i?i the Jppenines of Liguria, 30/ 



in an equal and distinct manner, while they are thinly 

 scattered upon others, or sometimes so close together that 

 they are confounded, and form merely a large whitish 

 spot. 



I shall finish these details by observing, that I possess 

 among my numerous specimens a remarkable piece, which 

 will demonstrate to those acquainted with the composition 

 of rocks, that the variolite of Mount Ramazzo took its rise 

 in a true serpentinous rock. I shall now describe this rare 

 and curious specimen in few words. 



Its colour is the same with that of the other serpentines 

 I have mentioned ; but the rock from which 1 detached it 

 with the hammer was very hard, its texture very close 5 but 

 striated at the same time in gi scaly manner; and its scales 

 frequently interposed between the streaks, and intersecting 

 them transversely, render this rock difficult to break : it is 

 torn in some measure rather, than broken, and requires 

 heavy blows with the hammer. In this way I procured this 

 fine specimen with a fracture a little undulous, but pure and 

 clean, and which admits of our seeing upon the two large 

 faces of the stone its texture, as well as upon the rock it- 

 self. We see perfectly upon a part which forms almost the 

 half of the piece, and not only upon the faces but through- 

 out its whole thickness, a multitude of variolitic globules 

 of almost equal size, of a clear green, issuing every where 

 from the streaks and scaly parts of the stone, as if they were 

 sown in it : these globules become smaller afterwards in 

 proportion as they approach that part of the specimen 

 which has none of them ; and this last part is then nothing 

 but pure serpentine mixed with some irregular and thin- 

 lineaments of a white colour, not belonging to the variolite, 

 and some of them slightly effervesce with the nitrid acid. 



From the above facts we see that the true variolite exists 

 in Mount Ramazzo, and that it is cotemporary with the 

 serpentines in which we find it at the height of more than 

 1500 feet above the level of the sea. It is to be presumed 

 we shall find it at a greater elevation, and perhaps in still 

 greater abundance, in other parts of the Ligurian Appe* 

 oines. 



Us 0/ 



