12 



A C A L Y P H A-A C A N T H O P H I S. 



mologist, wno will be amply repaid by the novelties 

 which he may there obtain. 



ACALYPHA. A genus of uninteresting exotic 

 shrubs and annual herbs, belonging to the Linnaean 

 class and order Moncecia Monadelphia, and to the na- 

 tural order Eupliorbiaceae. This genus is arranged in 

 four divisions, dependent on the character and situa- 

 tion of the flowers: viz. 1, male and female flowers 

 on the spike ; 2, spikes of distinct sexes, the female 

 ones terminal ; 3, spikes of distinct sexes, the upper 

 ones male ; 4, flowers on separate plants, or direcious. 

 The known species are natives of North and South 

 America and the Indies. 



AC A MARC HIS (Lamaroux). A. Dichotomous 

 Polyjridom, of the first class and first order, whose 

 polypi are found in shelly or non-irritable cells, which 

 are united and alternate, terminated by one or two 

 lateral points, with a vesicle at their opening. The 

 vesicles are nearly glqbular ; helmet-shaped, and 

 placed on the borders of the cells, which they appear 

 wholly to close. Various opinions have been formed 

 with regard to their uses ; but the most prevailing 

 idea is, that they are ovaria, enclosing the germs of 

 future individuals ; for it has been observed, that 

 these vesicular bodies are sometimes whole, in 

 which case they are always found filled with small 

 globular bodies ; when these supposed ovaria are 

 found opened by a transversal slit, the cells are empty. 



The acamarchis resemble each other in form ; 

 they only differ by the number of teeth placed on the 

 external side of the cells, and by the form of the 

 latter, the border being either smooth or toothed ; 

 the upper membrane of the cells is frequently wanting, 

 and in this state Ellis figured his first species. 



The substance of the acamarchis is more horny 

 than chalky ; their colour a dull green or grey, changing 

 by desiccation, or exposure to air and light, to a 

 fawn colour, more or less bright. They attach them- 

 selves by numerous fibres to solid marine productions ; 

 and are found in the equatorial and temperate seas, 

 seldom exceeding four inches in size. 



ACANTHACE^E. A natural family of plants, 

 allied to the ScrophularinecB and Bignoniacca:, belong- 



AcANTHACEfl? ; Acanthus mollis. a. Corolla opened, showing 

 the stamens and pistil, b. Stamen, c. Pistil, d. Ripe seed 

 vessel, covered with its calyx and bracte. e. Seed vessel burst 

 previously to shedding its seeds. /. Seed -opened, showing the 

 radicle and plume. 



ing to the monopetalous division of Dicotyledonous 

 vegetables. It contains about eighteen genera and 

 168 species, which are herbs or shrubs, chiefly in- 



habiting tropical regions. Their elastic deliiscent 

 capsules, wingless seeds with hooked dissepiments, 

 and imbricated flowers, are their distinguishing cha- 

 racters. Their leaves are opposite ; inflorescence 

 terminal or axillary ; flowers in spikes, furnished 

 with bracteas, and of a white, blue, yellow, scarlet, or 

 purple colour. Calyx with four or five divisions, per- 

 sistent ; corolla monopetalous, and generally irregular ; 

 stamens two or four, in the latter case didynamous. 

 The fruit is a capsule with two cells, and the seeds 

 are supported on a filiform podosperrn. Many of the 

 species are mere weeds, but some of them are showy, 

 and cultivated. Among the genera included under 

 this family are Acanthus, Thunbcrgia, Ruellia, and 

 Justicia. They are generally bitter and tonic, but 

 their properties are scarcely known. The Acanthus 

 (from the Greek word a.x.a.v<!, a spine) is the 

 genus whence the name of the family is derived. 

 The Tkunbcrgias are climbing plants. Justicia 

 biflora is used medicinally in Egypt ; and the Justicia 

 pectoralis boiled in sugar yields a sweet-scented 

 syrup, considered in Jamaica to be a good stomachic. 

 Justicia paniculata, called Creyat in India, is said by 

 Ainslie to be the basis of the French Drogue Am ere, 

 famous as a tonic. The plants belonging to this 

 family are propagated by seeds and cuttings. 



ACANTHIA. A genus of insects, of the order 

 Hemoptera, family AcanthidecE ( Leach). The antenna: 

 are filiform ; labrum very prominent ; rostrum straight 

 and long ; eyes very large and prominent ; feet formed 

 for walking and jumping. 



This genus was established byLatreille.and has been 

 adopted by later writers on the subject. To this genus 

 belongs the maculata ; black spotted with a pale 

 colour ; inhabits grassy banks. 



ACANTHION. A genus of Mammalia, belong- 

 ing to the order Rodentia; resembling the porcu- 

 pines in many respects, so far as the very vague 

 knowledge which we at present have of the genus 

 extends. All that is at present known of the mem- 

 bers of this supposed genus is one skull and one 

 skeleton ; the former from the island of Java, and the 

 latter from some unknown place. The Javanese skull 

 has the hinder part of the cranium depressed, the 

 upper part elevated, the muzzle shorter, and the lower 

 jaw shorter in proportion to the upper than the com- 

 mon porcupine M'hich is known in Europe ; but the 

 lower jaw does not appear to be fully developed ; and 

 as the age of the specimen to which the skull belonged 

 is not known, there may not be character, enough in 

 it to warrant the establishment of a genus. 



ACANTHOPHIS (Spine-snake). A genus of 

 poisonous serpents classed by baron Cuvier in the 

 natural family of the vipers, but differing from them in 

 many essential characters. They have a single row 

 of plates on the under side of the tail, except some- 

 times near the extremity, where they are divided into 

 two rows. The tail itself terminates in a small horny 

 spine, which is not, however, peculiar to this genus, 

 or even to poisonous serpents. 



The characters of this genus, and even of most rep- 

 tiles of all orders, are very imperfectly defined ; and the 

 species of this particular genus are very little known. 

 The habits of poisonous serpents are in general so ob- 

 scure, and they are so eagerly destroyed wherever they 

 are found, that accurate accounts and unmutilated spe- 

 cimens are equally difficult to be procured The Acan- 

 thophii are cylindrical in their bodies, but tapering to 

 the neck and the tail, and the length is considerable 



