  The formation and evolution of tidal tails like those observed around some
globular clusters and dwarf satellite galaxies is examined with an N-body
simulation. In particular, we analyse in detail the evolving tidal features of
a one-component satellite that is moving on a highly eccentric orbit in the
external field of a host galaxy potential like our own. The results show that
every time the satellite approaches apogalacticon, a fresh pair of tidal tails
becomes notably prominent, and that eventually, the satellite possesses
multiple tidal tails via repeating apocentre passages. Accordingly, the number
of observed tidal arms can be used as a tracer of the number of orbital periods
that such a system has completed around the centre of its host galaxy. By
identifying the arm particles included in each of the first three consecutively
formed pairs of tidal tails, we find that each pair of tidal tails is
practically identical to one another regarding the energy and angular-momentum
distributions. In addition, we demonstrate that the density profiles of these
three pairs of tidal tails at their first apogalacticons after formation agree
well with one another. It therefore follows that the multiplicity in tidal
features originates from the repeated episode of tidal-arm formation in the
course of the precessing motion of a satellite.
