F 1 C 
F I C 
F I C 
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FIBULA, in anatomy, the outer and 
smaller bone of the leg. 
FICTION of i.Aov, is allowed of in se- 
veral cases ; but it must be framed according 
to the rules of law; and there ought to be 
equity and possibility in every legal fiction. 
Fictions were invested to avoid inconve- 
nience; and it is a maxim invariably observ- 
ed, that no fiction shall extend to work an in- 
jury, its proper operation being to prevent 
a mischief, or remedy an inconvenience, that 
might result from the general rule of law. 
3 Black. 434. 
All fictions of law are to certain respects 
and purposes, and extend only to cert an 
persons ; as the law supposes the vouchee to 
be tenant of the land, where in rei veritate 
he is not; but this is as to the demandant 
himself, and to enable him to do tilings as to 
the demandant, and which the demandant 
may do to him; and therefore a fine levied 
bv vouchee to the demandant, or fine or re- 
lease from the defendant to the vouchee, is 
good ; but fine levied by the vouchee to a 
stranger, or lease made to him by a stranger, 
is void. 3 Rep. 29. See Fine, and Reco- 
very. 
FICUS, a genus of the' trioecia order, in 
the polygamia class of plants, and in the na- 
tural method ranking under the 5Sd order, 
scabridae. The receptacle is common, tur- 
binated, carnons, and connivent; inclosing 
the florets either in. the same or in a distinct 
one. The male calyx is tripartite ; no co- 
rolla; three stamina: tlie female calyx is 
quinquepartite; no corolla; one pistil ; and 
one seed. There are 56 species, of which. the 
following are the most remarkable. 
L, Ficus indica, or banian-tree, is a native 
■of several parts of the East Indies. It has a 
woody stem, branching to a great height and 
vast extent, with heart-shaped entire leaves 
ending in acute points.. T his tree is beauti- 
fully described by Milton in Paradise Lost, 
book ix. 1. 1 100. 
Indeed the banian-tree, or Indian fig, is 
perhaps the most beautiful of nature’s pro- 
ductions in that genial climate, where she 
sports with so much profusion, arid variety. 
Some of these trees are of amazing size and 
great extent, as they are continually in- 
creasing, and, contrary to most other things 
in animal and vegetable life, seem to be ex- 
empted from decay. Every branch from the 
main body throws out its own roots; at first, 
in small tender fibres, several yards from the 
ground: these continually grow thicker until 
they reach the surface; and there striking in, 
they increase to large trunks, arid become 
parent trees, shooting out new branches from 
the top: these in time suspend their roots, 
which, swelling into trunks, produce other 
■branches; thus continuing in a state of pro- 
gression as long as the earth, the first parent 
of them all, contributes her sustenance. The 
Hindoos are peculiarly fond of (he banian- 
tree ; they look upon it as an emblem of the 
Deity, from its long duration, ite-out-str etch- 
ing arms, and overshadowing beneficence; 
they almost pay it divine honours, and 
“ Find a fane in every sacred grove.” 
Near these trees the most esteemed pago- 
das are generally erected ; under their shade 
the Brahmins spend their lives in religious 
solitudb; and the natives of all casts and 
bribes are fond of. recreating in the cool re- 
cesses, beautiful walks, and lovely vistas of 
this umbrageous canopy, impervious to the 
hottest beams of a tropical sun. 
A remarkable large t ree of this kind grows 
on an island in the river Nerbedda, ten "miles 
from the city of Baroche, in the province of 
Guzerat, a flourishing settlement lately in 
possession of the East India company, but 
ceded by the government of Bengal, at 
the treaty of peace concluded with the Mah- 
rattas in 1783, to Mahdajee Scindia, a Mah- 
latta chief. It is distinguished by the name 
of Cubbeer Burr, which was given it in ho- 
nour of a famous saint. It was once much 
larger than at present ; but high floods. have 
carried away the banks of the island where it 
grows, and with them such parts of the tree 
as had thus far extended their roots; yet 
what remains is about 2000 feet in circum- 
ference, measured round the principal stems ; 
the overhanging branches, not vet struck 
down, cover a much larger space. The chief 
trunks of this single tree (which in sizegreatly 
exceed our English elms and oaks) amount 
to 350 ; the smaller stems, forming into 
stronger supporters, are more than 3000; 
and every one of these is casting out new 
branches, and hanging roots, in time to form 
trunks, and become the parents of a future 
progeny. Cubbeer Burr is famed throughout 
Hindostan for its great extent and surpassing 
beauty: the Indian armies generally encamp 
around it, and at stated seasons, solemn, jatar- 
ras, or Hindoo festivals, are held there, to 
which thousands of votaries repair from va- 
rious parts of the Mogul empire. It is said 
that 7000 persons find ample room to repose 
under its shade: The English gentlemen, j 
on their limiting and.shooting parties, used to j 
form extensive encampments, and’ spend ! 
weeks together under this delightful pavilion; 
which is generally filled with green wood- | 
pigeons, doves, peacocks, and a variety of 
feathered songsters ; crowded with families of i 
monkeys performing their antic tricks,, and 
shaded by bats of a large size, many of them 
measuring upwards of six feet from the ex- 
tremity of one- wing to the other. This - tree 
not only affords shelter, but sustenance, to 
all its inhabitants, being covered amidst its 
bright foliage with small figs of a rich scarlet, 
on which they all regale with as much de- 
light as the lords of creation on their more 
various and costly fare. 
