FES 
make those ashes up into balls with a little 
water, which they dry. in the sun, and make 
use of them to wash their linen with, looking 
upon it to be nearly as good as soap for that 
purpose. 
FERONIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Deeandria Monogynia class and order. 
Calyx five-parted ; petals five ; berry glo- 
bular, covered with a hard, rough, woody 
shell, one celled; seeds numerous. There 
is but one species ; viz. F. elephantum, ele- 
phant apple-tree, found in the East Indies. 
See Linn, Trans, vol. v. 
FERRARIA, in botany, so named in 
honour of John Baptist Ferrarius, a genus 
of the Gynandria Trigynia class and order, 
Natural orderofEnsat.se.- Irides, Jussieu. 
Essential character: one-sty led; spathes 
one flowered ; petals six, waved and curled; 
stigmas cowled ; capsule three-celled, infe- 
rior. There are two species, 
FERRET. See M us tee A, 
Ferrets, among glass-makers, the iron 
with which the workmeh try the melted 
metal, to see if it be fit to work. 
FERREOLA, in botany, a genus of the 
Dioecia Hexandria class and order. Essen- 
tial character: calyx one-leafed, three- 
cleft; corolla one-petalled, three-cleft : male, 
filaments six; inserted into a semi-globose 
receptacle : female, germ oval ; berry round, 
smooth, two-seeded. There is but one 
species ; viz. F. buxifolia. 
FERRUGINOUS, any thing partaking 
of iron, or that contains particles of that 
metal. See Iron. It is particularly ap- 
plied to certain mineral springs, whose wa- 
ters are impregnated with the particles of 
iron, generally termed chalybeates. 
FERRY, in law, is a liberty by prescrip- 
tion, or the King’s grant, to have a boat tor 
passage upon a river for carriage of horses 
and men for :easonable toll. Owner of a 
ferry cannot suppress that ferry, and put 
up a bridge in its place, without a licence. 
And if a ferry be granted at this day, he 
who accepts such grant is bound to keep a 
boat for the public good. 
FERULA, in botany, English fennel- 
giant , a genus of the Pentandria Digynia 
class and order. Natural order of Umbel- 
latte. Essential character : fruit oval, plane, 
compressed, with three streaks on each 
side. There are nine species. 
FESSE, in heraldry, one of the nine ho- 
nourable ordinaries, consisting of a line 
drawn directly across the shield, from side 
to side, and containing the. third part of it, 
between the honour-point and the nombril. 
FIB 
It represents a broad girdle or belt of ho- 
nour, which knights at arms were anciently 
girded with. 
Fesse point is the exact centre of the 
escutcheon. 
Fesse ways, or in fesse, denotes any- 
thing borne after the manner of a fesse : 
that is, in a rank across the middle of the 
shield. 
Fesse, party per, implies a parting across 
the middle of the shield, from side to side, 
through the fesse point. 
FESTIN O, in logic, the third mood of 
the second figure of syllogism, the first pro- 
position whereof is an universal negative, 
the second a particular alfirmative, and the 
third a particular negative : as in the fol- 
lowing example : 
FES No bad man can be happy, 
TI Some rich men are bad men : 
N O Ergo, some rich men are not happy. 
FESTUCA, in botany, English fescue 
grass, a genus of the Triandria Digynia class 
and order. Natural order of Gramir.se, or 
grasses. Essential character : calyx two- 
valved ; spikelet oblong, roundish, with 
acuminate glumes. There are twenty-six 
species. 
FEUDS. Rotates in lands were origi- 
nally at will, and then they were called 
munera ; afterwards they were for life, and 
then they were called beneficia ; and for that 
reason the livings of clergymen are so cal- 
led at this day ; afterwards they were made 
hereditary, when they were called fcoda, 
and in our law fee simple. 
FEVER. See Medicine. 
FEVERFEW. See Matricaria. 
FEUILLEA, in botany, so called in ho- 
nour of Louis Feuillee, a genus of the Dioe- 
cia Pentandria class and order. Natural 
order of Cucurbitacese. Essential charac- 
ter : male, calyx five-cleft ; corolla five- 
cleft; stamens five; nectary five converg- 
ing filaments : female, calyx five-cleft ; 
styles three ; pome hard, three-celled, cor- 
ticose. There are two species. 
FIBER, the beaver, in zoology, is made, 
by Linnaeus, a species of castor. See 
Castor. 
FIBRE, in anatomy, a perfectly simple 
body, or at least as simple as any thing in 
the human structure ; being fine and slen- 
der like a thread, and serving to form other 
parts. Hence some fibres are hard, as tiie 
bony ones; and others soft, as those des- 
tined for the formation of all the other 
parts. See Anatomy. 
FIBRES, flexible union of. The strength 
