F O S 
FOX 
the animal keeps clofe to the body when In the aft 
of fwimming. It grows to the fize of the macke- 
rel ; but it's flefli is not much efteemed. 
Fork-Tail, among fifhermen, is alfo expreiTive 
of the falmon in it's fourtli year, while it has not 
yet attained it's full growth. 
FORMICA. See Ant. 
FORMICA LEO; theAnt-Lion. A remark- 
able infefl which, in it's prior or creeping frate, 
fhews amazing addrefs in catching it's prey; and, 
in it's perfect or winged Urate, approaches to the 
nature of the libellula; or dragon-flies. See Ant- 
LioN and Dragon-Fly. 
FORNA. An appellation given by Hilde- 
gard and others to the trout. 
FOSSANE. An animal of the weafel kind, 
about the fize of the cat. It's body, which is flen- 
der, is covered with afli-colour,ed hair mixed v/ith 
tawny; four black lines extend from the hinder 
part of the head towards the back and flioulders; 
the fhoulders, fides, and thighs, are black; the 
whole under-fide of the body is of a dirty white 
hue; and the tail is femi-annulated. 
This animal, which inhabits Madagafcar, Gui- 
nea, Cochin-China, and the Philippine Ifles, is 
fierce and untraftablc; it deftroys poultry in abun- 
dance; and it's flefn, wlien young, is reckoned ex- 
cellent food. The natives of Guinea call it the 
barbe; and the Europeans who frequent that coaft, 
the wine-bibber, on account of the fondnefs it 
fhews for palm.-wine. 
FossANE, Leveriant. This variety has a white 
Ipot on each fide of the nofe, and another beneath 
each eye; the remainder of the nofe, the cheeks, 
and the throat, are black ; the ears are very large, 
upright, rounded, thin, naked, and black; the fore- 
head, the fides, thighs, rump, and upper part of 
the legs, are cinereous; the back contains many 
long black hairs; and on the fhoulders, fides, and 
rump, are difperfed fome black ipots. The tail, 
towards the end, is black, but near the bafe, mixed 
with tav/ny flightly annulated with black; and the 
feet and claws are white. 
This fpecies is of the flze of the genet, to which 
it bears a firong ref^mblance; and it's tail is as long 
as it's whole body. 
FossANE, OF Brooks. This fpecies has a grey 
nofe, marked with a little brown ; the mouth and 
jaws are white, with a dark brown fpot on each 
fide; the eyes refemble thofe of the cat; and the 
cars are rounded, and of a flelhy colour. The 
head is grey mixed with tawny; and the forehead 
is marked with a brov>'n line. The body is likewife 
grey and tawny, having a dark brown line along 
the ridge of the back reaching to the tail ; and the 
fides are grey, adorned with lines of very dark 
brown olive fpots. The belly and feet are white; 
and the tail is long and grey, with blackifh or dark 
brown rings. 
FOSSORES. A fpecies of fmall worm.s hatched 
from the eggs of flies which feed on tlie paren- 
chymatous fubftance of the leaves of plants, bury- 
ing themfelves between the two membranes. 
Reaumur gives thefe animals in general the name 
of afcarides; but as they greatly differ in their fize, 
and in the manner or their eating^ and deftroying 
the leaves, the fmall ones, which eat but flowly, 
and gnav/ their way iii crooked furrovvs, are diffcin- 
guiflied by the appellation of Fofibres parvi; and, 
on the contrary, thofe which are larger and more 
voracious in their way of living, are called FofTores 
Eiagni. , 
FOUMART. A provincial appellation for an 
animal of the weafel kind, called alfo the fitchet 
and pole-cat. See Pole-Cat. 
FOURMILUER. A name given by Buffon 
to the myrmecophaga didacftyla of Linnsus, or the 
little ant-eater, the lefler yellowiih tamandua, or the 
white American coati. This animal has a conic 
nofe, bending a little downwards; fmall ears hid in 
the fur; two hooked claws on the fore-feet, and 
four on the hind. The head, body, limbs, and 
upper part and fides of the tail, are covered with 
long, foft, fiiky hairs, of a yellowifli brown co- 
lour; and the tail is thick at the bafe, and tapers 
to a point. This animal inhabits Guiana, and 
climbs trees in fearch of thofe ants which build 
their nefl:s in the branches. See Ant-Eater. 
FOWL. This term, when taken in a general 
fenfe, is of fimilar import with Bird; but, in a li- 
mited view, ii^ more peculiarly fignifies the larger 
kinds of birds, both wild and domeftic, which are 
either reared or purfued for the purpofes of food. 
In this fenfe. Fowl includes turkies, geefe, ducks, 
pheafi,nts, partridges, pigeons, cocks and hens, 
and a variety of other birds. Our cominon poultrv 
were originally brought from India and Perfia. 
Arifcophanes calls the cock the Perfian bird ; and 
fays, that it was known in that country before Da- 
rius and Megabyzus. Thefe birds are nov/ found 
wild in the ifle of Tinian, and other iflands of the 
Indian Ocean; and in this ftate their plumage is 
black and yellow, and their combs and wattles 
purple and yellow. They v/ere certainly denizens 
of Britain before the arrival of the Romans; for 
Csefir informs us, that they v/ere one of the forts of 
food forbidden to the natives. It feems probable 
that the Phoenicians, who traded to Britain about 
five hundred years before Chrifr, firft introduced 
them into this country. As to the other domeftic 
Fowls, (turkies, geefe, and ducks, excepted) v/e 
feem to be indebted for them to the Romans ; 
but the Wild-Fowl were our own from the earliell 
periods. 
FOX. An animal of the dog kind, which it 
exaiflly refembles in it's internal conformation. It 
is a crafty, lively, and libidinous creature; breed- 
ing only once a year, unlefs fome accident de- 
prives it of it's firfl: litter; and generally producing 
four or five cubs, which, like puppies, are brought 
forth blind. The female goes with young about 
fix weeks; and though it is a generally received 
opinion that this animal will not generate with the 
dog kind, late experiments and obiervations have 
proved it to be an erroneous one. Buffbn in- 
deed was unfuccefsful in attempting to bring about 
an union of the two fpecies; but what failed when 
purfued on mechanical principles, has frequently 
been efFecfled by nature. 
The Fox is fmaller and more flender than the 
wolf, though it's general conformation is the fame : 
the former is about two feet three inciies long, and 
the latter three feet and a half. The tail of the 
Fox is longer in proportion, and more bufliy; it's 
nofe is finaller, bearing a flronger refemblance to 
that of the grey-hound; and it's hair is fofter: but 
it's eyes, like thofe of the v/olf, are obliquely placed ^ 
it's ears Iiave a fimilar direction; and, in proportion 
to it's fize, it's head is equally large. From the dog 
this anim.al differs in a ir;ore ellential manner: it's 
firong, ofi'enfive fmell, is peculiar to the fpecies ; 
it's habits and purfuits are by no means corre- 
fpondent with thofe of the dog; and, thouch 
marl-:ed with lew internal variations, and fev/er ex- 
4 I ternal 
