TAM 



or carved under certain superstitious 

 observances of the configuration of the 

 heavens, which were supposed to com- 

 municate magical influence to it, to pre- 

 vent the attacks of certain diseases, &c. 



TAI/LOW. The concrete fat of quadru- 

 peds. That of the ox consists of 76 parts 

 stearine and 24 parts oleine. The fat of 

 the hog is termed lard, and contains much 

 more oleine. 



TAL'LOW-TREE. The Stillingia sebifera : 

 a tree of China, and other parts. It takes 

 this name from its producing a substance 

 like tallow, and which is applied to the 

 same purposes. 



TAL'LY, Fr. tailler, to cut off. A piece 

 of wood, on which notches are made, as 

 the marks of number. Before the gene- 

 ral introduction of writing, the only way 

 of keeping accounts was for the purchaser 

 and seller to be provided each with a 

 tally, having a series of notches, corre- 

 sponding in number to the quantity of 

 goods delivered ; and these tallies wefe 

 received as evidence in courts of justice. 

 "Written tallies are now substituted for 

 the notched sticks. 



TAI/LYING. In seamanship, hauling aft 

 the corners of the main and fore-sail. 



TAL'LY TRADE. A system of retail deal- 

 ing, carried on in London and other large 

 towns, by which shopkeepers furnish cer- 

 tain articles on credit to their customers, 

 who agree to pay the stipulated price by 

 certain weekly or monthly instalments, 

 (usually a shilling a week per pound.) 



TAL'MTJD. The body of the Hebrew 

 laws, traditions and comments of Jewish 

 doctors ; also the book containing them. 

 The term is Hebrew, from the Chaldaic 

 verb lamad, to teach. 



TAL'ON. In architecture, a French term 

 for the same moulding which is otherwise 

 called an ogee. 



TAL'PA. The mole, which forms a genus. 

 Class Mammalia : order carnaria: family 

 Insectivora. The common mole (T. euro- 

 />, Lin.), is well known from its sub- 

 terranean habits, and its vexatious depre- 

 dations on cultivated grounds. Its form 

 is admirably adapted to its mode of living ; 

 and it is well provided with the means of 

 hunting under ground for its food, which 

 consists of worms, insects, and some soft 

 roots. The mole of America forms the 

 genus Condylura (q.V.). 



TA'LCS, Lat. from taxillus, a small die? 

 1. In anatomy, the ankle; also the bone 



of the ankle or astragalus (q. v.). 2. In 



architecture, the inclination or batten of a 

 sloping wall, or a wall which is thicker 

 at the bottom than the top. 



TAM'ABIN. A small monkey ; the Simia 

 Midas, Lin., of South America. It is re- 

 markable for the size of its ears, and is 

 hsnce called the great-eared monkey. 



TAHAEIW'DUS. The Tamarind-tree and 



701 



TAN 



its fruit. Natural order Lomentace*. 

 Name, Sp. tamarindo, It. tamarindi, from 

 Arab, tamar, a date, and indus, for India. 

 There is only one species of the tree, and 

 it is found in both Indies, in Arabia, and 

 Egypt. The preserve called tamarinds 

 consists of a pulp, with the seeds con- 

 creted together by numerous tough strings 

 or fibres. 



TAM'ARIX, ) The name of a genus 



TAM'ARISK. J of trees. Pentandria 

 Trigynia. Named from Heb. tamarik, 

 abstersion, on account of certain real 

 or supposed properties in purifying the 

 blood. The French tamarisk-tree, T. Gal- 

 lica, is found in Britain. 



TAMBAC', TOMBAC', ) A name common 



TAMBAK', TOMBAK'. ) to two alloys of 

 copper. 1. The white copper of the Chi- 

 nese, consisting of copper 40, nickel 31, 

 zinc 25, and iron 3. It is silver white, 

 very sonorous, and malleable at all tem- 

 peratures up to a cherry-red heat, hut 



brittle at a red-white heat. 2. Red 



brass, which contains more copper and 

 less zinc than the common brass. 



TAMBOU'R, from tabour. 1. In manu- 

 factures, a species of fancy-work in 

 threads (sometimes of gold and silver), 

 worked by needles of a peculiar form, in- 

 to leaves, flowers, &c., upon a stuff (some- 

 times silk), stretched over a circular 

 frame, called also a tambour, on account of 

 its resemblance to a drum. 2. In ar- 

 chitecture, the naked part of a Corinthian 

 or composite capital ; the wall of a cir- 

 cular temple which is surrounded with 

 columns ; a place inclosed with folding- 

 doors at the entrance of a church, &c. 

 3. In mechanics, see DRUM: 



TAMBOURI'NE. 1. A lively French dance, 



formerly in vogue at operas. 2. One of 



the most ancient musical instruments. 

 It is mentioned in scripture under the 

 name of timbrel ; and it is still retained, as 

 a sort of national instrument, by the Bis- 

 cayans, who accompany all their national 

 songs and dances by the gingle of the 

 tambour de Basque. In this country, it is 

 only to be met with in the possession of 

 our street-musicians, where it ought to be. 



TAMP'ING. Among miners, 1. The ope- 

 ration of filling the hole bored in a rock 

 for the purpose of blasting it with gun- 

 powder. 2. The matter put in above 



the powder, in blasting rocks, &c. 



TAM'PION, ] Fr. tampon. The stopper of 



TOM'PION. I a cannon- or other piece of 

 ordnance, usually consisting of a cylindri- 

 cal piece of wood. 



TAM'TAM. A large sort of drum or gong, 

 used by the Hindoos and Chinese. It is 

 made of an alloy of 100 copper, and 25 of 

 tin, which is peculiarly sonorous. 



TAN. See TANNIN. 



TAN'AGRA. The Tanager. A genus of 

 birds. Order Fatserina family Dentirot- 



