Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/650

644 LOS ANGELES LOSSING yellow bill ; it is highly esteemed for its beauty, activity, docility, and powers of articulation. The black-capped lory (L. tricolor, Steph.), about the size of a pigeon, is scarlet and violet, with black crown, green wings, and tail varied with red, green, and violet ; it pronounces very Papuan Lory (Charmosyna Papuensiu). distinctly the word "lory," which has given the name to the subfamily. The Papuan lory has a very long wedge-shaped tail, especially the median two feathers, and is put by Wag- ler in his genus charmosyna ; this, the C. Pa- puensis (Wagl.), is a very elegant bird, the ground color of the plumage being brilliant scarlet ; the top of the head, nape, lower back, rump, and tibia3 deep azure ; sides of breast and thighs rich yellow ; wings green, as also the basal half of the tail ; the tips of the tail feathers saffron yellow. LOS ANGELES, a S. county of California, on the Pacific, drained by the San Gabriel, Los Angeles, and Santa Anna rivers; area, about 6,000 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 15,309, of whom 236 were Chinese. Except in the Los Angeles, Santa Anna, and San Fernando valleys, the surface is mountainous. These valleys are ex- ceedingly fertile. Gold, silver, tin, copper, asbestus, and coal mines abound. Petroleum is found in the San Fernando hills, and a few wells are in operation. The county is noted especially for its extensive culture of the vine and semi-tropical fruits. The chief productions in 1870 were 12,210 bushels of wheat, 454,896 of Indian corn, 153,080 of bar- ley, 20,407 of potatoes, 962,603 Ibs. of wool, 65,590 of honey, 531,710 gallons of wine, and 11,249 tons of hay. There were 9,652 horses, 635 mules and asses, 2,468 milch cows, 19,226 other cattle, 247,603 sheep, and 5,702 swine; 2 manufactories of carriages, 2 of brick, 7 of saddlery and harness, 3 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 43 of wine, 2 breweries, 2 distilleries, 2 flour mills, and 1 quartz mill. Capital. Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES, a city and the capital of Los Angeles co., California, on the W. bank of Los Angeles river, a small stream, 30 m. above its entrance into the Pacific, and 350 m. S. S. E. of San Francisco; pop. in 1850, 1,610; in 1860, 4,392; in 1870, 5,728, of whom 2, 004 were foreigners; in 1874, estimated by local authorities at 11,000. The Los Angeles and San Pedro railroad extends to the bay of San Pedro (22 m. S.), which forms its harbor. The Southern Pacific railroad is completed 28 m. S. E. and 25 m. N. of the city, and about 100 in. remain to be built (1874) to connect Los Angeles with San Francisco. The Los Angeles and Anaheim line is 29 m. long, and a narrow- gauge railroad to the nearest point on the coast (14 m.) is in progress. Along both banks of the river below Los Angeles extends a fer- tile plain, planted with vineyards and orange groves, and there are also large vineyards with- in the city limits. In the N. W. portion there is a hill 60 ft. high, commanding a fine view of the city. The adobe buildings, of which it was originally composed, are fast giving way to larger and more imposing structures. It has a large and varied trade with the interior, and contains three banks, St. Vincent's college (Roman Catholic), several public schools, in- cluding a high school, a public library, three daily, a semi-weekly (Spanish), and two week- ly (one German) newspapers, and a monthly periodical. The city is frequented in winter by invalids on account of its mild climate. It was settled by the Spaniards in 1780, and was called Pueblo de los Angeles, "town of the angels," from the excellence of its climate and the beauty of its surroundings. LOS HERREROS. See BBETON DE Los HEK- EEEOS. LOSSING, Benson John, an American author, born at Beekman, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1813. After receiving a common school education he was apprenticed to a watchmaker in Poughkeepsie, with whom he afterward entered into partner- ship. In 1835 he became editor and part pro- prietor of a newspaper, the "Poughkeepsie Telegraph," and soon after began the publica- tion of a literary monthly, " The Poughkeepsie Casket." With a view to illustrate this he studied drawing and engraving in New York, where he established himself as a draughtsman and engraver on wood, at the same time edit- ing and illustrating the "Family Magazine," and in 1848-'9 the "Young People's Mirror." His attention being turned to the study of American history, he resumed his residence in Poughkeepsie, although for some years he re- tained his connection as draughtsman with the engraving establishment in New York. He repeatedly travelled through the United States, for the purpose of making drawings of his j torical scenes, visiting historical characters, and consulting historical documents. He furnished to periodicals many illustrated papers, chiefly relating to American history and biography, in respect to which he also collected a vast