194 



FILLAGREE WORK FINCH. 



the later editions have followed. Filicaia was par- 

 ticularly successful in the canzoni, and in sonic of his 

 sonnets; Uiat, for instance, which begins, 



Jlnlia, Italia, o In cut fro la sorte 



liano injtltce di belkzza, &c., 



is one of the finest poems of the sort, and may sus- 

 tain a comparison with the best lyric productions. 



FILLAGREE \VOKK ; a kind of ornamental 

 work in gold or silver, wrought delicately, in the 

 manner of little threads or grains, or of both inter- 

 mixed. In Sumatra, manufactures of this kind are 

 carried to very great perfection, though the tools 

 made use of are very coarse and clumsy. The 

 workmen melt the gold in a crucible of their own 

 forming, and, instead of bellows, they blow with their 

 moutlis though a piece of bamboo. They draw and 

 flatten the wire in a manner similar to that adopted 

 by Europeans. It is then twisted, and thus a flower, 

 or the shape of a flower, is formed. A pattern of 

 the flowers or foliage is prepared on paper, of the 

 size of the gold plate, on which the fillagree is to be 

 laid. According to this they begin to dispose on the 

 plate the larger compartments of the foliage, for 

 which they use plain flat wire, of a larger size, and 

 fill them up with the leaves. A gelatinous substance 

 is used to fix the work, and, after the leaves have been 

 placed in order, and stuck on, bit by bit, a solder is 

 prepared of gold filings and borax, moistened with 

 water, which is strewed over the plate ; and after 

 being put into the fire a short time, the whole be- 

 comes united. When the fillagree is finished, it is 

 cleansed with a solution of salt and alum in water. 

 The Chinese make most of their fillagree of silver, 

 which looks very well, but has not the extraordinary 

 delicacy of Malay work. 



FILLET, in architecture, is a small square or flat 

 moulding. See Architecture. 



FILTRATION ; the process by which a liquid is 

 freed from solid bodies mixed with it, by passing it 

 through a linen or woollen bag, or filtering paper, 

 &c. A coarse-grained, porous kind of stone is also 

 used for the filtering of water. It suffers the liquid 

 to pass through, but retains the impurities which it 

 contains. Such a stone is called a filtering stone. 

 Other contrivances have been invented for purifying 

 muddy, corrupt, and putrid water, and rendering it 

 fit for drinking. Sand and charcoal are also used as 

 filtering substances ; but as the impurities of the 

 water adhere to them, they must consequently be 

 carefully washed from tune to time. The largest 

 filtering establishment is that in Paris, for the purpose 

 of purifying the waters of the Seine. It deserves to 

 be visited by every traveller. 



FIN. Fishes are provided with certain members 

 or appendages, whose use is to propel them rapidly 

 through the fluid medium in which they live. These 

 members are denominated fins, or pinnee, and consist 

 of bony, cartilaginous or raembranaceous rays, sup- 

 ported and held together by an interradial membrane, 

 mostly of a very delicate substance. In some kinds 

 of fish, the thick skin which covers the body invests 

 the fins also, rendering the presence of rays evident, 

 only by trifling ridges, as in the shark and ray genus. 

 Fishes, in general, possess five kinds of fins : 1st, 

 those of the back, which are therefore denominated 

 dorsal, varying in number from one to four, to which 

 sometimes are added several finlets or pinnule 

 small appendages which are seen in the mackerel. 

 2. The pectoral or breast fins are never more than 

 two ; the insertion is immediately in the rear of the 

 gill, opening on the shoulder. In a state of rest, 

 these fins are parallel with the body, and the apex 

 towards the tail. 3. The ventrals, or abdominal tins. 

 are placed under the throat or belly, and point back- 

 wards. They are smaller, in general, than the pec- 



torals, and liave sometimes long appendages, as hi the 

 osphronemus, or goranty. In the gurnard, pectoral 

 appendages also occur. 4. The anal fins are situ- 

 sited under the tail, varying in number from one to 

 three, placed vertically, and, like the dorsal, gener- 

 ally deeper on the anterior margin. Lastly, 5. The 

 caudal or tail fin, placed on the extremity of the tail, 

 and serving as the rudder by which the fish steers 

 itself. By means of the dorsal, anal, and ventral fins, 

 the body of the animal is sustained in a vertical posi- 

 tion in the water, while the pectorals and caudals are 

 used in propelling it forward ; in which it is also aided 

 by the action of the tail. Naturalists liave availed 

 themselves of the position of tlie fins to construct 

 divisions in the class of fishes, and minor characters 

 are drawn from the substance of the fins, whether 

 soft, spiny, or both, as is the case in the majority of 

 fishes. Articulating with points of the internal ske- 

 leton or frame-work, the tins possess great power. 

 The muscles which move them are very strong, and, 

 by a peculiar arrangement, they are enabled to erect 

 the spines immovably at will, which is observed when 

 fishes are token by the hook. Sometimes spines occur 

 separate and unconnected with the fin, as in the gas- 

 terosteus, or stickle-back, a small fish not uncommon 

 in running streams. Severe wounds are inflicted by 

 the spiny processes of the fins of fish, and poisonous 

 effects are attributed to many of them, although 

 without much ground. In the case of the sting-ray 

 and a few others, the dangerous wounds which have 

 been received by incautious fishermen, abundantly 

 testify to the serious effects of a venomous fluid, se- 

 creted by the skin. A curious development of the 

 dorsal occurs in the chcetodons, and a peculiar species 

 of sword-fish, while in the exocetus, or flying-fish, the 

 pectorals are enlarged sufficiently to serve as wings, 

 by which the animal sustains itself for several seconds 

 in the air. In the suckers, or cyclopterus, the ventral 

 fins ctre united in a circular disc, or sucker, by which 

 the fish attaches itself to rocks very firmly. Perhaps 

 the most singular use to which the whole set of (ins is 

 applied, occurs in the climbing perch, a fish, which, in 

 the most extraordinary manner, leaves its native 

 element, and, by means of the spinous portion of its 

 fins, absolutely ascends the trunks of trees several 

 feet, and conceals itself in the collections of water at 

 the base of the leaves of certain palm trees. In 

 colour and size, the fins of fish present the greatest 

 variety, affording excellent characters for distinguish- 

 ing the species. For the arrangement depending on 

 their number and position, see Ichthyology. 



FINALE ; the concluding part of a musical com- 

 position ; for instance, of a quartette, of a symphony, 

 of any act of an opera, of a ballet, &c. It consists 

 of compositions of various characters. The finale, 

 in instrumental pieces, has mostly a character of 

 vivacity, and requires a quick movement and lively 

 performance. In the opera, the finale mostly consists 

 of a series of compositions for many voices, and of 

 different character and different time and movement. 



FINANCE. See Revenue, Political Economy, and 

 Taxes. 



FINCH. This numerous class of birds embraces 

 not only some of the most beautiful, but also the 

 most agreeable of the feathered tribe. It forms the 

 genus fringilla of Linnaeus, which has since been 

 much subdivided by modern ornithologists. 



Among the most celebrated is the goldfinch (F. 

 carduelis). This is the most esteemed of the hard- 

 billed birds for the colours of its plumage, the ele- 

 gance of its form, and the harmony of its notes. 

 The bill is white, tipped with black, and surrounded, 

 at the base, with a ring of rich scarlet feathers. The 

 head is covered with large spots of black and white ; 

 the back, rump, and breast are of a pale, tawny 



