144 



A GLOSSARY OF TERMS 



STSTOLE. fr. gr. sustello, I contract. 

 The contraction of the heart, by 

 which it gives impulse to the 

 blood, or causes its progression in 

 the blood-vessels. It is opposed 

 to the diastole of this organ. 



TABAC'CUM. Lat. Tobacco. 



TABASHEER. Bamboo milk. Bam- 

 boo camphor. Bamboo salt. A si- 

 liceous substance found in the 

 joints of bamboo, sometimes fluid, 

 but generally in a concreted state. 



TABLE-LAND. An elevated plane. 

 A flat extended surface of land, 

 having a mountain-like elevation 

 above the level of the sea. 



TABLE-LAYERS. Pseudo-strata. In 

 geology, extended plates of rock 

 not divided into parallel la- 

 minae. 



TA'BULAH. In form of a table; ho- 

 rizontal : applied to fiat crystals. 



TACHYDRO'MOUS. fr.gr. tachus, swift; 

 dromos, a race. Having speed. 

 Applied to certain birds, insects, 

 and reptiles. 



TACHTPE'TES. fr. gr. tachus, swift ; 

 petomai, to fly. Systematic name 

 of the frigate bird. 



TACT. The sense which gives the 

 perception of touching. Touch is 

 active ; tact passive. 



TACTILE SENSIBILITY. The sensi- 

 bility which enables. us to per- 

 ceive impressions through the 

 means of the sense of touch. 



TADPOLE. fr. sax. tad, toad ; pola, a 

 young one. The young of the 

 batrachians are called tadpoles. 



TJE'XIA. fr. gr. tainia, a fillet. A 

 tape-worm. 



TJBSTIOI'DES. fr. lat. t<pnia, a ribbon, 

 and Gr. eidos, resemblance. Sys- 

 tematic name of a family of 

 fishes. 



TAILS. In botany, the long feathery 

 or hairy terminations of certain 

 fruits. 



TALC. A foliated magnesian mine- 

 ral of an unctuous feel, often used 

 for tracing lines on wood, cloth, 



&c., which are not so easily effaced 

 as those of chalk. 



TAL'COSE. Of the nature of talc. 



TALI'TRA. A genus of crustaceans- 



TALOX. The claw of a bird of prey. 



TAL'PA. Lat. A mole. 



TA'LUS. A sloping heap of frag- 

 ments accumulated at the foot of 

 a steep rock. 



TANA'GRA. Systematic name of the 

 tanagers. 



TAP-ROOT. Fusiform. A kind of 

 root which consists of one fleshy 

 elongated centre, tapering to the 

 extremity. 



TARA'NDTJS. Lat. formed from Ta- 

 rande. The reindeer. 



TAR'DA. Lat. Slow, tardy. 



TARDIGRA'DA. fr. lat. tardus, slow : 

 gradus, a step. The systematic 

 name of the sloths. 



TARDIGRADE. Slow-stepping. 



TAHA'NTULA. ) From Tarentum, a 



TAREN'TULA. town in Italy. A 

 genus of arachnidans. 



TAR'SI. Lat. plur. of tarsus. The 

 articulated feet of insects which 

 are formed of five, or a less num- 

 ber of joints. 



TAR'SCS. fr. gr. tarsos, any row, the 

 sole of the foot. The posterior 

 part of the foot, which, in rnan, 

 consists of seven bones, and forms 

 the heel and instep. A thin plate 

 of cartilage seated in the sub- 

 stance of the free edge of each 

 eye-lid. The fifth section or di- 

 vision of the leg of insects, or 

 foot. 



TARTA'REOUS. Consisting of tartar. 



TAHTA'RICA. Lat. Belonging or re- 

 lating to Tartary. 



TAU'RUS. Lat. A bull. 



TAXIDE'RMY. fr. gr. taxis, an ar- 

 rangement ; derma, the skin. The 

 art of removing, mounting or sei 

 ting-up, and preserving the skins 

 of animals in life-like form, for 

 the cabinet or museum of the na- 

 turalist. 



TAXIDE'RMIST. One who practices 

 taxidermy. 



