TAL 
others chequered, others flowered, &c. ac- 
cording to tlie fancy of the workmen. 
TAGETES, in botany, manjgold, a genus 
of the Syngenesia Polygamia Snperflua class 
and order. Natural order of Composita? Op- 
positifoliae. Corymbiferas, Jussieu. Essen- 
tia' character : calyx one leaved, five-tooth- 
ed, tubular ; florets of the ray five, perma- 
nent ; down with firm erect chaffs ; recep- 
tacle naked. There are four species, and 
several varieties; the T. erecta, African 
marygold, is from three to four feet in 
height, divided from the middle into ifiany 
branches, each bearing one large flower; 
leaves long, pinnate; leaflets dark green; 
flowers yellow, from brimstone to orange 
colour ; of this there are five varieties, all 
annuals. 
TALC, in mineralogy, is divided into 
three sub species, viz. 1. The earthy talc, 
which is of a greenish white colour, com- 
posed of glimmering pearly small scaly 
parts : it soils a little, and feels rather 
greasy. It occurs in the tjn mines near 
Freyburg, in Saxony. 2. Common Vene- 
tian talc is of an apple green, which passes 
on one side into greenish white, and even 
into silver white ; on the other, into aspara- 
gus green. It is massive, disseminated,, and 
in extremely delicate crystals. It is splen- 
dent and shining: feels very greasy, and is 
easily frangible. It is infusible before the 
blow pipe, without addition ; and its con- 
, stituent parts are 
Magnesia 44 
Silex dO 
Alumina 6 
too 
This is frequently confounded with mica, 
from which it is, however, distinguished by 
want of elasticity; by its greasy feel, and 
colour. It is almost entirely confined to 
the primitive mountains, where it occurs in 
beds, imbedded in serpentine, and also in 
veins. It abounds in the mountains of Ty- 
rol and Salzburg, hence it is brought to Ve- 
nice, and on that account has obtained the 
name of Venetian talc. It is employed as 
a basis for coloured crayons, and for the 
finest rouge. 
3. Indurated talc is of a greenish grey 
colour : it occurs massive ; lustre shining, 
passing to glistening, and is pCarly, feels 
rather greasy. It occurs in primitive moun- 
tains, where it forms beds in clay, slate, 
and serpentine. It is thought to be an in- 
termediate link between steatite and pot- 
stone, which see. It is found in the Alps, 
VOL. VL 
TAL 
in Stiria, and in Austria, and Hungary; 
also in some parts of Scotland : the consti- 
tuent parts are ; 
Magnesia 38:54 
' Silica 38.12 
Alumina 6.66 
Lime 0.41* 
Iron 15.02 
98.75 
Loss 1.25 
100.00 
TALENT, money of account amongst 
the ancients. Amongst the Jews, a talent 
in weight was equal to sixty maneh, or 113 
It). 10 oz. 1 dwt. 10 f gr. 
JALES, i. e. tales de circumstantibus, by- 
standers, is used in law for a supply of men 
impanelled on a jury, and not appearing, or 
on their appearance challenged and disallow- 
ed, when the judge upon motion orders a 
supply to be made by the sheriff of one or 
more such persons as are present in court, 
to make up a full jury. 
TALLOW tree, a remarkable tree grow- 
ing in great plenty in China ; so c8’'ed from 
its producing a substance like tallow, which 
serves for the same purpo.se; it is, about the 
height of a cherry-tree, its leaves in form of 
a heart, of a deep shitiing red colour, an.d 
its bark very smooth. Its fruit is inclosed 
in a kind of pod, or cover, like a chesnut, 
and consists of three round white grains, of 
the size and form of a small nut, each hav- 
ing its peculiar capsule, and within a little 
stone. This stone is encompassed with a 
white pulp which has all the properties of 
true tallow, both as to consistence, colour, 
and even smell, and accordingly the Chi- 
nese make their candles of it ; which would 
doubtless be as good as those in Europe, if 
they knew how to purify their vegetable, 
as welt as we do our animal, tallow. All 
the preparation they give it is to melt it 
down, and mix a , little ,oil with it, to make 
it softer and more pliant. It is true their 
candles made of it yield a thicker smoke, 
and a dimmer light than ours ; but those 
defects are owing in a great measure to the 
wicks, which are not of cotton, but only 
a little rod of dry light wood covered 
with the pith of a rush wound round it; 
which, being very porous, serves to filtrate 
the minute parts of the tallow, attracted 
by the burning stick, which, by this means, 
is kept alive. See Tomex. 
TALPA, the mole, in natural history, a 
genus of Mammalia, of the order Ferae. 
Generic character ; six fore-teeth in flie 
A a 
