[ 58 1 



I. STONES, as they evidently have their origin from hardened 

 contpacl E.jcihs, into which they aeain moulder, cannot 

 without unnatural feparation but be joined wi h thcin in the 

 fame clafs. They refill tire, the greateft degree of which is 

 not not able to refolve any of their panicles into vapour. 

 They are all of thcin without taile, and molt of them without 

 odour. 



1. Talc OS E, are moft of them foft and very foft, principally 



contain Magnefia alba, and never have the velliges of living 

 bodies. They occur in primary mountains, more often in 

 fccondary, fome compofe ftrata or the principal pans of 

 m 'Untains, and others are parafitical. By the action of fire . 

 ihey are not calcined, nor, except Hornblenda A6linotus ar;d 

 ferriferous Afbeftus, are they liquinable, but become harder, 



2. Ponderous, exceed all others in fpecific gravity, are more 



eafily liquifiable by fire, always parafitical, never have the 

 veftities of living bodies, are foft and hardilh, and chiefly 

 confid of Tirra pondcrofa properly fo called. 



3. Calcareous, fome are formed of teftaceous fubftances and 



corals, fome are primitive, others are rupeftrial or parafiiic, 

 many are filled with the veftiges of living bodies \ they are very 

 foft, foft, andhardiih; become more porous ^by fire; the purer 

 ones all elfervefce, and are almoft totally diifolved in nitrous 

 acid or Aqua fortis. 



4. Argillaceous, fome are very foft, plaftic, flicking to the 



tongue, when moiftencd give out a peculiar odour, hardening 

 in the fire, and have often the impreffions of animals and ve- 

 tables upon them; fome are foft or hardifli, and are rather 

 liquified than hardened by fire, of which the principal part 

 arc rupeftrial ; others, though fewer in number, are hard, and 

 undergo the fame change by fire. 



5. Siliceous, are hard and very hard, and, except the fluoric, 



are not aife£lcd by acid.'s, certainly in part ; fome are rupeftrial, 

 others parafiiic, and thefc; laft have often the veftiges of living 

 bodies. 



6. Adamantine, is very hard, parafitical, containing an earth 



peculiar to itfelf, and hitherto deteded in no other folfi!. 



