On the ancient Names for Colour. 49 



24. Smalt from tlie King of France's porcelain manufactory 

 at Sevres fused into a mass, and resigned its colour. 



25. Tiie Opal decrepitated violently. 



2(j. The Calcedony from Iceland fused with intense light 

 into 'A fine uhite fralhy enamel. 



1 have thur^ selected a few of what I consider the most inter- 

 estiiii? expeiimciits, and shall be happy in resuming my account 

 of further trials. 



Before this instrument the most unyielding bodies forgo their 

 powers of cohesion, and enter into rapid fusion. Its energy of 

 temperature is described in one of the lines of Pope — for before 

 it 



" Rocks fall to il'jst, and mountains melt away." 



In the course of our experiments we have met with no sub- 

 stance suHiciently refractory to resist its intensity of ignition, 

 ^onie of these experiments have been detailed by Dr. Clarke j but 

 I deemed it best to sulnnit an unbroken series : and such of them 

 as have been descrilicd by Professor Clarke will find a full corro- 

 boration in our repetition. We are even now only upon the 

 threshold of discovery. The ravs of chemical science are bounded 

 by no horizon : — mightier wonders remain to be revealed. 



I am, with very great respect, sir, 



Your obliged and faithful servant, 

 London, January 22, 1817. J. MuRRAY. 



P. S. Two Emeralds were fused into ONE MASS, exhibit- 

 ing, during fusion, a light too vivid for the eye to endure withoiU 

 suffering. The beautiful globule thence obtained had become 

 limpid and colourless, with the exception of a band or zone of 

 enamel, like a horizon, circling the spherical mass. The specimen 

 is in possession of Geo. Rennie, Esq. who, as well as in the other 

 experiments, joined me in this. 



IX. On the ancient Names for Colour, particularly as applied 

 to the Colour of the Light of' Stars. By T. Forster, Esq. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — JljIaving lately met with several treatises on the mu- 

 tations of colour in the light of the fixed stars, in which this 

 fact has been attem])ted to be proved by citations from the works 

 of the ancient poets and others, who have described the colour 

 of particular stars now evidently not answering the same de- 

 scription ; and having myself made some observations on the 

 colour of stars, 1 was led to refer back to the ancient au- 

 Vol. 49. No. 225'. Jan. 1817. U thoritics 



