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ACCLIMATIZATION. in New Jersey.'' Geoloqical Survei/ of Nen- Jersey, Annual Report (Trenton, 1899) ; Wallace, Island Life (London. 1S80) ; Heilprin, The GeoyrapUwal and Geological Distribution of Animals (New York. 1887); Wallace, The Geographical Distri- bution of Animals, 2 volumes (London, 189G). A popular treatment of acclimatization of peoples is given in Ripley, Racial Geography of Europe (Boston. 1899), "in which book there are also excellent bibliographical references: also A. Ire- land, Tropical Colonization (New York, 1899) ; Peschel, The Races of Man and Their Geograph- ical Distribution (London, 1878).

AC'CO, or AC'CHO. See Acre.

ACCOLADE, ak'kolad' ( Fr. an embrace, kiss, from Lat. ad. to + collum, neck). A part of the ceremonies of conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. The sovereign or other superior embraced tlie aspirant around the neck (ad collum). The term is sometimes applied to the later ceremony of giving a slight blow on the shoulder with the flat of the sword. In music, the accolade is the couplet uniting several staves, as in part music or pianoforte music.

AC'COLON. In Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d' Arthur, a knight of Gaul, who obtained posses- sion of King Artliur's sword Excalibur through the treachery of Morgan le Fay. He died after his fight with the king (Book IV.). which had led to" the discovery of the trick and the recovery of the sword.

ACCOLTI, ak-k61'te, Benedetto (1415-66); called the Elder. An Italian jurist. He was born at Arezzo. Italy, and died at Florence. At first a professor of law at Florence, he afterw.ird became chancellor of the Republic, and occupied this position until his death. He was gifted with a marvelous memory, and is said on one occasion to have repeated word for word a Latin discourse which the Hungarian ambassador had addressed to the magistracy of Florence. His historical attainments were considered inferior to his knowledge of law. Aceolti's principal publications are: De Bello a Christianis Contra Barbaras Gesto pro Christi i<epulchro et Judjea Recuperandis Libri Quatnor (Venice, 1572; Florence, 1623, w.th a commentary by Scoto), which furnished the material for Tasso's Jeru- salem Delivered; and Pncstantia Virorum 8ui .-Ei'i (first published at Parma in 1689 and fre- quently reprinted). Consult Potthast. Biblio- iheca 'Historica Medii .i:ri, Volume I. (Berlin, 1896).

ACCOLTI, Bernardo (14651536). An Ital- ian poet, a son of Benedetto Accolti (q.v.). He. was born at Arezzo. and is said to have enjoyed so much popularity as a poet that the shops were closed and uiultitudes Hocked to hear liim recite his verses. But although styled by his contemporaries "The Unique," such portions of his works as have come down to us scarcely justify so high an estimate of his ability. His poems were first published at Florence in 1513 under the title: Virginia, commedia, eapitoli, e strambotti di Messer Bernardo Accolti Aretino. They were republished at Venice in 1519 and havi- since been frequently reprinted.

ACCOM'MODA'TION (Lat. ad, to + cornmodus, lit, suitable). The power of altering the focus of the eye so that r:iys coming from an object nearer than twenty feet are brought together on the retina. This is brought about by changes in the convexity of the crystalline lens (q.v.). The latter possesses a degree of elastic- ity which tends to make it assume a spherical form. The lens being suspended by a ligament extending around its periphery, the ciliary mus- cle is so attached that when it contracts it causes a relaxation of the suspensory ligament. This diminishes the tension upon the latter and allows the lens to become more spherical, chiefly on its anterior surface. At the same time the pupil contracts, and the visual lines of the two eyes converge. The range of accommodation, is the distance between the "far point" or the far- thest point of distinct vision and the "near point," or nearest point at which the eye can distinctly see objects. As a person's age in- creases, the power of accommodation gradually diminishes and the near point recedes. At ten years it is 2.8 inches; at thirty it has reached 5.6 inches, and after forty-five it increases rapidly, until at seventy it is 160 inches, and at seventy-five, infinity. See Vision.

ACCOMMODATION (In Theology). Either the practice of forcing Scripture texts to bear other than their plain meaning, or the theory that Jesus Christ in his teaching fell in with certain errors of his time, e.g., belief in de- moniacs, and thus accommodated himself to the mental and moral conditions of the Jews.

ACCOMMODATION BILL OB NOTE. A draft, bill of exchange or promissory note, one or more of the parties to which has signed it without receiving value therefor, and for the purpose of lending his credit to some other part. thereto. Such a bill is a valid, negotiable in- strument, and the accommodation party, whether known to be such or not, is liable thereon to a holder for value. But. as between himself and the party accommodated, he is only a surety, and is, as such, exonerated by the giving of time to the principal debtor without his assent. See Princip.«. and Surett; Bill of Exchange: Negotiable In.struments, and the authorities therein referred to.

ACCOMPANIMENT. The additional instrumental part which, in music written for a solo voice or instrument, gives harmonic and rhythmic support to the solo part or melody: as" the pianoforte part in a song, the orchestral part in a concert, etc. An ad libitum accompaniment is one that is not a part of the structure of the composition, and may therefore be performed or omitted at pleasure. An obligajo accompaniment, on the contrary, forms an integral part of the music and is indispensable. The accompanist of the present day has an easy task compared with that of his predecessors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and even later. In the scores of the old masters, especially those of Handel and Bach, the accompaniments were not written out in full. A single bass part was given, and the aecompanying harmonics were indicated by figures over the notes. This species of musical shorthand became known as figiu'cd or thorough bass, and also basso continuo. The accompanist at the organ or harpsichord translated these figures at sight into their equivalent harmonies, and with them. improvised, with runs, trills, and various ornaments, the sort of accompaniment that the music needed. The musicians of the time became very expert at this difficult accomplishment, both Handel and Bach being renowned for