in the upper head of the larger pastern, and are so enclosed and guarded by the elevated edges of that bone, that when the shank-bone and the pastern are fitted to each other, they form a perfect hinge: they admit of the bending and extension of the limb, but of no lateral or side motion; which is a circumstance of very great importance in a joint so situated, and having the whole weight of the horse thrown upon it.

The smaller bones are placed behind the larger on either side; a slight projection only of the head of each can be seen in front. The heads of these bones are enlarged, and receive part of the weight conveyed by the lower row of the bones of the knee. They are united to the larger bone by the same kind of substance which is found in the colt between the bone of the elbow and the main bone of the arm; and which is designed, like that, by its great elasticity, to lessen the concussion or jar when the weight of the animal is thrown on them.

LENITIVE, _a._ Anything applied to ease pain; a palliative.

LEPIDOPTERA, _s._ An order of insects which have their wings imbricated with scales, as moths, butterflies, &c. &c.

LEPORINE, _a._ Belonging to a hare, having the nature of a hare.

LEPROSY, _s._ A loathsome distemper, which covers the body with a kind of white scales.

LETHARGY, _s._ A morbid drowsiness, a sleep from which one cannot be kept awake.

LEVEL, _v._ To aim at, to bring the gun and arrow to the same direction with the mark.

LEVERET, _s._ A young hare.

LICK, _v._ To pass over with the tongue; to lap, to take in by the tongue.

LIGAMENT, _s._ A strong compact substance which unites the bones in articulation; anything which connects the parts of the body; bond, chain.

LIGATURE, _s._ Anything bound on; bandage; the act of binding; the state of being bound.

LIGHTS, _s._ The lungs, the organs of breathing.

LIMB, _s._ A member, a jointed or articulated part of animals.

LIME, _s._ A viscous substance drawn over twigs, which catches and entangles the wings of birds that light upon it; matter of which mortar is made; the linden tree; a species of lemon.

LIMEWATER, _s._ Is made by pouring water upon quicklime.

Lime-water is recommended in diabetes. It is made by mixing lime with a large proportion of boiling water, stirring the mixture for some time, and afterwards pouring off the transparent liquor, which is to be carefully excluded from the air.

LIMPIT, _s._ A kind of shell-fish.

LINCHPIN, _s._ An iron pin that keeps the wheel on the axletree.

LINE, _s._ Longitudinal extension; a slender string used in angling.

The most easy method of making hair into lines is, by a small engine, which is sold at most of the fishing-tackle shops. It consists of a large horizontal wheel, and three very small ones, inclosed in a brass box, about a quarter of an inch thick, and two inches in diameter; the axis of each of the small wheels is continued through the under side of the box, and is formed into a hook; by means of a strong screw, it may be fixed on any post or partition, and is set in motion by a small winch in the centre of the box; the process is soon acquired, and it is thus used:—Take as many hairs as you purpose the line shall contain, and divide them into three parts; each of these is to be tied to a piece of fine twine doubled, and fixed to the hooks which depend from the machine; then take the piece of lead which has a hook at its top, and after tying the three parcels of hair together at the loose end, hang the weight thereon: after this, cut three grooves in the inside of a cork at equal distances, and in each groove place a division of the hairs, that, by gently turning the engine, the links may turn with a greater evenness to the lead. As the links grow tighter, move the cork slowly upwards, and when the whole is sufficiently twisted, take out the cork and tie the link into a knot, and so proceed till the quantity of links wanted for a line are completed; observing to lessen the number of hairs in each link in such proportion as that the line may be taper. The links should then be laid for an hour into cold water; some persons, whether a hair starts or not, retwist them before they are made into a line, and more particularly when there is an odd hair in the number twisted. Some put the hair for ten minutes into warm water before working it into links.

In making lines, every hair in every link should be equally big, round and even, that the strength may be so proportionate that they will not break singly, but altogether: by carefully choosing the hairs, they will stretch and bear a much stronger force than when a faulty hair is included. Never strain the hair before twisting; the best will easily be selected by the eye, and two or three inches of the bottom part of the hair should be cut off, as it is generally defective. The links should be twisted very slowly, and not lie harsh, but so as to twine one with another, and no more, for a hard twisted line is always weak: by mixing chestnut, black, or any other coloured hair, the line may be varied at pleasure.

