TORNADO

(Spanish.) A violent hurricane or gust of wind, which, arising suddenly from the shore, veers round to all points of the compa , and indeed has been described as blowing from all points at once. Tornadoes are usually accompanied with thunder storms, and are generally of short duration. They are frequent in the Chinese seas and the West Indies. See Storms. TO RNA TELL A, A genus of oval marine Univales belonging to the Plicacece, found in the oolite and superjacent strata. Recent tornatellae are found in shallow water, creeping ujjon and furrowing the sand. TORPEDO^ (Lat. torpedo, numbne .) A genus of Cartilaginous fishes, separated from the Raite of Linnxus on account of the circular form of the body, and more especially from the presence of the electrical organs on which that form of the body mainly depends. Violent shocks are experienced on touching the living 1244 TORSION. and active torpedo. It is probable that it exerts its electrifjing or benumbing powers in order to secure its prey; and it is certain that the same power is employed in defending itself against a ailants, to whose a aults it would be otherwise more exposed than are the ordinary rays; for the torpedo has a smooth skin, and is not defended by the spiny tubercles, or barbed and pointed bony weapons, with which the non-electric rays are provided. [s. 1257]