Chap. 10.] TASOS.. 413 



far from distinctly pronounced, the)' resembled in their tints 

 the feathers that are seen in the tail of the peacoek or on the 

 necks of pigeons. 40 * More or less brilliant, too, according to the 

 angle at which they were viewed, they presented an appearance 

 like that of veins and scales. There was another detect, also, 

 peculiar to these stones, known as " sareion," from the circum- 

 stance that a kind of ilesh 11 appeared to attach itself to the 

 stone. The mountain near Chaleedon, where these stones were 

 gathered, is still known by the name of u Smaragdites." Juba 

 informs us that a kind of smaragdus, known as 4< cloras/' 42 is 

 used in Arabia as an ornament lor buildings, as also the stone 

 which by the people of Egypt is called " alabastrites." On the 

 same authority, too, we learn that there are several varieties 

 of the smani-dus in the neighbouring mountains, and that 

 stones like tlio.se of Media are found in Mount Taygetus, 43 as 

 also in Sicily. 



CHAP. 19. rni: ruKcious STONE CALLED TANOS. CHALCOSMA- 



KAGDOS. 



Among the smaragdi is also included the precious stone 

 known as " tanos."* 4 It comes from Persia, and is of an 

 unsightly green, and of a soiled colour within. There is the 

 chalcosniaragdos 45 also, a native of Cyprus, the face of which is 

 mottled with coppery veins. Theophrastus relates that he 

 had found it slated in the Egyptian histories, that a king of 

 JJabylon once sent to the king of Egypt a smaragdus 46 four 



4 "* S;iiil with reference to Chrysoprase, Ajasson thinks; a leek- green 

 chalcedony, coloured by nickel. 



41 I'rohahly tin: Cacholon^ of modern mineralogy, a variety of opal, 

 nearly opuijuc, and o!' a pom-lain or bluish white colour. 



* : Ajasson and llrot.ro identify this with milk-white chalcedony ; but 

 on what authority, does not appear. 



|: See JJ. iv. c'. s. 



44 Supposed by Ajasson to he the Euclasc, a brittle green stone, com- 

 posed of silica, alumina, and glucina. Jlaiiy gave it this name from the 

 (ireek words tv, " easily," and jc\c/n> t * 4 to break/' According to Dana, 

 however, Kucla.su was first brought from Tern: if such is the fact, we must, 

 perhaps, look for its identification in Kpidote, a green bilicate of alumina. 



45 >% Brazen maragdus." It was probably iKoptase, combined with cup- 

 per Pyrites. See Notes 26, 28, and 21), above. 



4f< ^Vith reference to this statt njeut and the others in this Chapter, 

 remarks that tlu-se stouts can have been nothing but prases, green 

 rs, i'usiblu spuths, emerald quartz, and iluatcs of lime. 



