FIN 
bf a darkifh flelli-colouri This curious bird is a 
native of Brazil. 
Finch, Red-Breasted, Long-Tailed. This 
fingular fpecies has a fhort thick bill of a blueifh 
colour; the whole head, and the throat as low as the 
breafb, are blackifh; the back, wings, and tail, are 
alfo black; but the edges of the greater wing -fea- 
thers appear a little v/hitifh. The tail-feathers, 
which are wholly black, are about thirteen inches 
and a half long, and three-quarters of an inch wide 
near'^the rump, decreafing gradually to lefs than a 
quarter of an inch at their tips. The breafi: is of 
a full deep orange-colour; the hinder part of the 
neck is fomewhat lighter; the belly and thighs are 
white; the lower belly, and the covert-feathers un- 
der the tail, are duUcy; and the legs, feet, and 
elaws, are of a flefli-colour. 
But the mod extraordinary circumftance attend- 
ing this bird is, that it changes it's colour, and 
has no long feathers in it's tail for upwards of 
fix months in the year. About the beginning of 
November, it fheds it's tail, and molts it's fea- 
thers; Vvhen it's colours totally alter; the head 
becomes black and white ftreaked; the bread, 
back, and covert-feathers of the wings, turn to a 
reddiili brown fpotted with dufky; the greater 
quills and tail-feathers, to a blackifli brown ; and 
the whole belly, thighs, and coverts, to white. In 
this fiiate it continues during the winter; but at 
the beginning of fummxr it molts again, when the 
long feathers of the tail begin to fhoot out; and to- 
wards the latter end of June, or the beginning of 
July at fartheft, it refumes it's gayeft drefs. 
This account, however improbable it may ap- 
pear, is given by the ingenious Edwards; who in- 
forms us, that he carefully obferved all the above 
changes in a live fpecimen at London. 
FINGER-SHELL. An appellation given to 
a fpecies of marine fnell brought from the Eaft In- 
dies, and fo called from it's refemblance to the hu- 
man finger. There are feveral fpecies. 
Finger-Shell, Red. This variety is about 
three inches long, and of tlie thicknefs of a man's 
finger. The furface is fmooth, except towards 
one end, where there are a few furrows. It is open 
at both extremities ; and the colour is a fine varie- 
gated red, from the ilrongeft damafk rofe-colour 
to the faintefl carnation. 
Finger-Shell, Crooked. This fpecies, which 
is variegated with, brown and blue, is about fix 
inches long, three-quarters of an inch broad, and 
incurvated after the manner of a bow. The fur- 
face is fmooth and gloffy; but the extremities of 
many broken plates are perceptible on it, and it is 
of a , pearly white internaiiy. 
Finger-Shell, Br.own and White. This 
fliell is (lender and ftraight, about three inches 
long, and near a third of an inch in diameter. It 
i-s open at both ends ; and the furface, though very 
gloffy, is fomewhat irregular. The general colour' 
is an olive brown, variegated in fome places with 
white; and the interior furface is entirely v/hite. 
■-F1NGER.-SHELL5 ViOLET-CoLOURED. This fpC- 
cies is four inches long, nearly half an inch in dia- 
meter, and quite open at both ends. It is very 
thin and brittle; the furface is irregular; and the 
colour is a fine blueifn purple, or violet. 
-FINGERY. Another name for the fifh called 
die branlin, 
FINNIXIN. A particular fpecies of pigeon, 
called by Moore columba in gyrum fieftens. It's 
fliape and frze refemble thofe of the common pi- 
geon. The crov/n of the head is mottled j and on 
it's hinder part rifes a crown, which running dowri 
the neck, bears fom.e fimilitude to a horfe's mane. 
The colour of thefe birds is either black or a pyed 
blue; and they receive their name from the very 
fingular manner in which the male ftrives to re- 
commend himfelf to the notice of the female. 
FIRE-FLAIRE. a f\{h of the ray kind, called 
alfo paftinacha marina,A»/hich feems to be the dread 
of even the boldeft and mofc experienced fifher- 
men. Nature has armed this animal with a barbed 
weapon proceeding from the tail, about five in- 
ches in length; concerning the tremendous efiecfts 
of which, many aftonifhing fables have been handed 
down to us by Pliny, 7£lian, and Appian. Thefe 
naturalifts afcribe to it a kind of venom which af- 
fe6ls even the inanimate creation; trees touched by 
it inftantly lofe their verdure; and rocks themfelves 
are reprefented as unable to refifb this potent poi- 
fon. The enchantrefs Circe is faid to have armed 
her fon with a fpear headed with the fpine of this 
fifli, as the nioft irrefiftible v/eapon fire could fup- 
ply. Indeed, it is unqueftionable, tliat darts and 
fpears, in very early ages, were headed v/ith this 
bone inflead of iron. The Americans head their 
arrov/s with the bones of fifhes to this very day; 
and, from their hardnefs and lharpnefs, thev are 
no contemptible weapons. But that the fpine of 
the Fire-Flaire is polTefiTed of the deleterious quali- 
ties afcribed to it, we have every reafcn to doubt; 
thougli fome men of high reputation in the literary 
world, and the whole tribe of fifliermen, contend for 
it's venomous effefts. In fa£l, it is capable of in- 
fliifting a very terrible wound, attended with dan- 
gerous fymptoms; but it certainly cannot be pof- 
fefTcd of any poilbn, as the fpine has no fiieath to 
preferve the fuppofed venom on it's furface, and 
the animal is deflitute of glands, which would be 
neceflary to feparate the noxious fluid. Befides 
this, all thofe animals which are furnifhed with en- 
venomed flings or fangs, feem to have them ftrongly 
conne6led with their prefervation and exiftence; 
and fhould they be amputated, or even injured^ 
the creatures themfelves v/ould fpeedily languifa 
and die. But the cafe is far othervv'ife with refpedi: 
to the fpine of the Fire-Flaire, which is fixed to 
the tail like a quill, and annually fhed in the fame 
manner: it may, indeed, be neceffary for the crea- 
ture's defence, but by no means for it's exifl- 
ence. 
Wounds inflifted by the tails of animals carry 
fomething terrible in the idea; and hence fear 
may have added poifon to the pain, and con- 
jured up iinaginary dangers. The negroes uni- 
verfally believe that the fting of this creature is 
poifonous, but they never die of the wound; for, 
on opening the filli, and applying it to the part 
affefted, it produces a fpeedy cure. 
FIRE-FLIES. A genus of Flies which exhi- 
bit a lumiinous appearance in the night-time. Of 
thefe various fpecies are found in different quarters 
of the globe. 
Fire-Flies, EastIndian. Thefe Flies are each 
about an inch broad, and as much in length. The 
head, which is brown, has two horns or feelers; 
and the neck is red. They have four wings; the 
uppermoft of which are brown and hard, and the 
under foft: the fliining flibftance is contained in a 
black bag fituated on their backs, which is hid 
with their wings, except when in motion. Dur- 
ing the rainy feafon, prodigious numbers of them 
fwarm among the trees, on the blolToms of which 
they principally feed. 
Fire-Flies, West Indian. According to 
4 E Pere 
