Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/264

 FLAMEN widow of some property, and also received pupils in his house, to whom he taught writing and the rudiments of letters. The means which he thus acquired were profitably invested, and the products of his industry and rents enabled him to build hospitals and free lodging houses, found chapels, and endow churches, which he often adorned with paintings and sculptures, especially with bass reliefs of himself and his wife. His fame increased after his death, and the attempt to account for a fortune which had been magnified by popular credulity resulted in attributing to him the possession of the phi- losopher's stone. In 1561 the Sommaire phi- losophique, a metrical treatise on alchemy, was published probably by Gohorry, under the name of Flamel ; and it completely established his reputation as an alchemist till Vilain criti- cally investigated his history (1761). It has been conjectured that the Jews, who were then much persecuted in France, made him the depositary of their wealth ; or, which is still more improbable, that the cabalistic book of Habraham Juif, which he is said to have studied, contained emblematic signs of the va- rious places where the Jews, expelled from the kingdom, had buried their treasures. FLAMEN, in Roman antiquity, a member of an ancient college of priests, established by Numa, each of whom was confined to the ser- vice of a particular deity. The briginal three, the dialis, martialis, and quirinalis, conse- crated to Jupiter, Mars, and the deified Rom- ulus, were afterward distinguished as majores, and chosen from a select class of the patrician order (see COXFARREATION) ; while the later 12, called minor es, were elected from the ple- beians. Their dignity was for life, but could be forfeited by neglect of duty, or lost in con- sequence of an ill-omened event disturbing any of their sacred performances. Their official dress was the apex, a cap either conical or close-fitting, having at the top a pointed piece of olive wood, surrounded at its base by a lock of wool (filum, whence, according to some, their name, while Plutarch derives it from pileum, hat), the Icena, or mantle, and the laurel wreath. The most distinguished mem- ber of this college of priests was the dialis, honored with the privileges of a seat in the senate, the toga prcetexta, a lictor, and the higher prerogative of procuring pardon or res- pite for criminals who came to him for refuge ; but he was also burdened by several restric- tions, being forbidden, for instance, to leave the city even for a single night, to swear an oath, to wear a ring, to ride or touch a horse, and to remarry after the death of his wife, who assist- ed him in the performance of some of his sacred functions, and was called flaminica. In later times the deified emperors of Rome had par- ticular flamens appointed to their worship. FLAMINGO, a wading bird of the order nata- iores, family anatidce, subfamily phcenicopteri- na, and genus phcenicopterus (Linn.). The bill is longer than the head, high at the base, com- FLAMINGO pressed, suddenly bent at a right angle in the middle, the sides growing narrower, and rather obtuse at the tip ; the lateral margins are in- curved and finely laminated ; the base to around and behind the eye is covered with a soft and delicate skin, finer than the finest kid, the end being corneous ; the nostrils are near the base, linear, 1 in. long ; length about 5 in. ; beyond the curve the color is black, the base being orange and yellow. The wings are moderate, with the first and second quills nearly equal and longest ; the tail is 6 in. long ; the tibia is lengthened and naked ; the tarsi are very long and slender, and both covered by transverse scales; the toes are short, the anterior ones united by a membranous web ; the hind toe is very short, almost touching the ground, and free ; the claws are short and flat. There are five or six species, inhabiting the warmer parts of the globe, frequenting the seashore and marsh- es in considerable flocks ; one acts as sentinel while the rest are feeding or resting, and on the approach of danger gives the alarm by a trum- pet-like noise, and starts off leading all the rest; they fly either in triangular lines like the wild goose, or in Indian file when they are about to alight ; they can run quickly, but when walk- ing are said to assist themselves by placing the upper mandible on the ground; though web- footed, they do not swim, the webs serving to support them in wading over soft mud. The food consists of mollusks, crustaceans, fish spawn, marine insects, and small fish; the singular form of their bill enables them, by turning it toward the body, to place the upper mandible downward, and thus to collect their food as in the bowl of a spoon. The small head, angular bill, long and slender neck, stilt- American Flamingo (Phoenicopterns ruber). like legs, comparatively small body, and bril- liant colors render the flamingo one of the most extraordinary forms among birds. The American flamingo (P. ruber, Linn.) is about 4 ft. long from bill to end of tail, and 5 ft. to end of claws ; the extent of wings is 5 ft.,