THI 
taining a number of them, in theology, in 
medicine, in philosophy, in law, &c. 
THESIUM, in botany, a genus of the 
Peiitandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Vepreculse. Elaeagni, 
Jussieu. Essential character : calyx one- 
leaved, into which the. stamens are inserted ; 
nut inferior, one-seeded. There are nine- 
teen species, almost all of which are found 
at the Cape of Good Hope. 
THIMBLE, an instrument made of 
brass, silver, iron, &c. put on the finger to 
thrust a needle through any cloth, silk, &c. 
used by all seamstresses, tailors, &c. The 
common thimbles are generally made of 
shruff and old hammered brass. This they 
melt, and cast into a sort of sand, with 
which and red ochre are made moulds and 
cores. They are cast in double rows, and; 
when cold, taken out, and cut oflF with 
greasy shears. Then the cores being taken 
out, they are put into a barrel, as they do 
shot, and turned round with a horse till 
they rub the sand one from another : from 
thence they are carried to the mill to be 
turned first on the inside, and afterwards 
on the outside : then some saw-dust, or 
filings of horn combs, are put half-way into 
each thimble, and upon it an iron punch ; 
and then with one blow against a studded 
steed the hollow of the bottom is made; 
after this, with an engine, the sides have 
the hollow made ; this done, they are again 
polished on the inside; then the rim is 
turned at one stroke ; and lastly, they are 
turned in a barrel with saw-dust, or bran, 
to scour them very bright. 
Thimble, in naval affairs, a sort of iron 
ring, the outer surface of which is hollow 
throughout its whole circumference, in order 
to contain in the channel or cavity a rope 
which is spliced about it, and by which it 
may be hung in any particular situation. 
Its use is to defend the eye of the rope 
which surrounds it from being injured by 
another rope which passes through it, or by 
the hook of a tackle which is hung upon it. 
THIRPS, in natural history, a genus of 
insect of the order of Hemiptera: snout 
obsolete, secreted within the mouth; an- 
tennae filiform, as long as the thorax ; body 
linear ; abdomen bent upwards ; four wings 
straight, incumbent ; narrower than the 
body, and slightly crossed. There are eight 
species. T. physapus is accurately described 
in the Linnaean Transactions: it is found 
frequently in composite flowers, and in the 
spikes of wheat and rye, to which it is said 
to be exceedingly destructive, though others 
THI 
deny the fact. It may be often seen in the 
flowers of the dandelion : it wanders from 
petal to petal, descending to the bottom of 
the florets, occasionally emerging at inter- 
vals, and often skipping from place to place : 
in perfonhing this action, it is observed 
suddenly to turn back its abdomen, so as 
nearly to touch the thorax with its tip. The 
larva, in some respects, resembles the com- 
plete insect : it is however yellow, and six- 
footed: tlje antenna?, and head black and 
white, pupa whitish, with black eyes. 
THISTLE, carduus, in botany. See 
Carduus. 
Thistle, oi'der of the, or of St. Andrew, 
a military order of knighthood in Scotland, 
the rise and institution whereof is variously 
related by different authors : Lesley, Bishop 
of Ross, reports, that the night before the 
battle between Athelstan King of Northum- 
berland, and Hnugus King of the Piets, a 
bright cross, in form of that whereon St. 
Andrew (the tutelar saint of Scotland) suf- 
fered martyrdom, appeared to Hungus, who, 
having gained the victory, ever after bore 
the figure of that cross on his banners. 
Other.s assert, that Achaius King of Scot- 
land first instituted this order, after having 
made the famous league, offensive and de- 
fensive, with Charlemagne King of France. 
But although the thistle had been acknow- 
ledged as the symbol of the kingdom of 
Scotland, from the reign of Achaius, yet 
some refer the beginning of this order to 
the reign of Charles VII. of France. Others 
place the foundation of it as low as the 
year 1500. 
The chief and principal ensign is a gold 
collar, composed of thistles and sprigs of 
rue interlinked with amulets of gold, having 
pendent thereto the image of St. Andrew 
with his cross, and the motto, nemo me 
IMPUNE LACESSET. 
The ordinary or common ensign worn by 
the knights, is a star of four silver points 
and over them a green circle, bordered 
and lettered with gold, containing the 
said motto, and in the centre is a thistle 
proper ; all which is embroidered on their 
left breast, and worn with the collar, with 
a green ribband over the left shoulder, 
and brought under the right arm ; pendent 
thereto is the image of St. Andrew, with 
his cross, in a purple robe, within an oval 
of gold enamelled vert, with the former 
motto : but sometimes they wear, encircled 
in the same manner, a thistle crowned. 
About the time of the reformation, this 
order was dropped, till James II. of Eng^ 
