It was about 1 1/2 inches, with a longish, nicely groomed nail.

And while it gave the woman - Anna Ayala, 39, of Las Vegas - a bad case of the willies, it likely caused no physical illness, officials said.

That's because the finger was safely cooked, simmering along at 170 degrees with more traditional chili ingredients, such as tomatoes and beans.

At about 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, Ayala, in town with her family to drop off her in-laws who live in San Jose, scooped up a mouthful of chili.

''Suddenly something crunchy was in my mouth,'' she said, ''and I spit it out.''

After much examination, she and her tablemates realized just what the special ingredient was.

Then the vomiting commenced.

Police and county health officials were called to the Wendy's, but no one there was missing any digits.