ACI 



ACI 



ACACIA. Spinous leguminous 

 trees, with small flowers collected in 

 spikes or heads ; they arc usually of 

 small size. Two or three insig- 

 nificant species belong to tlie United 

 States. The locust is often improp- 

 erly called by this name. 



ACARl. Tiie family of mites. 



ACCIPITRES. The order of birds 

 containing the hawks, eagles, and 

 similar birds of prey. 



ACCIvIMATE. To accustom or 

 inure animals or vegetables to a par- 

 ticular cUmate. 



ACER. The generic name of the 

 maples. 



ACERANS. A family of wingless 

 insects without antenna?. 



ACEROSE. In botany, leaves 

 which are thin and sharp, such as 

 those of the pine-trees. 



ACETABULUM. In anatomy, 

 acetabulum signifies the cavity of the 

 hip joint. In entomology, it is the 

 socket on the trunk in which the leg 

 is planted. 



ACETARIOUS PLANTS. Salad 

 plants. 



ACETATES. Salts containing 

 acetic acid, of which the acetate of 

 lead or sugar of lead is the most im- 

 portant in the arts. 



ACETIC ACID. See Vinegar. 



ACHENIUM, AKENIUM. A small 

 bony fruit, containing a single seed, 

 which does not adhere to the shell or 

 pericarp, nor open when ripe. 



ACHLAMYDEOUS. Plants which 

 have neither calyx nor corolla, and 

 whose flowers are consequently des- 

 titute ofa covering, or naked. 



ACICULAR. Sharp, like a needle. 



ACIDS. For the most part, sharp, 

 sour bodies, which redden litmus, and 

 combine with metallic oxides or bases 

 to form salts. Many are, however, 

 destitute of sour taste. They are di- 

 vided into organic and inorganic : the 

 latter constitute the mineral acids. 

 The organic acids are divided into 

 vegetable and animal acids. The fol- 

 lowing are interesting in agriculture : 

 Mineral Acids. 



The sulphuric. See Sulphur. 

 Muriatic. See Chlorine. 

 Silicic. See Sand. 

 Phosphoric. See Phoaphorut. 

 8 



Vegetable Acids. 



Nitric. See Xilrogen. 

 Acetic. See Vintgar. 

 Carbonic. See Carbon. 

 Tannic. See Tannin. 

 Gallic. See Tannin. 

 I'russic. See Hydrocyanic acid. 

 Humic. See Humus. 



Oxalic acid in the free state is found 

 in the hairs of the Cicer arietinum, or 

 (ihick pea. It is very common in com- 

 bination with potash, in sorrels, docks, 

 rhubarbs, &c., and with lime in lich- 

 ens. It is a very soluble, crystalline, 

 colourless solid, of intense sourness, 

 and highly poisonous. The composi- 

 tion is C, O3 -f HO, the HO (water) 

 being replaced by bases. A solution 

 is used as a test for lime, which it 

 precipitates from its solutions as a 

 white, insoluble oxalate of lime. 



Tartaric acid. Combined with pot- 

 ash, it abounds in the juice of the 

 grape, and is also found in tamarinds, 

 bilberries, &c. It is a white, crys- 

 talline bodv. of the composition Cg 

 H4 O; -f 2 HO, and is bibasic. The 

 racemic acid is isomeric. A solu- 

 tion precipitates potash in the form 

 of the white crystalline bitartrate 

 (cream of tartar). 



Benzoic acid gives an aroma to 

 many balsams, sweet-scented grass, 

 &c. Its formula is Cu H5 O3 -{- HO, 

 and it is considered an hydrated oxyde 

 of benzoyl, or Bz. O -j- HO. 



Citric acid. This is the sour prin- 

 ciple of lemons, cranberries, cherries, 

 gooseberries, &c. It is a very solu- 

 ble, crystalline solid, of the composi- 

 tion Ci: H.^ Oil 4- 3 HO ; but the crys- 

 tals contain 1 and 2 atoms of water 

 of crystallization besides. 



Malic acid is the acid body of un- 

 ripe apples, pears, plums, &c. In the 

 insulated condition, it is a deliques- 

 cent crystalline substance of intense 

 sourness, composed of Cs H4 O3 -|- 

 2 HO. 



Besides these, all oily bodies con- 

 tain one or more acids. See Oils. 



The animal acids are enumerated 

 under that head. The acids in plants 

 are, for the most part, combined with 

 bases : potash and lime are the most 

 common ; but magnesia, soda, alu- 

 mina, and iron are also found. Oc- 



