F I S 
F I S 
Pere du Tertre, thefe infe6ts refemble living ftars; 
of which fuch immenfe numbers appear during the 
night, that the air feems full of them. They have 
not any luminous appearance in the day-time, and 
therefore are little noticed by thofe who are igno- 
rant of their qualities. They have fomething of 
the appearance of dirty beetles ; and delight to fre- 
quent places where rotten wood is found, till about 
fun-fet, wiien they fly abroad, and appear like fo 
many lighted tapers carried round the woods by 
invifible hands. They purfue the light of a can- 
dle, or any other luminous objecft, with fo much 
ardour, that they often perifh in the flame. 
The fame gentleman gravely informs us, that 
the poor Popiih clergy, when in want of candles 
or oil, catch one of thefe flies, by the light of 
which they read their matins v/ith as much facility 
as with a lamp. When alive, and in full vigour, 
a flame feems to proceed from all parts of their bo- 
dies j but, when they become fick, it grows weakj 
and, after death, it is quite extinguifhed. 
Fire-Flies of Martinico, Thefe creatures, 
which are fomewhat fnaller than common flies, 
yield a fort of fparkling golden light extremely 
agreeable. This light refides in a fort of white 
fubfl:ance, of which they are full; and, when in- 
clined, they are capable of either concealing or 
difclofing it, 
Fire-Flies of Guiana, Thefe flics are of 
two kinds. The largefl is upwards of an inch in 
length; and has a verv large head, connefted with 
the body by a joint of a particular ftruflure, with 
which it fometimes makes a loud noife. It is 
furniflied with two feelers, or horns ; two wings ; 
and fix legs. Under it's belly lies a circular parch, 
which in the dark fhines like a candle; and on 
each fide of the head, near the eyes, is a prominent, 
globular, luminous body, fomewhat larger than a 
muftard-feed. Each of thefe bodies refembles a 
rifing ftar, emitting a bright powerful light; for 
two or three of thefe infe6ls being put into a glafs, 
affbrd fufficient light to read by. Even when the 
flies are dead, their bodies will fl:ill afibrd confi- 
derable light, though lefs vivid than before; and, if 
bruifed or rubbed over the hands and face, they will 
exhibit a luminous appearance like phofphorus. 
Thefe Flies, which are of a reddifa brown colour, 
live in rotten trees in the day-time, and never ven- 
ture abroad till the approach of night. 
The other fpecies is about half the fize of the 
former; and their light proceeding from under 
their wings, it is only vifible when they are ele- 
vated. The air is entirely filled with thefe infe6ls 
in the night-time; but, like the reft of the kind, 
they are feldom vifible during the day. 
FISANELLE. A Venetian name for the fpe- 
cies of water-fowl of the colymbus kind called 
bv authors the colymbus major or great diver. 
It generally weighs about a pound: the feathers 
are downy, foft, and thick -fet; the head and neck 
are brown; the back is blaclcilli; the fides and 
belly are brownilTi; the breaft is a filvery white; 
the wing-feathers are black and white; the toes 
are all conne£led by narrow membranes, but not 
webbed; and it is deftitue of a tail. 
FISCHERLIN. An appellation given by 
many of the northern nations to a ilnall fpecies of 
the larus or gull; called by Ray larus pifcator; by 
IJnnasus, larus minuta; and, in England, the 
lefler fea-fv/allow. It is fomewhat lefs tlian the 
common black-bird. The bill is yellow, tipped 
with blacki the forehead and cheeks are whitej 
from the eyes to the bill runs a black line; tK& 
wings are long and grey; the feet are fliort and 
yellow; the breafi: and belly are white, and of an 
exquifite glofs; the crown of the head is black; 
and the back is grey* 
Thefe birds are very common on fome parts of 
the Britilb coafts during the fummer feafon ; but 
being extremely delicate in their natures, they are 
unable to endure the inclemency of our winters, 
and therefore retire to warmer climates. 
FISGURN. A German fifli of the lhape of 
the lamprey. See Misgurn. 
FISH, BI.ACK, OF Aleppo. Dr. Rufiel, who 
defcribes this fiib in his Hiftciy of Aleppo, fays 
that it refembles the filurus Rondeletii in fhape ; 
and, like it, has no fcales. The head and back are 
black ; the lateral line extends quite from the head 
to the tail; and, below it, the colour generally 
changes to a dark purple. The under part of the 
head is alfo of the fame colour. The head is fiat; 
and the body is round, except near the tail, where 
it becomes fomewhat depreffcd. The mouth is 
not fo large in proportion as that of the filurus ; 
but, in it's flrrufture, it entirely agrees with thede- 
fcription of that fifli. A fmall cirrus rifes on each 
fide from the edge of the noflril; two others of 
greater dimenfions proceed from the angles of the 
mouth; and there are alfo four more on the lower 
lip. The eyes are fituated near the corner of the 
mouth; and there are four branchijE on each fide, 
with a double row of fix points. Near the bran- 
chite there are two fins, compofed of feven radii; 
to the anterior part of v/hich a pretty ft:rong prickly 
bone is united. Above the anus are two finall 
fins; a long one extends from under the anus to 
the tail, and another from the neck along the 
back; neither of which join with the tail. 
This fifli is caught in the River Orontes, and in 
the itagnant waters in it's vicinity; and, from No- 
vember to March, the markets of Aleppo are 
plentifully fupplied with it. The flefh is as red 
as beef, rank-tafted, and deemed unwholefome; 
but, for v/ant of better fare, it is much ufed. 
FISHER. See Sable. 
FISHES. In the Linnasan fyftem, the fourth 
clafs of animals, including four orders; namely, 
apodes, jugulares, thoracica, and abdominales; 
which comprehend forty-feven genera, and four 
hundred fpecies. However, the new Artedian fyf- 
tem divides Fifhes into five difcincl orders; the 
malacopterygii, or foft-finned Fifh; the acanthop- 
tervgii, or prickly-finned Fifh ; the branchioftegi, 
or Fifhes without bones in the membranes over the 
gills ; the chondropterygii, or Fiflies v/ith carti- 
laginous ra)s in the fins; and the plagiuri, or 
Fifhes whofe tails are placed horizontally. 
The ocean beins; the great receptacle for Fifhes,' 
fome have imagined that all the varieties are natu- 
rally of that fait element, and that they have only 
accidentally migrated into frefli water. A few ftill 
fvvim up rivers, in order to depofit their fpawn; 
but the great body of Fifhes keep at fea, and are 
incapable of exifting in frefh water. In that ex- 
tenfive and inexplorable abode, millions refide, 
whofe manners, and v/hofe very form, are wholly 
unknown. The curiofity of mankind, indeed, has 
drawn fome from, their depths, and his wants many 
more: with the figures of thefe at leaft he is ac- 
quainted; but, with regard to their purfuits, ha-'- 
bits, times of geftation, and manner of parturition, 
thefe are all hid in the turbulean element which 
prote(5ts. them. 
The 
