Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 04.djvu/224

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
LEFT
184
RIGHT

FOUmERISM 184 FOX FOURIERISM, a system partly of co- operation, partly of socialism ; advocated, and to a certain extent carried out, by Francois Marie Charles Fourier. Fourier's scheme was that what he called from the word phalanx, a phalan- stery, consisting of about 400 families, or 1,800 persons, should live together, combining their labor, upon a district about a square league in extent. The buying and selling transactions requisite for the support of the community, were to be managed by a single person, which would save a multitude of peddling oper- ations. If any brought capital into the concern, it was not confiscated, but he was allowed interest upon it. The labor being carried on in common, the profits were apportioned on the following sys- tem: First a minimum of mere sub- sistence money was assigned to every member of the society, including those incapable of labor. The reniainder of the profits were then divided in propor- tions agreed on beforehand, to remuner- ate labor and talent, and pay interest on the capital received. The profits divided thus were then expended by the individ- ual recipients as they pleased. An effort was made about 1852 to form an indus- trial colony on Fourier's plan, but the at- tempt was unsuccessful. FOWL, in its general sense, this term is nearly synonymous with birds; but in a more restricted sense it means those domestic birds brought up in a farmyard for the table. Fowls originally came from Persia and India, and they are val- uable to the breeder in many ways, yield- ing profit as they do in eggs, in broods, and in feathers. The principal kinds of this useful domestic creature are : ( 1 ) the game fowl, with erect and slender body and showy colors; valued also for the del- icacy of the flesh and of the eggs. It is this breed which is used for cock fighting. (2) The Dorking fowl, so named from Dorking, in Surrey, where it has long been bred in great numbers for the Lon- don market — a breed characterized by an additional spur on each leg; often of a white color, with short legs; one of the most useful of all breeds, both for ex- cellence of flesh and for abundance of eggs. (3) The Polish fowl, black, with a white tuft, a breed very extensively reared in France, Egypt, etc., little in- clined to incubation, but valued for an almost uninterrupted laying of eggs. (4) The Spanish fowl, very similar to the Polish, but larger, and laying larger eggs, on account of which it is now much valued, and very common in Great Brit- ain; black, with white" cheeks and large red comb. (5) The Malay fowl, tall and handsome, and very pugnacious, but little esteemed. (6) The Hamburg fowl, of very be^tiful plumage, and much val- ued for the quality both of flesh, and eggs, as also for extreme productiveness of eggs. (7) The Cochin China fowl, a large, tall, ungraceful variety, with small tail and wings. Is valuable chiefly on account of its fecundity, eggs being laid even during winter, and the hens incubating frequently. (8) The bantam fowl, a diminutive variety, rather curi- ous than useful. Of most of these there are many sub-varieties and fancy breeds — gold-penciled, silver-penciled, etc. The guinea fowl, or pintado, is sometimes classed among the common order of fowls; they are very wild and restless in their nature, and, unlike the ordinary fowls, they give no notice to any one of their laying or sitting; they have conse- quently to be closely watched. The guinea fowl is very delicate eating, and is in season about Lent. See Poultry. FOWLER, ELLEN THORNEY- CROFT, an English novelist, born in 1873. She published several volumes of verse and a volume of short stories. She first achieved fame by the publication of "Concerning Isabel Carnaby" (1898). This was followed by "A Double Thread" (1899) ; "Fuel of Fire" (1902) ; "Place and Power" (1903); and "Ten Degrees Backward" (1915). FOX, in general, the genus Vulpes. The foxes differ from the dogs in having a long, bushy tail, and the pupil of the eye elliptical or nearly linear by day, but becoming circular or nearly so by night. This fits them to be nocturnal animals. The American or red fox is Cayiix fulvus. Many skins are annually exported from this country. V. lagopus is the Arctic fox. The Deccan fox is V. bengalensis, though Bengal and the Deccan are some distance apart. V. vulgaris, formerly and still by many called, after the ex- ample of Linnaeus, Canis vulpes, is the common English species. Its cunning is proverbial. It is an inhabitant of nearly all Euope, as well as of western Asia and northern Africa, Other species are the black or silver gray, the cross-gray, and the cross-woods foxes. Also Callionymus lyra, the gemmeous dragonet, a fish, so called from its yellow color. In nautical language, a small strand of rope made by twisting several rope- yarns together. Used for seizings, mats, sennits, and gaskets. In mechanics, a wedge driven into the split end of a bolt to tighten it. FOX, CHARLES JAMES, an Eng- lish statesman; born in England, Jan.