Page:LA2-NSRW-2-0211.jpg



FLANDERS

681

FLATHEADS

review dealing with astronomical matters, and ^ has written extensively on the heavenly bodies, founded astronomical societies and observatories, etc. Among his more notable works, many of which are to be found in English translations, are The Plurality of Inhabited Worlds, God in Nature, The Atmosphere, The Stars and the Curiosities of the Heavens, Urania f etc. M. Flamniar ion takes a lively interest in the planet Mars, and has made many balloon-ascents to study the condition of the atmosphere at great altitudes. Flan'ders, the country of the Flemings, lying on the North Sea, embraced the present Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders, the southern portion of Zealand in Holland and the greater part of ancient Artois in France. It was originally inhabited by Belgic tribes, on whose subjection by one of Caesar's lieutenants it was added to Roman Gaul. It was afterwards overrun by Franks, and, by the treaty of Verdun, Flanders was added to Neustria. The first government of the country was presided over by a count, Baldwin I, appointed by the king of France in 837. The town of Valenciennes was added in 1006, as were also Ghent and the Zealand Islands. Under Baldwin V the counties of Alost, Tournai and Hainauit were added. On his death the Netherlands portion was set aside for Baldwin's younger son, who, on the death of his elder brother, wrested Flanders from the widow, leaving to her and her son Hainault only. From this time to the end of the i2th century the Flemish territories remained thus divided. In the loth and nth centuries Flanders rose to be the chief center of wool-weaving in Europe. In 1256 the Zealand Islands were given to the count of Holland, and they still remain in Holland's possession. From 1302 to 1320 the Flemings struggled successfully with France. In 1529 France resigned her claims to Flanders, and with the accession of Philip II to the throne of Spain the history of Flanders becomes identical with that of the Spanish Netherlands. The treaty of Westphalia transferred Dutch Flanders to the United Netherlands, whilst by the treaties of the Pyrenees in 1659, Nimeguen in 1678 and Utrecht in 1713 Louis XIV succeeded in adding to France Artois and a large part of French Flanders. By this last treaty and that

of Rastadt, in 1714, the remainder of Flanders was assigned to Austria, and is known as the Austrian Netherlands. On the formation of the new kingdom of Belgium, in 1831, the provinces of East and West Flanders were united with it. The area of these provinces is 2,408 square miles, with a population of 2,004,784. West Flanders abuts on the North Sea, and has a fertile soil, good for growing flax and cotton, and is also noted for its cattle and leather-trade, The people of both provinces are chiefly Roman Catholics and of Flemish stock. Ghent (pop. 164,659) is the capital of East Flanders; while Bruges (pop. 53,-995) is the chief town of West Flanders, with its seaport of Ostend (pop. 41,698). The active industries of West Flanders include fishing, lace-making and spinning and weaving linen, together with the growing of flax, hops and tobacco. In East Flanders the industries are much the same, in addition to cattleraising and the manufacture of cloth and paper. The two principal rivers are the Scheldt and the Lys.

Flandrin (flan'dran'',, Jean Hippolyte, an historical and portrait painter, was born at Lyons, France, May 23, 1809. Between 1842 and 1845 ne decorated many churches in France, and was ranked as the greatest religious painter of the century. His great frescoes, Christ Entering Jerusalem and Christ Going up to Calvary, in the church of St. Germain, at Paris, and his picture of St. Clair Healing the Blind, in the cathedral of Nantes, are among his best-known works. He died at Rome, March 21, 1864.

Flat'fish, the name given to a number of salt-water fishes, flattened from side to side like the flounder, halibut, plaice, sole and turbot. Some fishes are flattened from above, like skates, torpedoes etc., but these are not called flatfishes. The true flatfishes have lost their symmetry, both eyes come to occupy one side, and the mouth is twisted. They lie on, the bottom with the blind side downward, and, in swimming, progress through the water with this side underneath. The upper side is colored, but the under side is whitish. When these fish are first hatched, both sides are alike and the eyes are symmetrically placed right and left. Soon they begin to become flattened, and the eye of one side travels gradually over the crown of the head and becomes placed close to the other eye. The mouth also becomes twisted. In the meantime the fish turns on one side, and, in swimming or resting, keeps the blind side downward. The colors also disappear from this side. Recent experiments tend to show that if the blind side is kept illuminated by light reflected from a mirror, the white side will remain colored or develop its color again.

Flat'heads, a term applied to the Selish Indians, a small tribe dwelling on Clark's

CAMILLE   FLAMMARION