504 



FLAVERIA F 



among others, there are several which are but little 

 known on our coasts, but stray ones are occasionally 

 met with. Of these strays, one of the most remark- 

 able is Solea pegasa, which was first discovered as a 

 British fish by Mr. Yarrell ; though the fishermen in 

 the channel have been acquainted with it for some 

 time. The specimen described by Mr. Yarrell was 

 eight inches in the entire length, and three inches in 

 the greatest depth of the body, without measuring 

 the fins. This is a much greater breadth in propor- 

 tion to the length than the common sole ; and the 

 body of the fish is also more plump and fleshy, and 

 its head blunter, shorter, and wider. The mouth is 

 very much arched, the operculum formed externally 

 of a single piece with a circular margin. The ground 

 colour on the upper side a mixture of brown and yel- 

 low, with small spots of dark brown ; and the tip of 

 the pectoral fin black. There are fewer vertebrae in 

 the spine than in the common sole, three rays fewer 

 in the dorsal fin, one more in the pectoral, and two 

 more in the anal, but the other fins are the same, only 

 the tail fin is narrower in proportion. When found, 

 this species has generally been about sixteen miles off 

 the land, and on a bottom of clean sand. It does not 

 appear that its flesh is inferior in quality to that of the 

 common sole ; and indeed there appears to be no 

 great difference of any of the members of the sub- 

 genus, in whatever part of the world or locality of the 

 sea they may be found. It seems that the sole does 

 not get either into the strong current, or very close to 

 the land, but rather remains on the banks when there 

 are eddies, and deposits of matter on which it can 

 feed ; and it does not appear to rise to any great 

 height from the bottom. Indeed from the difference 

 in form between it and most of the others, it is pro- 

 bable that it is more completely a ground fish than 

 any of them. Soles are always gregarious, or live in 

 shoals on the same grounds ; but as they are seldom, 

 if ever, seen except when they are taken forcibly from 

 their dwelling places by the net, we know very little 

 of their economy or manners. 



MONOCHIRUS. The fishes which form this sub- 

 genus, and which do not appear to have occurred on 

 any part of the British shores even as wanderers, are 

 soles in their general characters ; and the distinction 

 between them is chiefly in the pectoral fins, that on 

 the same side with the eyes is very small, and the 

 other one is either wholly wanting, or so mere a rudi- 

 ment as to be barely perceptible. But as it is not 

 easy to ascertain the precise mode and extent in 

 which the pectoral fins of flat-fishes assist in their 

 very singular kind of swimming, it will serve little 

 purpose to speculate about the influence which the 

 peculiar form of those fins in the ones now under 

 consideration may have. The whole tribe or group 

 are amongst the lowest dwellers in seas where obser- 

 vation cannot well reach them ; and therefore we can 

 say little respecting them which is not in a great mea- 

 sure conjectural. It is probable, however, that the 

 quality of their flesh is superior in proportion as they 

 have less muscular labour to perform in the search ol 

 their food ; but they are truly a curious as well as a 

 useful and valuable race. 



FLAVERIA (Jussieu). A genus of South Ame- 

 rican herbs, one species of which is used in Chili for 

 dying yellow. Class and order Syngencsia segregata, 

 and natural order Composites. 



FLAX, an extensive genus of annual and perennial 

 herbs, found in many different parts of the world. 



LINDERSIA. 



The most useful is the Linum usitatissimum of Lin- 

 naeus ; an annual found within Britain, and much 

 cultivated both in Scotland and Ireland, as well as in 

 many countries in the north of Europe. A most 

 useful oil is expressed from the seeds, and the residue 

 called linseed cake is used as one of the most 

 fattening kinds of food for cattle. But the filaceous 

 substance obtained from the stalk is the staple ma- 

 terial of the linen manufacture. Lint is the common 

 name and is an agricultural plant. It is sowed on 

 clean and well prepared ground in the spring, flowers 

 in the summer, and ripens its seed in the autumn. 

 When stripped of its capsules, the stalks are tied up in 

 bundles and steeped in water till the woody part be- 

 comes fragile, so that it may be broken or bruised in 

 a mill, to prepare it for the various processes of the 

 flax dresser. 



FLAX LILY is the Phormium tenax of Forster, 

 an economical sedge -like plant, found in New Zea- 

 land. It is an hexandrious herb, and belongs to the 

 natural order Asphodeleee. It takes its name from 

 being employed by the inhabitants, where it grows 

 naturally, in the manufacture of baskets, and it has 

 been introduced into Europe as a fit plant to take the 

 place of hemp ; as the fibres obtained from its long 

 leaves after maceration are said to be much more 

 tenacious than any other vegetable fibre known. 

 Whether it will be found hardy enough, for the 

 climate of Britain is not yet ascertained, but if it 

 could be naturalised and cultivated so far as to furnish 

 material for the manufacture of ships' cables, it would 

 be a valuable acquisition. The imported phormium 

 flax has been manufactured and tested with the best 

 hemp, and found of superior strength. 



FLAX STAR is the Lysimachia linum stellatum of 

 Linnaeus, a herbaceous annual, indegenous of Italy. 

 It is pentandrious, and belongs to the natural order 

 Primulacece. 



FLEA, the ordinary generic name of a genus of 

 small annoying insects, of which the various species 

 attack man, and various animals and birds. See the 

 article PDLEX, under which name the natural history 

 and structural peculiarities of the insects will be 

 given. 



FLEABANE is the Coryza squamosa of Linnaeus, 

 a herbaceous biennial, native of Britain, but of no 

 known use not even that attributed by its name. It 

 belongs to the natural order Composite. 



FLEMMINGIA (Roxburgh). A genus of herb- 

 aceous and half shrubby and creeping perennials, 

 chiefly natives of India. Class and order Diadelphia 

 Decandria, and natural order Leguminosce. Generic 

 character : calyx bracteate, five-parted ; standard 

 striated ; pod sitting, oval, turgid, two-valved, two- 

 seeded ; seeds globular. Several species are in our 

 stoves, and are propagated by cuttings in the usual 

 manner. Their flowers are not very striking. 



FLINDERSIA (R. Brown). A lofty timber 

 tree, a native of New Holland, introduced about 

 1825. The flowers are decandrious, and the plants 

 belong to Meliacece. Generic character : calyx five- 

 cleft and persisting ; petals obtuse and flat ; disk sur- 

 rounds the germen, cup-shaped, having ten plaits and 

 somewhat crenated ; stamens rise from the disk, 

 alternately fertile and abortive ; style simple, five- 

 sided; stigma peltate, and five-lobed ; capsule woody, 

 spinous, five-celled, seeds winged at the apex. 



There is only one species described ; succeeding 

 well with ordinary hothouse management. 



