TOR 
“ The Beauties of England and Wales,” and 
“ The Architectural Antiquities of Great 
Britain two of the best, without exception, 
that have ever issued from the British press ; 
the joint performance, in the first instance, 
of Messrs. Britton and Brayley, and in the 
second, of the former only. 
TORDYLIUM, in botany, heart-wort, 
a genus of the Pentandria Digynia class 
and order. Natural order of Umbellatae, 
or Umbelliferae. Essential character : co- 
rolla radiate ; all hermaphrodite; fruit sub- 
orbicular, notchejl at the edge ; involucres 
long, undivided. There are seven species. 
TOKEN lA, in botany, so named from 
Olof Toreen, a Swedish clergyman, a genus 
of the Didynamia Angiospermia class and 
order. Natural order of Personatae. Scro- 
pliulariap, Jussieu. Essential character . ca- 
lyx two-lipped, upper lip three cusped ; 
filaments, the lower with a sterile branch- 
let ; capsule two-celled. There are three 
species. 
TOKMENTILLA, in botany, a genus 
of the Icosandria Polygynia class and order. 
Natural order of Senticosae. Kosacese, Jus- 
sieu. Essential character: calyx eight cleft, 
inferior; petals four; seeds roundish, naked, 
wrinkled, fastened to a small, juiceless re- 
ceptacle. There are two species; viz. T. 
erecta, common tormentil ; and T. reptans, 
trailing tormentil. Natives ot Europe. 
TORNADO, a sudden and vehement 
gust of wind from all points of the compass, 
frequent on the coast of Guinea. 
A tornado seems to partake much of the 
nature of a whirlwind, or perhaps of a 
water-spout, but is more violent in its 
effects. It commences very suddenly, seve- 
ral clouds being previously drawn together, 
when a spout of wind, proceeding from 
them, strikes the ground, in a round spot 
of a few rods or perches diameter, and pro- 
ceeds thus half a mile or a mile. The prone- 
ness of its descent makes it rebound from 
the earth, throwing such things as are move- 
able before it, but some sideways or in a 
lateral direction from it. A vapour, mist, 
or rain, descends with it, by which the 
path of it is marked with wet. The follow- 
ing is a description of one which happened 
a few years since at Leicester, about fifty 
miles from Boston, in New England : it 
happened in July, on a hot day, about four 
o’clock in the afternoon. A few clouds 
having gathered westward, and coming 
overhead, a sudden motion of their running 
together in a point being observed, imme- 
diately a spout of wind struck the ground 
TOR 
at the west end of a house, and instantly 
carried it away, with a negro man in it, 
who was afterwards found dead in the path 
of it. Two men and a woman, by the breach 
of the floor, fell into the cellar ; and one 
man was driven forcibly up into the chim- 
ney-corner. These were preserved, though 
much bruised ; they were wet with a va- 
pour or mist, as were the remains of the 
floor, and the whole path of the spout. This 
wind raised boards, timbers, &c. A joist 
was found on one end, driven nearly three 
feet into the ground. The spout probably 
took it in its elevated state, and drove it 
forcibly down. The tornado mqved with 
the celerity of a middling wind, and con- 
stantly declined in strength till it entirely 
TORPEDO. See Raia. 
TORRENT, in geography, denotes a 
temporary stream of water, falling suddenly 
from mountains, whereon there have been 
great rains, or an extraordinary thaw of 
snow. 
TORRICELLI (Evangei.iste), in bio- 
graphy, an illustrious mathematician and 
philosopher of Italy, was born in 1 608, and 
trained up in the knowledge of classical 
literature. The bent of his mind, however, 
led him to the pursuits of natural philoso- 
phy, which he studied under-father Bene- 
dict Castelli, who had been the scholar of 
the great Galileo, and was professor of ma- 
thematics at Rome. Torricelli iiiade such 
progress under this master, that having 
read Galileo’s “ Dialogues,” he composed a 
“ Treatise concerning Motion” upon his 
principles. Castelli, surprised at the per- 
formance, carried it and read it to Galileo, 
who heard it with great pleasure, and con- 
ceived a high esteem and friendsiiip for the 
author. Upon this, Castelli proposed to 
Galileo, that Torricelli should come, and 
live with him; recommending him as the 
most proper person he could have, since he 
was the most capable of comprehending 
tliose sublime speculations, which his own 
great age, infirmities, and want of sight, 
prevented him from giving to the world. 
Galileo accepted the proposal, and Torri- 
celli the employment, as things of all others 
the most advantageous to both. Galileo 
was at Florence, at which place Torricelli 
arrived in 1641, and began to take down 
what Galileo dictated, to regulate his pa- 
pers, and to act in every respect according 
to his directions, But he did not long en- 
joy the advantages of this situation, as Ga- 
lileo died at the end of only tluee months. 
