TAPIOCATAROC. 



525 



organs of generation are found on one side of every 

 articulation ; it is the kind most commonly met 

 with in Germany, France and Britain ; 2. bothryo- 

 cephalus latus, the proper or broad tapeworm, in 

 which the sexual organs are found on the flat side 

 of the articulations. It is met with only in Russia, 

 Poland, Switzerland, and some parts of France, 

 and causes little pain. Both kinds often reach the 

 length of twenty or thirty feet, and usually only 

 detached parts pass from the body, but not that 

 which has the head ; before this has passed away, 

 the worm reproduces itself, and, moreover, what 

 was formerly doubted, several tapeworms are often 

 met with in one intestinal canal. The symptoms 

 of the tapeworm are a peculiar, sudden sensation of 

 pricking in the stomach, oppression, and undulatory 

 motions in the abdomen, anxiety, cramps, swoons, 

 &c. ; but all these symptoms are uncertain, and 

 only tlie actual passing of pieces of the worm from 

 ..the body is a certain proof of its existence. The cure 

 is difficult, and requires an experienced physician. 



TAPIOCA. See Manioc. 



TAPIR. The American tapir, when full grown, 

 is six feet in total length, and about three and a 

 half in height. In general form it resembles the 

 hog ; but the legs are rather longer in proportion, 

 and the nose is prolonged into a small movable pro- 

 boscis. The fore feet have four toes, and the hind 

 ones three only. The eyes are small and lateral, 

 and the ears long and pointed ; the skin thick, and 

 covered with scattering, short, silky hairs ; the tail 

 short, and slightly hairy. The teeth resemble those 

 of the horse. It is the largest animal of South 

 America, and is found in all parts of that continent, 

 though most abundant in Guiana, Brazil and Para- 

 guay. It shuns the habitations of men, and leads 

 a solitary life in the interior of the forests, in moist 

 situations, hut selects for its abode a place somewhat 

 elevated and dry. By travelling always the same 

 rounds, it forms beaten paths, which are very con- 

 spicuous. It comes out only in the night, or dur- 

 ing rainy weather, and resorts to the marshes. Its 

 ordinary pace is a sort of trot ; but it sometimes 

 gallops, though awkwardly, and with the head 

 down, and, besides, swims with facility. In the 

 wild state, it lives on fruits and young branches of 

 trees, but when domesticated, eats every kind of 

 food. Though possessed of great strength, it makes 

 use of it only for defence ; and its disposition is 

 mild and timid. The flesh is dry and disagreeably 

 tasted ; but the skin is very tough, and might be 

 applied to useful purposes. The Indian tapir has 

 only been discovered within a few years. It inha- 

 bits Sumatra, Malacca, and some of the surround- 

 ing countries. The colours are remarkable. The 

 head, neck, feet and tail are black ; the rest of the 

 body and tip of the ears white. 



TAPROBANA (with the ancients) ; the name 

 of Ceylon. 



TAR ; a well known substance obtained chiefly 

 from the pine by burning in a close, smothering heat. 

 Some of the unctuous species of bitumen are also 

 called mineral tar. (See Bitumen.} The tar of 

 the north of Europe is superior to that of the United 

 States, on account of the latter being prepared from 

 dead wood, while the former is procured from trees 

 recently felled. The mode practised in the Scan- 

 dinavian peninsula is precisely that described by 

 Theophrastus and Dioscorides, as in use in ancient 

 Greece. A conical cavity is made in the ground, 

 with a cast-iron pan at bottom, from which leads a 

 funnel. The billets of wood are thrown into this 



cavity, and, being covered with turf, are slowly 

 burnt, without flame. The tar which exudes dur- 

 ing combustion is conducted off through the funnel 

 above-mentioned into barrels, which are immediate- 

 ly bunged, and fit for exportation. 



TAR RIVER. See Pamlico. 



TARE is an allowance for the outside packag% 

 that contains such goods as cannot, be unpacked 

 without detriment; or for the papers, threads, 

 bands, &c., that enclose or bind any goods imported 

 loose, or which, though imported in casks, chests, 

 &c., yet cannot be unpacked, and weighed net. 



TARENTUM (T ? a f ) ; an old Greek colony in 

 Lower Italy, founded by Lacedaemonian Parthenii, 

 700 B. C. It was one of the most flourishing and 

 powerful cities of Magna Grsecia, and for a long 

 time defended its freedom against the attacks of 

 the Romans. It was also distinguished for luxury 

 and splendour. Pythagoras found many disciples 

 here, and the fine arts were encouraged. Archytas, 

 a mathematician, was a Tarentine. The city was 

 taken by the Romans B. C. 272. The harbour of 

 the modern Taranto is choked up with sand ; but 

 the place has some trade, and a population of 14,000 

 souls. Marshal Macdonald received his title of 

 duke of Tarentum from this place. 



TARGUM (interpretation, translation') ; a Chal- 

 dee version of the Old Testament. After the 

 Babylonish captivity, the ancient Hebrew had 

 gradually become unintelligible to the common 

 people (see Hebrew Language, and Jews) ; and it 

 therefore became necessary to read or explain the 

 Scriptures in the synagogues in the vulgar language 

 of the country. The oldest Targum is that of 

 Onkelos, which comprises only the pentateuch ; 

 the second, or that of Jonathan, is a version of the 

 prophets. These are supposed to have been writ- 

 ten about the time of our Saviour. The third tar- 

 gum is also a version, or rather a paraphrase of the 

 law, accompanied with many glosses and fables. 

 The fourth, likewise of the law, is called the 

 "Jerusalem targum," becaiise it is in the Syro- 

 Chaldaic language, which was spoken at Jerusalem. 

 The fifth is a paraphrase of the megilloth (Ruth, 

 Esther, Ecclesiastes, Solomon's Song, Lamenta- 

 tions) ; the sixth, of Esther ; the seventh, of Job. 

 the Psalms and Proverbs ; and the eighth, of the 

 Chronicles. These six are of later origin and less 

 value than the two first mentioned. Several of the 

 targums are contained in the polyglot Bibles. See 

 Polyglot. 



TARIFF, OR TARIF; first a list of certain 

 merchandises ; then a list of duties on imports and 

 exports. This word, like many others used in 

 commerce, is derived from the Italian, in which it 

 is tariffa : this again comes, like several other ex- 

 pressions relating to commerce or navigation, from 

 the East. In Persian, it is tarif. In Arabian, the 

 verb arf signifies to know, which in the second form 

 becomes tarif, signifying to make known. The sub- 

 stantive derived from the verb therefore signifies 

 notification. 



TARN ; a department of France. See Depart- 

 ment. 



TARN ET GARONNE; a department of 

 France. See Department. 



TAROC; a game at cards, perhaps the most in- 

 teresting, but also the most difficult. It is played 

 with seventy-eight cards, and derives its name from 

 the twenty-two trumps or tarocs in it, the most 

 important of which is the excuse. If cards, as is 

 said, are an invention of the Arabians, and carried 



