NIS 
NILOMETER, sometimes called Nilo- 
scope, an instrument used among the an- 
cients to measure the height of the water m 
the river Nile, in its periodical overflow- 
ings. It was first set up, it has been as- 
serted., by Joseph, during his government 
in Egypt. The measure of it was sixteen 
cubits, this being the height to which it 
must rise in order to insure the fruitfulness 
of tlie country. 
NINTH, in music, an interval contain- 
ing an octave and a tone; also a name 
given to the chord consisting of a common 
chord with the eighth advanced one note. 
NIPA, in botany, a genus of the Appen- 
dix Palm® class. Natural order of Pal- 
in® or Palms. Essential character : male, 
spathe ; corolla six-petalled : female, spathe ; 
corolla none; drupes angular. There is 
but one species, viz. N. fruticans, the young 
palm, is without the trunk; but in the adult 
state, it is some feet in height ; leaves pin- 
nate ; pinnas striated, margined, and smooth ; 
flowers male and female on the same palm ; 
but distinct on different peduncles : males 
several, lateral, inferior, on dichotomous 
peduncles, in spikes : females terminating, 
aggregate in a globular head, sessile. It is 
a native of Java and other islands in the 
East Indies, where the leaves are used for 
covering houses and making mats. The 
fruit is eaten both raw and preserved. 
NIPPLES,, in anatomy. See Mammary 
gland. 
NISI PRIUS, a commission directed to 
the judges of assize, empowering them to 
try all questions of fact issuing out of the 
courts at Westminster, that are then ready 
for trial by jury. The original of which 
name is this : all causes commenced in the 
courts of Westminster-hall, are, by course 
of the courts, appointed to be tried on a 
day fixed in some Easter or Michaelmas 
term, by a jury returned from tlie county 
where the cause of action arises ; but with 
this proviso, nisi pritis Justiciarii ad assisas 
capiendas venerint: that is, unless before 
the day prefixed, the judges of assize came 
into the county in question, which tliey al- 
ways do in the vacation preceding each 
Easter and Michaelmas term, and there try 
the cause : and then, upon the return of the 
verdict given by the jury, to the court 
above, the judges there give judgment for 
the party for whom the verdict is found. 
All trials at law, in the civil courts and at 
the assizes, are tried by this process, and 
are called ti’ials at nisi prius. 
NISSOLIA, in botany, so named in ho- 
NIT 
nour of Quill. Nissole, M. D., of Montpel- 
lier; a genus of the Diadelphia Decandria 
class and order. Natural order of Papi- 
lionace®, or Leguminos®. Essential cha- 
racter : calyx five-toothed ; capsule one- 
seeded, ending in a ligulate wing. There 
are two species, viz. N. arborea, tree nisso- 
lia ; and N. fruticosa, shrubby nissolia, botli 
natives of Carthagena, in w'oods and coppices, 
NITIDULA, in natural history, a genus 
of insects of the order Coleoptera. Anten- 
11® clavate, the club solid; shell margined; 
head prominent; thorax a little flattened, 
margined. There are about forty-two spe- 
cies enumerated by Gmelin, separated into 
sections according to the form of the lip. 
A. Lip cylindrical. B. Lip square. N. bi- 
pustulata, is oval, black ; shells with a red 
dot. It inhabits Europe, and lives on car- 
cases, meat, bacon, &c. 
NITRARIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Dodecandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Ficoide®, Jussieu. Es- 
sential character: calyx five-cleft; corolla 
five-petalled, with the petals arched at top ; 
stamina fifteen or more ; drupe one-seeded. 
There is but one species, viz. N. schoberi. 
Thick-leaved Nitraria. 
NITRATES, in chemistry, salts formed 
of the nitric acid, and alkalies, earths, &c. 
They possess the following properties,: solu- 
ble in water, and capable of crystallizing by 
cooling ; when heated to redness with com- 
bustible bodies, a violent combustion and de- 
tonation is produced : sulphuric acid disen- 
gages from them fumes which have the odour 
of nitric acid : when heated with muriatic 
acid, oxymuriatic acid is driven off : they 
are decomposed by heat, and yield at first 
oxygen gas. There are twelve nitrates, of 
which the most important is the nitrate of 
potash, or nitre : this salt, known also by 
the name of salt-petre, is produced natu- 
rally in considerable quantities, particularly 
in Egpyt, and has been known from time 
immemorial. Roger Bacon mentions it un- 
der the name of nitre, in the thirteenth 
century. The importance of this substance 
for the purposes of war, has led chemists to 
seek the best means of preparing it, espe- 
cially as nature has not laid up large maga- 
zines of it, as she has of other salts. It is 
now ascertained, that nothing more is ne- 
cessary for the production of nitre than a 
basis of lime, heat, and an open, but not 
too free communication with dry atmo- 
spheric air. When these circumstances 
combine, the acid is first formed, and after- 
wards the alkali. See Nitric acid. 
