La Fontaine
JEAN DE, one of the classics of French literature; born in Château-Thierry, Champagne, France, July 8, 1621. He was about 22 years old when his literary ambition was awakened by the odes of Malherbe. A niece of Cardinal Mazarin admired, his verses, and carried him to Paris; and LA FONTAINE there, speedily welcomed into the best literary and aristocratic circles, he spent the last 35 years of his life. The first volume of his "Tales" appeared in 1664; a second was added in 1671. The 12 books of his "Fables" were published in equal parts in 1668 and 1678. It is through them that La Fontaine is universally known. He is an inimitable teller of small stories. His personal LAGERLÖF and founded a school which in its day character, strange mixture of childish simplicity and finesse which is perceptible in his poems, made him at once the pet and the laughing-stock of his friends and patrons. During the last two years of his life the religious sentiments of his early youth revived. He was admitted to the French Academy in 1684, conjointly with his friend Boileat., and died in Paris, April 13, 1695.
LA FOURCHE (lä försh), a bayou in Southeastern Louisiana, an outlet of the Mississippi, which begins at Donaldsonville, on the right bank and flows S. E. to the Gulf of Mexico, with a total length of 150 miles. It is navigable by steamboats 100 miles from its mouth.
LAGAN (lā'gan), or LIGAN (li'-), in maritime law, goods found at such a distance from shore that it is uncertain what coast they would be carried to, and therefore belonging to the finder.
LAGENARIA (laj-e-nā'ri-ä), in botany, a genus of Cucurbitaceæ, containing but one species, the bottle, club, or trumpet gourd (L. vulgaris). It is wild in India, the Moluccas and Abyssinia. In that state it is poisonous, but when cultivated its deleterious properties disappear. Anglo-Indians boil the fruit when young and use it as vegetable marrow.
Natives of India slice and eat it as a curry. The young shoots and leaves are also eaten. The seeds yield an oil which is used as an application in headaches.
The flesh of the fruit is deemed to be diuretic, refrigerant and anti-bilious.
It is cultivated in the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere.
LAGENORHYNCHUS (la-je-nō-ring' kus), a genus of Delphinidæ. The beak of the upper jaw keeled on each side, the lower jaw with two or three small, conical, rudimentary teeth in the middle of each side. L. leucopleurus, the Delphinus tursio of Knox, occurs in Orkney and the Northern Ocean generally. L. albirostris is the white-beaked bottlenose.
It has been taken on the coast of Norfolk, England. me of childish hich is perceptmade him at once the hing stock of his friends During the last two years sentiments of his He was admitted my in 1684, confriend Boileaul, and died 18, 1695.
E (lä försh), a bayou in Louisiana, an outlet of which begins at Donaldright bank and flows if of Mexico, with a total miles. It is navigable by miles from its mouth. an), or LIGAN (II'-). found at such a hat it is uncertain carried to, and he finder. -näri-ä), in bot bitaces, containing club, or trum- It is wild in Abyssinia. In but when culis properties disapboil the fruit when vegetable marrow. and eat it as a and leaves are is yield an oil which tion in headaches. ruit is deemed to be nt and anti-bilious the warmer parts of ere.
HUS (la-je-nō-ring inide. The beak on each side, the three small, conithe middle of the Delph rs in Orkney enerally. L red bottlenose. coast of Nor ILIA LOVISA) novalist, born in "Gdsta Berling's created a pro LAGERLÖF (OTTILIA LOVISA).
SELMA, a Swedish novelist, born in 1858. Her first novel, "Gosta Berling's Saga," published in 1891, created a profound sensation in Sweden and its reputation quickly spread throughout Europe and to America. It was followed by other novels, bearing the mark of great talent. A year of travel in Egypt, Palestine, and Greece was followed by the publication of two volumes, entitled "Jerusalem," 1901-1902. Other notable 001-1902. Other notable novels she produced are "Miracles of Joduced are "Miracles of Sweden and its repuat Europe It followed by the mark of great in Egypt, followed by Greece 1009 card L. ragine LAGERSTROMIA Anti-Christ," (1897); "From a Swedish Homestead" ( Homestead" (1899) ; "Invisible Links" Wrede" (1914). She received the degree of doctor from Upsala SELMA LAGERLÖF University in 1907, and in 1909 was awarded the Nobel Prize for the best work in literature. She was elected to the Swedish Academy in 1914 and was the first woman to receive this honor.
LAGERSTROMIA (lag-ur-strumi-ā) ( named after Magnus Lagerström, of Gothenburg), the typical genus of the tribe Lagerstromieæ . It consists of 14 East Indian and Chinese trees and shrubs, with splendid flowers. L. indica, a shrub common in Indian gardens, has crumpled petals. It is from China. The , or L. reginæ, are in panicles , at first of a pale-rose color, but afterward deepening into a fine purple. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing in eastern Bengal and Burma.
Its bark and leaves are considered to be and hydragogue, and the seeds to be narcotic.
The timber is regarded in the E. of India and Burma as the most valuable of any except teak. It is used in the East for ship and boat building, gun carriages, etc. L. lanceolata, L. microcarpa, and L. parviflora, growing in India, flora, growing in India, L. tomentosa in and L. hypoleuca in the Andaman Islands, have also valuable L. parviflora, and L. tomentosa yield gum resins. The bark of L. parviflora is used in India for tanning, and along with the bark of tomentosa for dyeing skins black.
LAGOS department Seine-et-Marne, 12 miles S.