F L E 
greatefl difficulty, generally pining away for want 
of their natural fupplies. While young, their co- 
lours are very different from thofe lively tints they 
acquire with age. During their firft year, they 
are covered v/ith whitifh plumage, variegated with 
grey ; in the fecond year, the whole body is white, 
with a few flight tints of fcarlet, and the great co- 
vert-feathers of the wings are black; the third year 
equips the bird in all it's deftined beauty, the plu- 
mage of the whole body becoming like fcarlet, ex- 
cept a few feathers in the wings, which ftill retain 
their fable hue. Of thefe beautiful plumes the fa- 
vages fabricate a variety of ornaments; and the en- 
tire ficins of thefe birds are fometimes made up 
into muffs by the Europeans. But fince we have 
acquired the art of dyeing feathers of the brighteft 
fcarlet, the value of thefe has been muchdiminifhed. 
FLAT-FISH. The fiHi fo called is a native 
of the Eaft Indian rivers. It is about a foot long; 
the mouth is wide ; and the fkin is fmooth, and with- 
out fcales. The colour of the body is filvery; 
and on the back is a fmall fin, with one on each 
fide. Under the belly likewife is a fmgle fin, 
v/hich fupplies the place of the tail. This fifh is 
excellently flavoured, but fo extremely full of bones, 
that it is little valued. 
FLEA. A genus of the aptera clafs of infefts, 
of a roundifh compreffed figure. 
Fev/ are unacquainted with the agility and 
blood-thirfty difpofition of the Flea ; of the caution 
with which it begins the attack; and die quick- 
nefs with which it avoids the purfuit. This in- 
fe6t, which not only preys on man, but alfo on the 
dog, the cat, and various other animals, is found 
in every part of the world; but in fome countries 
it is more plentiful and more troublefome than in 
others. In Italy and France it's fize is increafed, 
but it's bite is lefs fevere than in England ; and it 
would feem that it's force increafed with the cold- 
nefs of the climate ; and, though lefs prolific, that 
it became more predaceous. 
When examined with a microfcope, the Flea will 
be obferved to have a fmall head, large eyes, and a 
roundifh body. It has two fiiort antennas, or 
horns, compofed of four joints; and between thefe 
lies it's trunk, which it buries in the fkin, and 
through it imbibes the blood in large quantities. 
It's body appears to be curioufly ornamented 
with a fuit of polifhed fable armour, neatly jointed, 
and befet with a multitude of fharp fpines, almofb 
like the quills of the porcupine. It's legs are fix in 
number; the joints of which arefo adapted, that it 
can fold them up one within each other; and, when 
it leaps, they all fpring out, whereby it's whole 
ftrength is exerted, and it's body raifed above two 
hundred times it's own diameter. 
The generation of this familiar vermin, which 
was firft difcovered by Signior Diacinto Ceftone, 
affords fomething very curious. Fleas bring forth 
eggs or nits, which they depofit on animals that 
afford them a proper fafeguard. Thefe eggs be- 
ing very round and fmooth, ufually flip down till 
they are detained by fome inequalities on the 
cloaths or hairs where they are lodged ; and from 
them are hatched certain white worms which feed 
on the fcurfy fubftance of the cuticle, the downy 
matter coUedled in the piles of cloaths, or other 
fimilar fubftances. In the fpace of fourteen days 
they arrive at a tolerable fize; become very lively 
and aftive ; and, if difturbed, they fuddenly roll 
themfelves up in a ball. Soon after this, they be- 
gin to creep, like filk-worms, which hav^e no legs ; 
F L E 
and then they fearch out lurking-places, v/hcre 
they fpin fillcen threads from their mouths, and 
with thefe they inclofe themfelves in fmall round 
bags or cafes, of a fnowy white colour internallv, 
but dirty without. In this poficion they remain 
for a fortnight longer; after which they buifl 
from their confinement perfeftly formed, and leave 
their exuvis in the bags. 
By keeping Fleas in a glafs tube, corked at both 
ends, but fo as to admit frefli air, their f-veral ac- 
tions may be obferved, and particularly their mode 
of copulation, which is performed tail to tail; the 
female, which is confiderably the largefc, fl.-andin^'- 
over the male. 
The Flea may eafily be diffefted in a drop of 
water ; and by this means the ftornach and bowf Is, 
with their periftaltic motion, may be very clearly 
difcovered. Lewenhoeck affirms, that he has ieen 
innumerable animalcules, of a ferpcnrine lliape, in 
the femen mafculinum of a Flea : be this as it may, 
it is certain that their teftis, penis, with the veins 
and arteries, though minute beyond conception,- 
are yet perfectly diftinguifhable. 
Nothing, however, is more furprizing than the 
flrength of this little infeft. Had man an equal 
degree of power in proportion to his bulk, the hif- 
tory of Samfon would be no longer miraculous. 
A Flea will draw a chain an hundred times lieavier 
than itfelf; and, to compenfate for this force, will 
eat ten times it's own fize of provifion in a finoje 
day. 
Flea, Water, Arborescent. Tliis infc(51-, 
the monoculus of authors, is about the fize of 
the common Flea; and appears to the fight, un~ 
afliiled by the microicope, to have but one eye, 
whence it receives it's clafllcal name. However, 
the fact is, on account of the fmallnefs of the liead, 
both eyes feem united, being fituated in the trunk 
of the infcft, which is very iinall and fliarp-pointed. 
Examined by the microicope, the fcrufture of the 
eye feerns to be redculated, or formed like a net. 
Infedls of this kind, which are of a biood-red 
colour, are fom.etimes feen in fuch multitudes on the 
furfaces of ftagnant v/aters, as totally to change 
their colour; and hence many fanciful people have 
concluded that they were turned into blood. 
Swammerdam informs us, that a certain re- 
nowned profefllbr of Leyden was for a rime much 
aftoniflied by an appearance of this kind. Beino- 
very intent on his fludies, he lieard a confuted 
noife; of which, as it feemed to increafe by de- 
grees, he was defirous of difcovering the caule by 
m.eans of his fervant; who, on his return, appeared 
almoft petrified through fear, and told his rnafi.er, 
in a tremulous voice, that all the waters of Ley- 
den were turned into blood. On this the gentle- 
man proceeded directly to the v/ater thus^dlico- 
loured, and poured fome of it into a glafs ; and- 
after viewing it attentively, he obferved that it 
abounded with an infinite number of thefe little 
red infefts, which had turned the wliole fluid into 
that fanguineous colour. 
This infe6t is particularly curious on account of 
the formation of it's arms, and the motion it makes 
with them in the water. By means of thefe the 
little creature can move in a flraight line, v/aving 
it's arms as a bird docs it's wings in the air, fome- 
times upwards, at others downwards, fometimes to 
the right, and at others to the left; iiill^ however, 
proceeding in one uniform and regular courfe. By 
ftriking the water with it's arms, it can afcend with 
great velocity; and, by beating it in a different di- 
4 G redio i. 
