TAMPICO 



5696 



TANCRED 



The settlement of Tampa began with the es- 

 tablishment of an army post called Fort Brooke, 

 about 1850. During the War of Secession it was 

 taken by the Federals, when it was only a small 

 shipbuilding center. Here, in De Soto Park, 

 the United States Volunteers encamped during 

 the Spanish-American War. In 1886 railroads 

 were constructed to the city, the tobacco indus- 

 try was established, Tampa became a port of 

 entry, and the city charter was granted. From 

 that time its growth was rapid. L.P.D. 



TAMPICO, tahmpe'ko, the most important 

 center of oil production and one of the lead- 

 ing seaports of Mexico, situated six miles from 

 the Gulf of Mexico near the- mouth of the Pa- 

 nuco River, and 206 miles northeast of Mexico 

 City (see map, opposite page 3768). It is lo- 

 cated in the state of Tamaulipas, and occupies 

 the site of an ancient Aztec city. Though 

 Tampico suffers from a hot, humid, imbe&lth- 

 ful climate, the place has experienced a remark- 

 able growth because of the development of the 

 rich oil fields in the vicinity. During the War 

 of the Nations the Tampico wells provided 

 nearly all of the oil used by the British navy, 

 and it was the necessity for closely guarding 

 this valuable source of supply that induced 

 President Wilson to lift the embargo on the 

 export of ammunition into Mexico, in the sum- 

 mer of 1917. The business section of the city has 

 broad, well-paved streets, fine public squares 

 and substantial buildings, and good drainage 

 and sewerage systems and gas and electric light 

 plants have been installed. In 1914 Tampico 

 came prominently into notice as the scene of 

 the insult to the American flag that almost 

 caused war between Mexico and the United 

 States (see MEXICO, subtitle Government and 

 History). Population, estimated, 35,000. 



TANAGER, tan'ajer, a family of American 

 birds noted for the brilliance of the male plum- 

 age. They are from six to eight inches long, 

 and are usually found in the forests, where they 

 feed on insects, fruit and flowers. The three 

 hundred and fifty known species dwell chiefly 

 in the tropical regions of Central and South 

 America, and only four or five species reach 

 the United States in their migrations north- 

 ward. Of these the best known is the scarlet 

 tanager, which nests as far north as New Bruns- 

 wick. The male has bright scarlet plumage, with 

 velvety black wings and tail, and the female is 

 pale yellow below and olive-green above, with 

 darker wings and tail. The nest is a frail, 

 saucer-shaped structure placed near the end of 

 a horizontal limb, and the eggs, three or four 



in number, are pale bluish-white or bluish- 

 green, with reddish-brown markings. The scar- 

 let tanager has a loud, cheery singing note 

 something like that of the robin. 



A familiar summer bird of the Southern states 

 is the summer tanager, easily recognized by its 



SCARLET 

 TANAGER 



rose-red plumage. It has much the same nest- 

 ing habits and song as its scarlet-coated rela- 

 tive. Another interesting species is the West- 

 ern tanager, found in summer from the Rockies 

 to the Pacific coast. The male of this group 

 is bright yellow, with black back, tail and wings 

 and crimson head. 



TANANARIVO, tannahna re ' vo, or AN- 

 TANANARIVO, the capital of Madagascar, the 

 seat of the French authority over the island, 

 is situated well inland, on a plateau at an ele- 

 vation of over 4,000 feet. It is not an at- 

 tractive city ; the streets are very irregular, and 

 the buildings are constructed almost entirely of 

 wood. The only building of note is the former 

 royal palace, the residence of the queen before 

 her exile in 1896, when France took formal 

 possession of the island, dropping the pretense 

 of its former protectorate (which see). The in- 

 habitants manufacture coarse textile fabrics and 

 a few other simple necessities, but the inland 

 position of the city, combined with poor facili- 

 ties for transportation, restricts the commerce. 

 However, two railroads to the coast from the 

 capital are being slowly constructed, to the ex- 

 treme north at Antsirane and to the east at 

 Tamatave. Population, about 72,500. See 

 MADAGASCAR. 



TANCRED, tang'kred (about 1050-1112), 

 prince of Antioch. With his cousin Bohemund 

 he joined the First Crusade, swore allegiance 

 to Alexius, the Greek emperor, and took active 

 part in the siege of Antioch. He soon joined 

 himself to Godfrey of Lorraine, and in 1099 

 assisted in the capture of Bethlehem. During 



