Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 7, ETM-GOA

F E L [ '97 I F E L
Fells. Terek, and in the Perfiafl provinces of Ghilan and Ma-
fenderan, and frequent about the mouth of the Kur,
the ancient Cyrus.^—In manners, voice, and food, it
agrees with the wild cat. It conceals itfelf in the day,
and wanders over the flooded tracks in fearch of prey ;
feeding on rats, mice, and birds, but feldom climbing
trees. It is exceffively fierce, and never frequents the
haunts of mankind. It is fo impatient of captivity,
that one which was taken in a trap, and had a leg
broken, refufed for many days the food placed by it;
but in its fury devoured the fradtured limb, with pieces
of the flake it was faftened to, and broke all its teeth
in the phrenfy of its rage.
Sivah XVIII. The Caracal, Sivah Ghush, or Perfian
Ghuth. Lynx, with a lengthened face and fmall head; very long,
fender ears, terminated with a long tuft of black hairs;
' s fmall: the upper part of the body is of a very
reddifh brown ; and the belly and bread are whi-
tifli: the limbs are ftrong and pretty long ; and the
tail is about half the length of the body. Thefe ani¬
mals inhabit Perfia, India, and Barbary ; where they
are often brought up tame, and ufed in the chace of
leffer quadrupeds, and the larger fort of birds, fuch as
cranes, pelicans, peacocks, &c. which they furprife
with great addrefs. When they feize their prey, they
hold it fail with their mouth, and lie for a time mo-
tionlefs on it. They are faid to attend the lion, and
to feed on the remains of the prey which that animal
leaves. They are fierce when provoked : Dr Charleton
fays, he faw one fall on a hound, which it killed and
tore to pieces in a moment, notvvithftanding the dog
defended itfelf to the utmoft.—The Arabian writers call
it anak el ard; and fay, that it hunts like the panther,
jumps up at cranes as they fly, and covers its fteps when
hunting.
Libyan The Libyan Lynx is a variety,with fliort black tufts
Lynx, to the ears, which are white within, and of a lively red
without; the tail white at the tip, annulated with four
black rings, with black marks behind the four legs.
It is greatly inferioria fize to the former; not larger
than a common cat. It inhabits both Libya and Bar¬
bary.
Bay Lynx. XIX. The Rufa, or Bay Lynx, with a fliort tail,
yellow irides, and upright fliarp-pointed ears, tufted
with long black hairs : the colour of th^ head, back,
fides, and exterior parts of the legs, bright bay, ob-
fcurely marked with dulky fpots: from beneath each
eye certain long black ftripes, of an incurvated form,
mark the cheeks; which, with the upper and under
lip, whole under fide of the body, and in fides of the
legs, are white : the upper part of the tail is barred
with dufky ftrokes; and next the end, one of a deep
black ; its tip and under fide are white. This animal,
which is about twice the bignefs of a large cat, inhabits
the inner parts of the province of New York.
Canadian XX. The Canadian Lynx, with pale yellow eyes.
Lynx, snd ereft ears tufted with black long hair. The body
is covered with foft and long fur, cinereous tinged with
tawny, and marked with dulky fpots, more or lefs vi-
fible in different fubje&s, dependent on the age or fea-
fon in which the animal is killed : the legs are ftrong
and thick ; the claws large. It is about three times the
fize of a common cat: the tail is only four inches long,
tipt with black. This fpecies inhabits the vaft foreits
of North America. It is caUed in Canada le chat-eervier,
or le loup-cervter, on account of its being fo deftru&ive Felts
to deer; which it drops on from the trees, like the
puma, and, fixing on the jugular vein, never quits its Fela ,
hold till the exhaufted animal falls through lofs of blood. ' ’
The Englifh call it a wild cat. It is very deftru&ive .
to their young pigs, poultry, and all kind of game.
The fkins are in high efteem for the foftnefs and warm-
nefs of the fur; and great numbers are annually im¬
ported into Europe.
XXL The Mountain Lynx, or Cat-a-mountain, Cat-a-
upright pointed ears, marked w ith two brown bars; with Mountain,
the head and upper part of the 'body of a reddifh brown,
with long narrow ftripes of black; the fides and legs
with fmall round fpots: the chin and throat are of a
clear white ; the belly of a dull white. The length of
the animal, from nofe to tail, is two feet and a half; of
the tail, eight inches. It inhabits North America; and
is faid to be a gentle animal, and to grow very fat.
FELL (Dr John), a very learned Englifh divine
and bifhop, entered a ftudent at Chrift-church, Oxford,
1636. 101648, he was ejeded by the parliamentary
vifitors, being then in holy orders: and from that time
to the reftoration lived at Oxford a retired and ftudious
life. He was inftalled canon of Chrift church, July
1660; and the year following, dean of that church ;
in which places he did great fervices to the college, and
reformed feveral abufes. He was confecrated bifhop
of Oxford in 1675; and had leave to hold his deanry in
commendam, that he might continue his fervices to the
college and univerfity. He publifhed feveral works, and
died in 1686.
FELLING of Timber.—Many circumftances are
well known and conftantly obferved in the felling of
timber for building, which, though to a hafty obfer-
vef they might appear trifling, yet prove, on experi¬
ence, to be of the utmoft confequence. One thing ob¬
ferved by M. de Buffbn, which very greatly increafes
the folidity and llrength of timber, is, that the trees
intended to be felled for fervice fhould firft be ftripped
of their bark, and fuffered to Hand and die upon the
fpot before the cutting. The fappy part or blea of
the oak, becomes by this means as hard and firm as
the heart; and the real ftrength and denfity of the
wood has been proved, by many experiments, to be
greatly increafed by it: nor is this a pradtice of any
detriment to the proprietor, fince the remaining flumps
of thefe trees fend up their young fhoots as vigorouf-
ly as if they had been cut down in their natural con¬
dition.
When any tree is to be cut down for timber, the firft
thing to be taken care of is a fkilful difbranching of
fuch limbs as may endanger in its fall: many trees are
utterly fpoiled for want of a previous care of this kind.
In arms of timber that are very great, it is always ne-
ceflary to chope or fink in them clofe to the bole, and
then meeting it with down-right ftrokes, it will be
fevered from the tree without fplitting. In felling the
tree, take care always to cut it as clofe to the ground
as poffible, unlefs it is intended to be grubbed up: and
the doing that is of advantage both to the timber and
to the wood ; for timber is never fo much valued, if it
be known to grow out of old flocks.
FELLOWSHIP, Company, or Di/lributme-Pro¬
portion, in arithmetic. See Arithmetic, n° 15,
FELO de se, in law, a perfon that lays deliberate¬
ly