reJpSling Ele^ricity. 279 



netifm*. He fpeaks in his Treatife on Stones, of 

 " annber dug on the coalt of Liguria, which had 

 " an attradive power. He intimates, that the 

 " clearefl had this property in the highefl de- 

 " gree, and that it would attrad iron." The 

 fame writer afcribes fimilar properties to the 

 lapis lyncurius, which is now believed to be 

 the tourmalin, though it was formerly efteemed 

 to be the fame with amber. Theophraftus, 

 however, clearly diftinguiflies them from one 

 another, though he afcribes the fame attractive 

 properties to both. *' It poffeflest," he fays, 

 "an attradlive power like amber ; and, as they 

 <' fay, attracts not only flraws, and leaves, but 

 " copper alfo, and iron, if in fmall particles." 



Pliny gives a fimilar account. " Amberljl," 

 fays he, " being rubbed with the fingers, and 



■* xai yaf o^vurcv we^i ynyuriKriv. Kai touto av yi rov ihx£tv 

 duvaixti aKO^ov^oir] ixa'Kira 'St ETTi^aT^Oi' xai (pave^urarr) n tov ai^ti^ov 

 xyouaa. Theophraft. ms^i J\iBav. 



The contrary is now thought to be the cafe, as the 

 cloudy amber U thought to be the moll ftrongly eledlric 

 per fe. See Dr. Milner on Eledtricity. 



f EAK£{ ai'Ttll^ TO fl^EXTfOV. Oj Je ^acTiV K jOtOfOl/ Ka^ipwy Kat 



(puX^a^ aWx Kcti xi^^ovy nai aih§0Vy sav n ^ietttoj. Ibidem 

 Theophralli, 



X Casterum attritu digitorum accepta, vi caloris attra- 

 hunt in fe paleas & folia arida, ut magnes lapis ferrum. 

 Plin. lib. XXXVII. cap. 3. 



Nee folia autem aut llramenta in fe rapere, fed aeris aut 

 ferri laminas. Ibidem Plinii. 



T 4 " having 



