Fur

(fur.) [L. fur ra.] (Com.) The hair of animals living in the colder parts of the globe. The furs of commerce are the dre ed skins of such animals with the hair attached. All the chief fur-bearing animals will be found described under their proper headings.(Her.) Furs were used in coat-armor, as well as in trimming and lining the robes of knights and nobles, and the mantles which were represented as surrounding their shields. The pages were (Fig. 339): 1. Ermine (f. 1), of which the field is white, and the spots black; 2, Ermine, of which the field is black, and the spots white; 3, Erminois, which has the field gold, with black spots; 4, Vair (f. 2), which consisted of pieces of the shape of little gla spots (Fr. verres, of which the word is 1 2 3 4 Fig. 339. 1, Ermine; 2, Vair: 3, Counter-vair: 4, Potent. a corrupt spelling). It is said that the furriers used such gla es to whiten furs in, and because they were commonly of an azure (blue) color, the fur in question came to be blazoned argent and azure; whilst counter-vair (f. 3), in which the cups are represented as placed base against base, in place of edge to base, as in vair, was or and azure. 5. Potent (f. 4) and Counter-potent, which are supposed to resemble the heads of crutches, placed differently, but having the same tinctures-viz., azure and argent. -(Chem.) The incrustation which forms on the inner surface of boilers, kettles, ., after calcareous water has been boiled in them for a length of time. [s. 389]