TENTACULITES. 138 TENURE. Lat. tentarc, to toucli, test, try). An important genus of fossil shells found in Silurian and De- vonian rocks and often so abundant that they constitute the greater portion of thin limestone beds. The shells are of delicate, elongate conic form with the outer surface marked by regular transverse striations of either the same or alter- nate sizes, and also by very delicate longitudinal lines in the hollow between the striations. The species range fiom one-quarter to three inches in length. See Pteroi>od.. TENT CATERPILLAB. The larva; of four species of silk-spiiniing moths of the genus Mala- cosoma (fomierly Clisiocampa) . The female of the apple-tree tent caterpillar ( ilnlacosoma A mer- icana), a dull reddish brown moth with two oblique pale stripes on the fore wings, lays eggs in ring-like masses fastened to small twigs of apple, cherry, thorn, etc. The caterpillars hatch in the early spring in the nearest fork of the twigs, and spin a web or tent in which they live in company, but which they leave when hungry, to feed upon the surrounding leaves. The tent is enlarged as the creatures grow. They hiber- nate in the egg stage. The eggs are easily seen in the winter time and may be pruned and de- stroj'ed, and the caterpillars may be killed just at nightfall . within the tents by burning or spraying with kerosene. The so-called forest tent caterpillar, or forest army-worm ( .l/o/oco.so»ia disstria). has similar habits, but the ring of eggs is perfectly cylindrical instead of being rather elliptical as with the former species. Both of these species are of Eastern distribution. On the Western coast the larva of ilalacosoma con- stricta infests fruit trees in the late summer, and the larva of Malacosoma Californica is found upon oaks early in the season. TEN'TERDEN, Charles Abbott, first Baron ■(1762-1S32). An English lawyer, born at Canter- bury. Abbott graduated at Corpus Christi Col- lege, Oxford, in 1785, and soon afterwards was made a fellow. After being a student of the Inner Temple he was called to the bar in 1796. He joined the Oxford circuit, and rapidly ac- quired a lucrative practice. He published, in 1802, his treatise on Merchant SJiips and iSVameo, in all respects the best written book which had till then appeared on one department of English law and still a standard authority. In 1816 he accejited a puisne judgeship in the Court of Common Pleas; and in 1818 he was knighted, and chosen to succeed Lord Ellenbor- ough as Chief Justice of the King's Bench. He was raised to the peerage in 1827 as Baron Ten- terden of Hendon. TEN THOUSAND, Retreat of the. See Anabasis and Xe.noi'uox. TEN THOUSAND A YEAR. A novel by Samuel Warren (1S41). The hero is a vulgar draper's clerk. Tittlebat Titmouse, who suddenly becomes rich through sharp legal practice. TENURE (OF.. Fr. tenure, from Lat. tenere, to hold, retain). The manner in which a person holds or owns real property. The word implies something less than an absolute and unqualified ownership. Before the development of the feudal system, an individual could own a piece of land absolutely, and such allegiance as he might owe to a superior power was a personal matter. How- ever, at the very basis of the feudal system were the ideas of protection and service, of the do- minion of the King and the dependence and sub- ordination of the subject. Out of these ideas originated the feudal doctrine that the King should own all the land, and that his subjects were only entitled to hold such portions of it as he might parcel out to them, and on such con- ditions as he might impose. The Anglo-Saxons held their lands allodially, that is, by absolute and unqualified ownership; but when the Con- queror assumed the throne he parceled out the countrj' among his followers as if it were his private estate, and introduced the intricate feudal temires which had grown up on the Continent. See Feudalism. With respect to their character and dignity, tenures under the feudal system in England may be classified as free and hase or non-free tenures. The most common of the free tenures was that by knitilit's service, which involved allegiance, military .service, and other duties to the King or over-lord. This tenure was created by a solemn ceremony, in which the prospective tenant was said to pay homage to his lord, who thereby be- came bound to protect him in exchange for his promises of service and fealty. The chief service was performed by actual military duty when necessary, although at a later period a practice of making payments or sending substitutes, in- stead of the personal service, was sanctioned. Other heavy burdens incident to this tenure were known as reliefs, aids, icardships, and marriage (qq.v.), which yielded a large revenue to the great men of the realm. Less common, but of greater dignity, was the tenure by grand sergeanty, which involved some personal service to the King, usually .something other than military duty, as to be his cup-bearer, chief justice, standard-bearer, etc. Petty ser- geant;/ did not usually involve personal service, but some tribute, such as rendering to the King annually a weapon, or a pair of spurs. See Grakd Sergeanty. Lands were frequently conveyed to the clergy on condition that they sing masses for the souls of the poor or distribute alms at certain in- tervals. This was known as tenure by frankal- moign or 'free alms.' In early times such land also remained subject to the burdens of feudal tenure. As the rigor of the feudal system relaxed ten- ure by socage became the conuuon and popular manner of holding land. See Socage. Clavelkind, borough English, and burgage ten- ures were merely forms of socage tenure, changed somewhat by local custom. The Statute of Mili- tary Tenures in 1640 converted the military ten- ures into free and common socage. During the Norman era there existed in Eng- land a large class of people known as villeins, who were practically serfs, and were generally attached to the land. They were given small plots to cultivate, and were required to perform the most menial services for the lord at his will. This was known as the tenure of villeinaqe. and was a base or non-free tenure. It became the cus- tom, however, to note the succession of a son to his father, and the character of services per- formed by the latter, on the rolls or records of the Court Baron of the manor. By this custom the services required of villeins in each manor assumed a more certain and definite character.
