424 pltny's natural histoet. [Book XXXYII. 



are always to be seen in the body of the stone, and never upon 

 the surface. There are certain reh'gious associations, too, con- 

 nected with this stone, in consequence of the affinity which it 

 is supposed to bear with the stars ; these scintillations being 

 mostly, in number and arrangement, like the constellations of 

 the Pleiades and Hyades ; a circumstance which had led to the 

 use of it by the Chaldsei in the ceremonials which they practise. 



Here, too, the male stones are distinguished from the female, 

 by their comparative depth of colour and the vigorousness of 

 the tints which they impart to objects near them : indeed the 

 stones of India, it is said, quite dim the sight by their brilliancy. 

 The flame of the female sandastros is of a more softened nature, 

 and may be pronounced to be lustrous rather than brilliant. 

 Some prefer the stone of Arabia to that of India, and say that 

 this last bears a considerable resemblance to a smoke-coloured 

 chrysolithos. Ismenias asserts that sandastros, in consequence 

 of its extreme softness, will not admit of being polished, a 

 circumstance which makes it sell alP^ the dearer : other writers, 

 again, call these stones '* sandrisitae." One point upon which 

 all the authorities are agreed is, that the greater the number 

 of stars upon the stone, the more costly it is in price. 



The similarity of the name has sometimes caused this stone to be 

 confounded with that known as "sandaresos," and which Nican- 

 der calls ''sandaserion," and others ''sandaseron." Some, again, 

 call this last-mentioned stone " sandastros," and the former one 

 " sandaresos." The stone^'^ that is thus mentioned by Nicander, 

 is a native of India as well as the other, and likewise takes 

 its name from the locality where it is found. The colour of 

 it is that of an apple, or of green oil, and do one sets any 

 value on it. 



CHAP. 29. LYCHNIS : FOUR VARIETIES OF IT, 



To the same class of flame- coloured stones belongs that 

 known as " lychnis ;"^^ so called from its lustre being heigh t- 



11 Littre suggests that the reading here probably might be "ob id non 

 magno" — •* sell not so dear." ^^ Jt has not been identified. 



13 From XvxvoQ, a "lighted lamp" or "torch." Brotero is of opinion 

 that this is the Cherry-coloured ruby, that the Ionian stone is the Purple 

 ruby, and that the kermes-berry coloured stone is the Scarlet or Spinelle 

 ruby. From the distinct refei-ence made to its electric nature, Ajassou 

 identifies it with Tourmaline, a Silicate of alumina. Beckmaun is of the 

 same opinion ; Ilist. iuv. Vol. I. p. 88. Jiohn's Edition. 



k 