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Lines of silk or hemp may be coloured by a strong decoction of oak bark, which it is believed resists the water, and adds to their durability: any shade of an excellent russet brown may be obtained according to the time they remain in the decoction, which should be used cold.

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In leading of lines great care is needful to balance the floats so nicely that a very small touch will sink them. Some use for this purpose lead shaped like a barleycorn, but shot is better; and for fine fishing have a number of small in preference to a few large shot on the line; the lowest of either ought to be nine or ten inches from the hook.

LINE, _v._ To cover on the inside; to put anything in the inside; to cover a bitch.

LING, _s._ Heath; a kind of sea-fish.

LINIMENT, _s._ An application of a consistence rather thicker than oil, or transparent preparations, such as soap liniment.

The following formulæ are given as examples:—

SOAP LINIMENT.

Hard soap 1 oz. Camphor 1 oz. Oil of rosemary 1 oz. Rectified spirit 1 pint.

Cut up the soap, and let it stand with the spirit until dissolved, then add the rest.

AMMONIA, OR VOLATILE LINIMENT.

Strong solution of ammonia 1 oz. Olive oil 2 oz.—Mix.

To this, camphor, or oil of turpentine is sometimes added; and the solution of ammonia is joined, for some purposes, to the soap liniment. The soap liniment is the same as the celebrated opodeldoc, and may be either solid or fluid, according to the proportion of soap used; but it may be made also with soft soap, and is then fluid with a larger proportion of soap.—_Vide_ EGYPTIACUM.

LINIMENT OF CAMPHOR, COMPOUND.

Camphor 2 oz. Spirit of lavender 1 pint. Solution of ammonia 6 oz.—Mix.

Solution of ammonia is named also liquid ammonia, and strong spirit of sal ammoniac.—_See_ _Embrocations_.

LINIMENT FOR BAD THRUSHES AND CANKER.

1. Tar 4 oz.—Melt, and add Muriatic acid 6 dr. Verdigris 4 dr.

Mix, and continue stirring until it is cold.

2. Tar, melted 1 lb. Strong sulphuric acid, by weight 2 oz.

Stir them well together for some time, and immediately before the mixture is used.

LINK, _s._ A single ring of a chain; anything doubled and closed together; a chain, anything connecting; any single part of a series or chain of consequences; a torch made of pitch and hards; a thread of gut or horse-hair.

LINNET (_Linaria linota_, CUVIER), _s._ A small singing bird.

This species is subject to much variety with respect to the red markings which, at certain ages and seasons, are found upon the head and breast, and this has occasioned it to be multiplied into two distinct species by various ornithologists, all of whom seem to agree that the general colour of both are alike, but assert that the greater redpole has none of this colour upon the breast. On comparing the various authors who have given this as a distinct species, we find they all make it nearly the same as the redpole, but not quite so rufous on the upper parts. The principal distinction seems to be in the breast being of a fine crimson colour, and none of that colour on the head.

The male in full plumage has the bill bluish; irides hazel; the head light brown; the feathers on the crown darkest in their middle; sides of the neck inclining to ash-colour; the forehead rosy red; the back, scapulars, and coverts of the wings, fine deep rufous brown, lightest on the rump, and palest on the margin of each feather; the breast is brown, with more or less spots like that on the head; belly light rufous brown; vent almost white; quill-feathers dusky black, with more or less white on the exterior and interior webs, which forms a conspicuous bar of that colour on the wing; the tail is forked, the feathers, like those of the quills, black, margined with white, which colour predominates on the inner webs; coverts of the tail black, edged with grey; legs brown. The weight of the male is about five drachms, that of the other sex rather less. The plumage of the female is more dusky brown; the coverts of the wings rufous-brown; sides of the throat plain dirty white, the middle part streaked; breast and sides pale brown, with dusky streaks; quills and tail like the other sex, but the former not so deeply margined with white, and of course no perceptible bar on the wing.

These birds fly in flocks during winter, at which time the males have little or none of the red markings which, on the return of spring, they put forth.