2. The sycamorus, or sycamore of scrip- 
ture. According to Mr. Hasselquist, this is 
a huge tree,, the stem being often 50 feet 
round. The fruit is pierced in a remarkable 
manner by an insect. There is an opening 
made in the calyx near the time the fruit 
ripens, which is occasioned: in hvo different 
ways:. 1. When the squamae, which cover 
the calyx, wither and are bent back, which, 
however,, is more common to the carica than 
the sycamore. 2: A little below the scales, 
on the side of the flower-cup, there appears a 
spot before the fruit is ripe; the fruit in this 
place is affected with a gangrene which, ex- 
tends on every side, and frequently occupies 
a finger’s breadth. It withers ; the place af- 
fected becomes black ; the fleshy substance 
in the middle of the calyx, for the breadth of 
a quill, is corroded ; and the male blossoms, 
which are nearest to the bare side, appear 
naked, opening a way for the insect, which 
makes several furrows in the inside of the 
fruit, but never touches the stigmata, though 
it frequently eats the germen. The wounded 
or gangrenous part is at first covered or shut 
up by the blossoms; but the hole is bv de- 
grees opened and enlarged of various sizes in 
the dhferent fruits; the margin and sides 
being always gangrenous, black, hard, and 
turned. inwardly. The same gangrenous ap- 
pearance is also found near the squama-, after, 
the insect has made a hole in that place. 
The tree is very common in the plains and. 
fields of Lower Egypt. It buds in the end of 
March, and the ir.ii it ripens in the beginning, 
of June. It is wounded or cut by the in- 
habitants at the time it buds; for without 
this precaution they say it would not bear, 
fruit. 
3. The carica, or common fig, with an. 
upright stem branching 15 or 2.0 feet high, 
with large palmated or hand-shaped leaves, 
Of this there are a number of varieties; as 
the common fig, a large, oblong, dark pur- 
plish-blue fruit, which ripens in August either 
on standards or walls, and the tree carries a 
great quantity of fruit. The brown or ches- 
nut fig ;. a large, globular, chesnut-coloured 
fruit, having a purplish delicious pulp, ripen- 
ing in July and August. The black Ischia lig ; 
a middle-sized, shortish, .flat-crowned, blackisji 
fruit, having, a bright pulp, ripening in the 
middle of August. The green Ischia tig ; a 
large, oblong, globular-headed, greenish iruit, 
slightly stained by the pulp to a reddish-brown 
colour, ripens in ine end of August. The brown 
Ischia lig; a small, pyramidal, brownish-yellow 
fruit, having a purplish very rich pulp, ripen- 
ing in August and September r i he M aha fig 
a small flat-topped brow n. fruit, ripening in the 
middle of August or beginning of September. 
The round brown Naples, fig;, a globular, 
middle-sized, light-brown fruit, and. brownish 
pulp, ripe by the end of August. 'The long 
brown Naples fig; a long dark-brown fruit" 
having a reddisn pulp, ripe in September.. 
'I he great blue fig.; a large blue fruit, having, 
a. fine red pulp. The black Genoa fig; a 
large, pear-shaped, black -coloured fruit, with: 
a bright red pulp, ripe in August. 
Culture.-. — 'I’lie last species is that most 
frequently cultivated in this country, and the 
only one which does not require to be kept 
in a stove. It may be propagated either by 
suckers arising from the roots, by layers, or 
by cuttings. The suckers are to be taken off 
as low down as possible; trim off any ragged 
part at bottom, leaving the tops entire, espe- 
cially if for standards, and plant them in nur- 
sery lines at two or three feet distance from, 
each other, or they may at once be planted 
where they are to remain, observing, that if 
they are designed for walls or espaliers, they 
may be headed to six or eight inches in 
March, the more effectually to force out 
lateral shoots near the bottom,; but if intend- 
ed lor standards-, they must not be topped,, 
but trained with a stem, not less than 15 or 
18 inches for dwarf-standards, a yard for half- 
standards, and four, five, or six, feet for full 
standards.. They mast then be suffered to 
branch, out to form a head;, observing that 
whether against walls, espaliers, or standards,, 
the brandies or shoots must never be short- 
ened, unless to procure a necessary supply 
of wood: for the fruit is always produced om 
the upper parts of the young shoots ; and if 
these are cut off, no fruit can be expected. 
The best season for propagating these trees 
by layers is in autumn; but it may be also 
