Chop. 55] HMfOl'TKM'S. -143 



square pieces, like gold in appearance. The nature of this 

 stone, it is asserted, is similar to that of the magnet ; in addition 

 to which, it is said to hstve the property of increasing gold. 



Aphrodisiaca 43 is a stone of a reddish white colour. Ap- 

 fiyctos, 53 when heated by lire, retains the warmth so long as 

 seven days; it is black and ponderous, and is streaked with 

 red veins. It is good too, it is thought, as a preservative 

 against cold. According to lacchus, ^Egyptilla 54 is a kind of 

 white and black sarda, intersected with veins ; but the stone 

 commonly known by that name is black at the lower part, and 

 azure on the surface. It takes its name from the country that 

 produces it. 



CHAP. 55. BALANITKS. BATKACHITIS. BAPTFS. BFLI OCULUS. 



UKLUS. BAKOMKNl'S OK liAKHTE. BOTUYIT18. DOST UYCH HIS. 

 HUCAHDIA. BltONTEA. BOLOS. 



Of balanites 55 tliere are two kinds, the one of a greenish hue, 

 and the other like Corinthian bronze in appearance; the former 

 comes from Coptos, and the hitter from Troglodyttca. They 

 are both of them intersected by a flame-like vein, which runs 

 through the middle. Coptos, too, sends us batrachip's; 56 OIK; 

 kind of which is like a frog in colour, another has the tint of 

 ebony, and a third is blackish inclining to red. Uaptes 57 is a 

 soft stone, and of a most excellent smell, lieli oculus 58 is a 

 stone of a whitish hue, surrounding a black pupil in the middle, 

 which shines amid a lustre like that of gold. This stone, in 

 consequence' of its singular beauty, has been consecrated to the 

 deity 51 ' held in the highest veneration by the people of Assyria. 

 According to DeraocriUls, there is also a stone called belus, 

 and found at Arbela ; it is about the size of a walnut, and 

 luoks c<> like glass. Uaroptenus or barippe is black, and covered 



52 " Gem of Aphrodite " or "Venus." Thought by Dalechamps and 

 Hardouin to have been a kind of agate. 



SJ ' Which never grows cold." 4 A kind of Onyx, Dalechamps thinks. 



65 "Acorn stone." Like an olive iu appearance, and now kiiowii as 

 " Jew stone," probablv, a fossil. 



M "Frog-stone." Varieties of quartz, probably. 



67 ** Dipped stone." Dah-champs says thai it "was amber stained with 

 alkanet, but on what authority docs not appear. 



4 - " Eye of Ktlus." Supposed by Aja*son and Dosfontaines to be Cat's 

 eye Chalcedony. See Chapter 50, Note 10. 



*'' Belus, the father of Minus, the " Bel " of Scripture. Sec Chapter 53. 



w A kind of Tecolithos, Dalechamps says. See JJ. xxxvi. c. tfu, and 

 Chapter G8 of this Book. 



