or LANTHORN, a device to carry a candle in; being a kind of cover usually made of white iron, with shades of some transparent matter, as glass, horn, &c. to transmit the light.
Dark Lantern, one with only one opening, which may also be closed up when the light is to be entirely hid, or opened when there is occasion for the assistance of the light to discover some object.
Magic Lantern, an optic machine, whereby little painted images are represented so much magnified, as to be accounted the effect of magic by the ignorant. See Dioptics, Art. ix. p. 2478.
architecture, a little dome raised over the roof of a building, to give light, and serve as a crowning to the fabric.
The term lantern is also used for a square cage of carpentry, placed over the ridge of a corridor or gallery, between two rows of shops, to illumine them, like that of the royal exchange London.
Lantern, on ship-board, a well-known machine, of which there are many in a ship, particularly for the purpose of directing the course of other ships in a fleet or convoy; such are the poop and top lanterns, &c.
Feast of Lanterns, in China, is a celebrated feast held on the 15th day of the first month; so called from the infinite number of lanterns hung out of the houses and streets; which, it is said, is not less than two hundred millions. On this day are exposed lanterns of all prices, whereof some are said to cost 2000 crowns.—Some of their grandees retrench somewhat every day out of their table, out of their dress, equipage, &c. to appear the more magnificent in lanterns. They are adorned with gilding, sculpture, painting, jpanning, &c. And as to their size, it is extravagant; some being from 25 to 30 foot diameter: they represent halls and chambers, and two or three such machines together would make handsome houses; so that in China they are able to eat, lodges, receive visits, have balls, and act plays in a lantern. To illumine them, they should have bonfires; but as that would be inconvenient, they content themselves with lighting up in them an infinite number of torches or lamps, which at a distance have a beautiful effect. In these they exhibit various kinds of shows to divert the people.—Besides these enormous lanterns, there is a multitude of others smaller: these usually consist of six faces or lights, each about four feet high, and one and a half broad, framed in wood finely gilt and adorned; over these they stretch a fine transparent silk, curiously painted with flowers, trees, and sometimes human figures: the painting is very extraordinary, and the colours extremely bright; and when the torches are lighted, they appear highly beautiful and surprising.
Lantern-Fly, in natural history, the name of a very singular kind of insect produced in the West Indies, and carrying a strong light with it in the night. The structure of the trunk of this insect is of the same kind with that of the cicada; and, as it wants the power of making the noise for which the cicada is so famous, it belongs, according to Mr Resmür's distinctions, to that species of insect called the prostigale, or procicada.
The glow-worm, and the luminous beetles, with all the other luminous insects we are acquainted with in this part of the world, diffuse their light from a part which is near the extremity of the body, and under the belly; but the lantern-fly gives it from its head. It differs also greatly in the degree of light: for this, in all the insects we are acquainted with, is very feeble; whereas in this fly it is so strong, that Mrs Morian, who is the first that hath well described it, says she could read a small print in a dark night by the light that one of them gave. The eyes of this creature are placed very near the part from whence the light issues; and it is commonly supposed that the use of the light is to show the creature the objects it passes by in its flight; but if we consider the effect of a light so placed, in regard to ourselves, we shall find, that it would by no means answer the same purpose to us. If our whole forehead was covered with a lambent flame in the night, it would rather blind us than shew us any distant objects.—The head of this creature, strictly speaking, is very short, not exceeding the length of one of the rings of the body, if it be measured from its joining with the cercle to its joining with the lantern; but if that part be accounted a portion of the head, then the head is equal in length to the whole body.—This lantern is wider than it is deep or thick; and has, near its origin, a large protuberance