neral formulae:--

I. Stearic series C_{n}H_{2n+1}COOH
II. Oleic series C_{n}H_{2n-1}COOH
III. Linolic series C_{n}H_{2n-3}COOH
IV. Linolenic series C_{n}H_{2n-5}COOH
V. Ricinoleic series C_{n}H_{2n-7}COOH

I. _Stearic Series._--The principal acids of this series, together with
their melting points and chief sources, are given in the following
table:--

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Acid. | Formula. | Melting | Found in
| | Point, |
| | deg.C. |
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Acetic | CH_{3}COOH | 17 | Macassar oil.
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Butyric | C_{3}H_{7}COOH | ... | Butter, Macassar oil.
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Isovaleric | C_{4}H_{9}COOH | ... | Porpoise and dolphin oils.
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Caproic | C_{5}H_{11}COOH | ... | Butter, cocoa-nut oil.
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Caprylic | C_{7}H_{15}COOH | 15 | Butter, cocoa-nut oil,
| | | Limburg cheese.
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Capric | C_{9}H_{19}COOH | 30 | Butter, cocoa-nut oil.
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Lauric | C_{11}H_{23}COOH | 44 | Cocoa-nut oil, palm-kernel oil.
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Ficocerylic | C_{12}H_{25}COOH | ... | Pisang wax.
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Myristic | C_{13}H_{27}COOH | 54 | Nutmeg butter, liver fat,
| | | cocoa-nut oil, dika fat,
| | | croton oil.
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Palmitic | C_{15}H_{31}COOH | 62.5 | Palm oil, most animal fats.
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Daturic | C_{16}H_{33}COOH |