*112 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. ;UookXXXYIl 



massive shape, while the latter are destitute of transparency, 

 but have an agreeable, uniform colour, and satisfy the vision 

 without allowing it to penetrate them ; strongly resembling, in 

 this respect, the eyes of cats and of panthers, which are radiant 

 without being diaphanous. In the sun, he says, they lose their 

 brilliancy, but they are radiant in the shade, the brightness of 

 them being seen at a greater distance than in the case of other 

 stones. One other fault, too, in all these stones is, that they 

 often have a colour like that of honey or rancid oil, or else 

 are clear and transparent, but not green. 



These defects exist in the smaragdi of Attica, 35 more par- 

 ticularly, which are found in the silver-mines there, at a place 

 known by the name of Thoricos. 36 These last are never so 

 massive as the others, and are always more pleasing to the 

 sight when viewed from a distance : lead ore, too, is often to 

 be detected in them, or, in other words, they have a leaden 

 appearance when looked at in the sun. 37 One peculiarity in 

 them is, that some of them become impaired by age, gradually 

 lose their green colour, and are even deteriorated by expo- 

 sure to the sun. Isext to the stones of Attica come those of 

 Media, a variety which presents the most numerous tints of all, 

 and sometimes approaches sapphires 158 in colour. These stones 

 are wavy, 39 and represent various natural objects, such as 

 poppy-heads, for example, birds, the young of animals, and 

 leathers : all of them appear naturally of a green colour, but 

 become improved by the application of oil. iS'o stones of this 

 species are of a larger size, than these. 



1 am not aware that any of these stones 10 ore still in exist- 

 ence at Chalccdon, the copper mines of that locality being now 

 exhausted : but be this as it may, they were always the smallest, 

 in si2e and the most inferior in value. Brittle, and of a colour 



55 Ajosson is of opinion that Dialing is here meant, known also by the 

 names of Uronzite, schillersputh, schillerstein, and omphasite. 



See B. iv. c. 11. 



57 " In sole" seems a preferable reading to *' in solo," <4 on the ground," 

 as given by the Batnber^ MS. 



-" See Chanter 3D of this Hook ; where it will be shown that this pro- 

 bably is not the modern Sapphire. 



s " Ajassou sujrj^ests that these may have been Quartz agate? of the 

 dendritic or arborized kind. 



40 lie- probably alludes here to some rariety of the Chalcedony or Opal 

 quartz. 



