FAG 
are four faculties, viz. 1. Of arts, which in- 
clude humanity and philosophy. 2. Of 
theology. 3. Of physic. And, 4. Of civil 
law. The degrees in the several faculties 
of our universities are those of batchelor, 
master, and doctor. 
Faculty of advocates, a term applied to 
tire college or society of advocates in Scot- 
land, who plead in all actions before the 
Court of Session. They meet in the begin- 
ning of every year, and choose the annual 
officers of the society, viz. dean, treasurer, 
clerks, private and public exanrinators, and 
a curator of the library. 
F.ECULA, in chemistry, the substance 
obtained by bruising or grinding certain 
vegetables, or grain, in water ; the faecuia 
is that part which after standing some time 
falls to the bottom ; this, in plants, appears 
to be only a slight alteration of their muci- 
lage, for it differs from mucilage in no other 
respect than in being insoluble in cold wa- 
ter. Most plants contain faecuia, but the 
seeds of gramineous and leguminous vege- 
tables, and all tuberose roots contain it in 
great abundance. 
FAGARA, in botany, a genus of the Te- 
trandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Dumosae. Terebiritaceae, 
Jussieu. Essential character : calyx four> 
cleft; corolla four-petalled ; capsule two- 
valved, with one seed. There are ten spe- 
cies. 
FAGONIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Decandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Gruinales. Rutaceae, Jus- 
sieu. Essential character : calyx five-leaved ; 
petals five, cordate; capsule five-celled, 
ten- valved, with one seed in each cell. 
There are three species. 
FAGRiEA, in botany, so called in ho- 
nour of Jonas Theodor Fagraeus, M. D. a 
genus of the Pentandria Monogynia class 
and order. Natural order of Contort®. 
Apocineae, Jussieu. Essential character : 
calyx bell-shaped ; corolla funnel-shaped ; 
berry two-celled, fleshy; seeds globular; 
stigma peltate. Only one species. 
FAGUS, in botany, chesnut tree, a genus 
of the Monoecia Polyandria class and or- 
der. Natural order of Amentace*. Es- 
sential character: male, calyx five-cleft, 
bell-shaped ; corolla none ; stamina twelve : 
female, calyx four-toothed; corolla none; 
styles three ; capsule muricate, four-valved ; 
seeds two. There are five species, viz. two 
chesnut trees, and three of the beech, one of 
which is a native of Cochinchina. 
FAI 
FAINT action, or Feigned action, in 
law, is a sort of fictitious suit, contrived for 
the purpose of trying a particular question 
of fact, and is generally directed by the 
Court of Chancery. 
FAIR, a greater kind of market, granted 
to a town, by privilege, for the more speedy 
and commodious providing of such things 
as the place stands in need of. It is inci- 
dent to a fair, that persons shall be free 
from being arrested in it for any other debt 
contracted than what was contracted in the 
same; or, at least, promised to be paid 
there. These fairs are generally kept once 
or twice a year, and, by statute, they shall 
not be held longer than they ought, by the 
lords thereof, on pain of their being seized 
into the King’s hands, &c. Also proclama- 
tion is to be made how long they are to con- 
tinue ; and no person shall sell any goods 
after the time of the fair is ended, on forfei- 
ture of double the value, one fourth to the 
prosecutor, and the rest to the King. There 
is a toll usually paid in fairs, on the sale of 
things, and for stallage, picage, &c. 
Fairs and Markets, in law. No per- 
son can claim a fair or market, unless by 
grant from the King, or by prescription, 
which supposes such grant. Owners and 
governors of fairs are to take care that 
every thing be sold according to just weight 
and measure, and for that and other pur- 
poses may appoint a clerk of the fair or 
market, who is to mark and allow such 
weights, and for his duty can only take his 
reasonable and just fees. 
Generally, all regular sales of things 
usually sold there shall be good, not only 
between the parties, but also binding on all 
those that have any right or property 
therein. 
FAIRY rings. The circles of dark-green 
grass frequently observed in old pastures, 
have long been known under the name of 
fairy rings, and have generally been suppos- 
ed to be occasioned, in some way or other, 
by electricity. Dr. Wollaston has, in a late 
volume of the “ Transactions of the Royal 
Society,” given a new and very ingenious 
theory, of which we shall present our rea- 
ders with a brief account, premising that 
Mr. Davy, in the course of his lectures at 
the Royal Institution, had occasion to refer 
to the subject, and seemed to coincide in 
opinion with Dr. Wollaston. That which 
first attracted his notice was the position of 
certain fungi which are always found grow- 
ing upon these circles, if examined in a 
