Lanra Maria Catarina Bassi

Lanra Maria Catarina Bassi, an Italian scholar, born in Bologna, Oct. 31, 1711, died there, Feb. 20, 1778. At the age of 21 she sustained successfully in public a philosophical thesis in Latin against seven professors, and received the degree of doctor, the senate appointing her professor of philosophy. Afterward she taught for over 30 years experimental physics and languages. She was the wife of Dr. Giuseppe Verati, and had several children.

Lansingburgh

Lansingburgh, a village of Rensselaer co., New York, on the E. bank of the Hudson river, opposite the mouth of the Mohawk, and joining Troy on the south; pop. in 1870, 6,372. It has communication with Troy by the Troy and Boston railroad and by horse cars, and by the latter with Waterford, 1 m. N. on the other side of the river. It is handsomely laid out, with streets crossing each other at right angles and shaded with trees, and has an excellent fire department. Besides a large number of brush factories, for which Lansingburgh is particularly noted, there are two manufactories of oil cloth, one of valves, two of crackers, and one of knit goods. It has a national bank, five hotels, three public schools, a female seminary, a Roman Catholic school, a weekly newspaper, and seven churches.

Lantern Fly

See Firefly.

Lanthanum, Or Lantanum

Lanthanum, Or Lantanum, (Gr.λ αυθάυєιυ, to lie hid), a metal discovered in 1841 by Mosan-der, who then separated it from the metal didymium, with which it was associated together with cerium in the mineral cerite; symbol, La; chemical equivalent, 92. It forms only one oxide, which is buff-colored and freely soluble in diluted nitric acid. It forms colorless astringent salts, which give a white precipitate with the soluble oxalates.

Lanzarote

Lanzarote, the most N. E. of the Canary islands, in lat. 29° 2' N., lon. 13° 48' W., 90 m. from the African coast; length 36 m., average breadth 9 m.; area, about 325 sq. m.; pop. in 1867,17,500. The mountains are all of volcanic origin, and the principal peak, Montana Blanca, is upward of 2,000 ft. high; the most conspicuous of the active volcanoes is Temanfay. Small rocky islands abound on the N. E. and E. coast. The decomposed lava which composes the soil of the low hills and large plains makes it exceedingly fertile in rainy years, but the generally prevailing drought is often fatal to vegetation. In good years the product of wine amounts to 1,500 pipes. The other staple articles are various cereals. Teguise is the residence of the governor, and Arecife is the principal port, free since 1852. The total value of imports in 1872 was £22,614, and 83 vessels entered and cleared, tonnage 16,947. The exports to England amounted to £12,585.

Lao-Tse

See China, vol. iv., p. 454.

Laodamia

Laodamia, a mythical Grecian princess, daughter of Acastus and wife of Protesilaus, a Thessalian hero, who, having led his warriors against Troy, was the first Greek slain on the Asian shore. His disconsolate spouse entreated the gods to permit her to hold converse with her husband for only three hours. The request was granted, and Mercury conducted Protesilaus back to the upper world; but when he was forced to return, Laodamia, unable to endure separation from him, expired. The legend is embodied in one of Wordsworth's finest poems.