553.29 99 



n. 



On English Amber arid Amber generally/ 



I. 



AMBER was known and prized as far back as the stone and bronze 

 ages, and the men of those times, if they could not find it at 

 home, brought it back from abroad. The amber trade is, therefore, 

 one of the oldest of trades, and its history would form a very 

 interesting chapter of the history of commerce. 



What, however, is the meaning of " amber," and what qualities 

 does it possess ? I do not remember that this has been discussed as 

 yet at any meeting of the British Association, and for that reason, 

 here, in the amber country of England, I may be allowed to say 

 something about English amber and amber generally, its character 

 and occurrence, its mode of formation by the mother plants, and the 

 vegetation of the amber period. 



Amber is not the scientific name of a distinct fossil, but only a 

 collective name of several different fossil resins and gums occurring in 

 various parts of the world. Ambers are found dispersed over nearly 

 the whole of Middle Europe, and occur also in Siberia and Saghalien, 

 in Spain, Italy, and Roumania ; further, in Burmah, Japan, North 

 America, Greenland, Mexico, etc. Most of them differ amongst 

 themselves as regards their origin and formation, their chemical and 

 physical qualities, and also with respect to the organic remains found 

 in their interior. On that account it is indispensable to introduce 

 special names to distinguish the various kinds of amber, such as 

 Simetitc for the amber from Sicily, Ronmanite for the amber from 

 Roumania, Burmite for the amber from Burmah, and so on. 



Amber is especially common in the Baltic district, that is, in the 

 Baltic Sea and in all the countries surrounding it. But even this 

 Baltic amber comprises several heterogeneous resins and gums, which 

 have been thoroughly investigated and described. Only the following 

 kinds need be mentioned here: — 



I. Gedanite, a yellow transparent amber without appearances 

 of polarisation or fluorescence. It looks as if it were covered with 

 white powder, part of which can be wiped away, and this external 

 feature is very characteristic of gedanite. The hardness is only 



1 An address delivered in Section K of the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, Ipswich meeting, 1895. 



