or ACEPHALUS, in a general sense, without a head. The term is more particularly used in speaking of certain nations or people, represented by ancient naturalists and cosmographers, as well as by some modern travellers, as formed without heads; their eyes, mouth, &c. being placed in other parts. Such are the Blemmyes, a nation of Africa, near the head of the Niger, represented to be by Pliny and Solinus: Blemmyis traducitur capita abesse, ore et oculis pectori afficis. Ctesias and Solinus mention others in India, near the Ganges, sine cervice, oculos in humeris habentes. Mela also speaks of people, quibus capita et vulvis in pectore sunt. And Suidas, Stephanus Byzantinus, Vopiscus, and others after them, relate the like. Some modern travellers have pretended to find acephalous people in America.

Several opinions have been framed as to the origin of the fable of the Acephali. The first is that of Thomas Bartholine, who turns the whole into a metaphor; being convinced, that the name Acephali was anciently given to such as had less brain, or conducted themselves less by the rules of prudence, than others. Olearius rather apprehends that the ancient voyagers, viewing certain barbarous people from the coasts, had been imposed on by their uncoth dress; for that the Samogitians, being short of stature, and going in the severity of winter with their heads covered in hoods, seem at a distance as if they were headless. F. Lafita says, that by Acephali Acephalus are only meant people whose heads are sunk below their shoulders. Hulsius, in his epitome of Sir Walter Raleigh's Voyage to Guiana, speaks of a people which that traveller found between the lakes of Panama and Cassipa, who had no head or neck; and Hondius, in his map, marks the place with the figures of these monsters. But De Laet1 rejects the story; being informed by others, that the inhabitants of the banks of the Caora, a river that flows out of the lake of Cassipa, have their heads so far sunk between their shoulders, that many believed they had their eyes in their shoulders, and their mouths in their breasts.

Acephalus, an obsolete term for the taenia or tape-worm, which was long supposed to be accephalous. The first who gave it a head was Tulpius, and after him Fehr: the former even makes it biceps, or two-headed.

Acephalus is also used to express a verse defective in the beginning.

Acequaria, a town of the kingdom of Naples, in the principality of Citra, with 2263 inhabitants.

Acequaria, a town of Italy, in the grand duchy of Modena, about 18 miles south-west from the capital, with 1360 inhabitants. It is chiefly celebrated for its mineral springs.

Acequi, a city, the capital of the province of the same name, in Italy. It is a walled city, partly on the banks of the Bornida, and partly on a hill rising above that river. It has a cathedral, three monasteries, and a nunnery. The inhabitants, who chiefly trade in silk, are 6600. There are some celebrated warm baths, which were known in ancient times, and used by the Romans. It is in Long. 8. 31. E. Lat. 44. 40. N.

Acere, the Maple or Sycamore Tree.

Acera, the name of a town of Spain, on the river Carion, in the jurisdiction of Saldana and province of Valencia; and also of another on the Ebro, in the department of Reynosa and province of Toro.

Acerb, a sour rough astringency of taste, such as that of unripe fruit.

Acerenza, a town of the kingdom of Naples, in the province of Basilicata, 80 miles east from Naples, containing 1800 inhabitants.

Acerina, in Ichthyology, a name given by Pliny and other old naturalists to the fish we at this time call the ruffe.

Acerno, a town of Italy, in the citerior principality of Naples, with a bishop's see, and 2400 inhabitants. It is situated 12 miles north-east of Saluno, in Long. 15. 46. E. Lat. 40. 45. N.

Acerra, in antiquity, an altar erected among the Romans, near the bed of a person deceased, on which his friends daily offered incense till his burial. The real intention probably was to overcome any offensive smell that might arise about the corpse. The Chinese have still a custom like this: they erect an altar to the deceased in a room hung with mourning, and place an image of the dead person on the altar, to which every one that approaches it bows four times, and offers oblations and perfumes.

The acerra also signified a little pot, wherein were put the incense and perfumes to be burnt on the altars of the gods and before the dead. It appears to have been the same with what was otherwise called thuribulum and pyxis.

The Jews had their acerra, in our version rendered censers; and the Romanists still retain them under the name of incense pots. In Roman writers we frequently meet with plena acerra, a full acerra; to understand which, it is to be observed, that people were obliged to offer incense in proportion to their estate and condition; the rich in larger quantities, the poor only a few grains: the former poured out full acerra on the altar, the latter took out two or three bits with their fingers.

Acerra, a town of Italy, in the kingdom of Naples, and in the Terra di Lavoro, seated on the river Agno, 7 miles north-east of Naples; anciently Acerra. It contains 6256 inhabitants. Long. 14. 13. E. Lat. 40. 55. N.