Chap. CO.] PONTICA. 455 



globular form, and proof against tlie action of fire. Ostracias," 

 orostracitis, is a testaceous stone, harder llian ceramitis, 1 and 

 similar in all respects to achates, 1 except that the latter lias 

 nn unctuous appearance when polished : indeed, so remark* 

 ably hard is ostracitis, that with fragments of it other gems are 

 engraved. Ostritih 3 receives its name from its resemblance to 

 an oyster-sh' 11. Ophicardelon is the barbarian name for a 

 stone of a black colour, terminated by a white line on either 

 side. Of Obsian 4 stunc we have already spoken in the pre- 

 ceding Book. There are g< k ms, too, of the same name and 

 colour, found not only in ^Ethiopia and India, but in Samnium 

 as well, and, in the opinion of some, upon the Spanish shores 

 that lie towards the Ocean. 



CHAP. CG. PAXCHUUS. TANGONUS. PANEROS Oil PANERASTOS. 



PONT1CA ; FOUR VAKIKTIKS OF IT. PIILOGINOS OK CHKY8ITIS. 



riKENicnis. ruYCiTU. rEuiLKrcos. r^KANiTis OR OJCANIS. 



PanchniB* is a stone which displays nearly every colour. 

 Pangonus 6 is no longer than the finger : the only thing that 

 prevents it from being taken for a crystal, is, its greater number 

 of angles. What kind of stone paneros 7 is, Metrodorus does 

 not inform us ; but he gives some lines, by no means without 

 elegance, that were written upon this stone by Queen Tirnaris, 

 and dedicated to Venus; from which we have reason to con- 

 clude that certain fecundating virtues were attributed to it. By 

 some writers it is called panerastos. 8 Of the stone called 

 " pontica" 9 there are numerous varieties : one is stellated, and 

 presents either blood-red spots, or drops like gold, being reck- 

 oned in the numb< r of the sacred stones. Another, in place of 

 stars, has streaks of the same colour, and a fourth presents all 

 the appearance of mountains and valleys. 



9V u Shell-stone." Not the same, probably,, as the Cadmitis or Ostracitis 

 mentioned in Chanter 50 of this Book. See B. xxxvi. c. 31, where a stone 

 of this name is also mentioned. Horn-stone, probably, a Chalcedony, more 

 brittle than ilint, is meant in the present passage. 



1 See Chapter 50' of this Book. 2 See the beginning of Chapter 4. 



3 ' Oyster-stone." 4 Scc B. xxxvi. chap. G7 ; our " Ol.sidiun." 



5 " Of all colours." Either Opal, Ajasson thinks, or Jridized hynliu quartz, 



6 " All corners.'* Ajasson seems to think that this may have been 

 Ilyalin quartz. 7 ** Worthy of all love." 



M Of the same meaning as " paneros." 



* " Gem of I'ontus." According to Desfontaines, these stones arc 

 identitied, by boiue with agates, by others with sapphires. 



