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LEFT FLAMINGO 149 FLANK fire," which was directed toward the enemy. The oil was a carefully com- pounded mixture of light and heavy com- ponents, the lighter portion being either gasoline or ether, and the heavier portion higher boiling petroleum oils, FLAMINGO, a bird, Phcenicoptems mber, which has very long legs, and in other respects so much resembles one of the grallatores (waders), that it was long classed with them. But Swainson pointed out that its feet have the webbed toes of the duck, and the bill is a modi- fication of a duck's bill. He therefore placed it with the natatorial (swimming) FLAMINGO birds. The plumage is rose-colored, the wing coverts red, the quill feathers of the wings black. It is about 3% feet high. It is found in the S. of Europe, frequent- ing the seashore, and living on mollusca, Crustacea, and smaller fishes. Also the genus Phcenicoptems, of which species exist in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. They are gregarious and mi- gratory, moving in large flocks. FLAMMARION, CAMILLE (fla-ma- re-6n'), a French astronomer, writer on descriptive astronomy, and "astronomical novelist"; born in Montigny-le-Roi, Haute-Marne, France, Feb. 25, 1842. He was designed by his parents for the Church, but went over to science, and by a long course of writings of a more or less popular character made his name widely known. "The Plurality of the Inhabited Worlds" (1862); "Celestial Wonders" (1865); "The Atmosphere" (1872); "Urania" (1889); "The Planet Mars and Its Habitability" (1892) ; "Popular Astronomy" (1894) ; and "Lu- men" (1897), "Thunder and Lightning" (1906), "Mysterious Psychic Forces" (1907), etc., are among his best known works. FLANDERS, the name of a very in- teresting and early civilized portion of Europe, forming two contiguous prov- inces of Belgium, termed East Flanders and West Flanders, respectively, bound- ed on the N. W. by the North Sea, and inclosed on its other sides by the prov- inces of Antwerp, Zealand, South Bra- bant, Hainault, and the French depart- ment Nord. East Flanders is separated from West Flanders by a line running almost due S. from Sluys, a small town nearly opposite Flushing. Area, 1,158 square miles; pop. about 1,134,079. The surface is level in the N. part, while to the S. it consists of undulating plains. The soil is heavy loam, and highly fer- tile. Capital, Ghent. West Flanders has a considerable coast-line, in the central part of which is the port of Ostend. This side faces the N., but the W. boundary of the province adjoins the French territory. Area, 1,249 square miles; pop. about 885,000. The surface is generally level, excepting the dunes, or sand-hills, on the coast. The soil is fertile and agricul- ture good. Capital, Bruges. For pro- ductions, manufactures, etc., and history, see Belgium. FLANK, one of the two parts of the body which enable it to bend; the part of the side of an animal between the ribs and the hip. As a military term, either side of a body of troops; the extremities of a body of soldiers in line, or the sides of a column, being termed the right and left flanks respectively. In any defense work, it is applied to that part from which a fire may be directed against the side or flank of an attacking party. Thus, the flanks of a bastion are those parts of the ram- part and parapet which connect its faces with the extremities of the curtains of the enceinte on either side of it. A fire from the flanks is effective in preventing an attacking party from eflfecting a lodgment at the foot of the curtain that