ASCOT

ascot, a village in the wokingham parliamentary division of berkshire, england, famous for its race-meetings. pop. of parish of ascot heath (1901), 1927. the station on the southwestern railway, 29 m. w.s.w. of london, is called ascot and sunninghill; the second name belonging to an adjacent township with a population (civil parish) of 4719. the race-course is on ascot heath, and was laid out by order of queen anne in 1711, and on the 11th of august in that year the first meeting was held and attended by the queen. the course is almost exactly 2 m. in circumference, and the meetings are held in june. the principal race is that for the ascot gold cup, instituted in 1807. the meeting is one of the most fashionable in england, and is commonly attended by members of the royal family. the royal procession, for which the meeting is peculiarly famous, was initiated by george iv. in 1820. see r. herod, _royal ascot_ (london, 1900). ascus (gr. [greek: askos], a bag), a botanical term for the membranous sacs containing the reproductive spores in certain lichens and fungi. various compounds of the word are used, e.g. _ascophorous_, producing asci; _ascospore_, the spore (or sporule) developed in the ascus; _ascogonium_, the organ producing it, &c. aselli [asellius, or asellio], gasparo (1581-1626), italian physician, was born at cremona about 1581, became professor of anatomy and surgery at pavia, and practised at milan, where he died in 1626. to him is due the discovery of the lacteal vessels, published in _de lactibus_ (milan, 1627).