ACONITE

(Acone, a place in the Crimea famous for its poisonous herbs. ) A genus of exogenous plants belonging to the natural order ranunculaceae, with showy purple or yellow helmet-shaped flowers, growing in panicles, deeply cut leaves, and perennial roots of a highly poisonous nature. Those of Aconitum lycoctonum are used for the destruction of wolves, and of A. napellus for certain medicinal purposes; they are exceedingly acrid, and act as violent drastic purgatives. The bish root, witli which the natives of Nepal poisoned their wells, during the advance of the British army into their territory, during the last war, was furnished by Aconitum ferox. The name aconite has also been given to another plant related to the original genus, namely, eranthis hyemalis, or winter aconite. ACONTIA. {Gr.a.xuv,adart.) A genus of non-venomous ophidian reptiles, allied to the snakes proper (anguis), but destitute of the bony rudiments of the scapular and pelvic arches. They are known by the trivial name of " Dart-snakes; " are numerous in species, and distributed over the warmer and more arid parts of the old world. They were the subjects of fabulous accounts by the ancient naturalists and poets, who attributed to them the power of projecting themselves with so much force and velocity as to transfix the object aimed at, like a hurled javelin, or arrow shot from a bow. This is as untrue as the a ertion that they are venomous. The Dart-snakes are amongst the most harmle of their order; their food consists of small worms, insects, and larvae. ACORACE-SE, or ACOROIDE^. The natural order of plants which includes the genus acorus. It is distinguished from araceoe only by having its carpels separate, and its leaves in the bud state arranged in an equitant manner. [s. 24]