From STRONi:iAN. 23 



does not belong to barytes, the muriate of which gives a very 

 faint greenifl^ hue. To thefe add, what alFuredly carries great 

 weight with it, that thefe fubftances do by no means agree in 

 the order of their attractions. On the whole, I think it abun- 

 dantly manifeft, that the foffil from Strontian is not aerated 

 barytes, and that it has not this earth for its bafis. 



54. It has been above remarked, that this mineral occafionally 

 aflumes the appearance of fome forts of calcareous fpar ; and it 

 Las likewife been noticed, that fome analogy prevails between 

 the properties of their component earths. In no circumftance 

 does this appear fo ftrongly as in the quality of tinging flame, 

 which I have difcovered to belong alfo to the compounds of 

 lime, though in a m\Tch fmaller degree. The muriate of lime 

 gives the flame of a candle, when applied in the manner for- 

 merly defcribed, a red colour, which is confiderably lefs vivid 

 and brilliant than that produced by muriate of btrontites, and 

 fhort of that occafioned by the nitrate of this fubftance. It is 

 eafy, however, to fliow, that Strontites and lime materially dif- 

 fer. The fpecific gravity of the Strontian far exceeds that of 

 calcareous fpar, which is commonly about 2.700. The former 

 retains its carbonic acid much more obflinately in the fire. 

 But the incomparably greater folubility of the pure earth in hot 

 water, and its cryllallizing, are charadlers of themfelves fufE- 

 cient to difcriminate Strontites from lime, and I Ihall only fur- 

 ther obferve, that Strontites forms a lefs foluble compound 

 with fulphuric acid, yields a cryfl;allizable nitrate and muriate, 

 and difplays a power of attradion different from lime ; whence 

 I reckon it certain, that the earth of Strontian mineral is not 

 lime. 



^^. I NEED not draw a parallel between the appearance and 

 properties of this foffil and any of the other earthy bodies, as 

 it is not in the mofl diltant degree like any of them. 



56. It perhaps deferves notice, that the mineral I have been 

 treating of, though different from the native carbonates of ba- 

 rytes 



