370 DOMAIN IV. TALCOUS. 



stance, which, proceeding in the form of close 

 parallel fibres from every part of the edge, pene- 

 trates into each fragment to the extent of about 

 the tenth of an inch. 



" This appearance is of difficult explanation; 

 because it seems that the penetration, being so 

 regular, and accommodated to the outline of the 

 fragment, must have taken place subsequently 

 to the formation of the breccia." 



It is certain that different specimens of this 

 substance have great variations, as probably 

 they are from different quarries. In some the 

 pieces of clay-slate easily detach themselves 

 from the mass ; but in the finest fragments the 

 whole is so intimately blended together, and the 

 general appearance so different from that of a 

 bricia, that no artist nor antiquary has ever ap- 

 plied this name to the Spartan green. Parts of 

 the new quarry in the Isle of Anglesea perfectly 

 resemble the verde-antico ; but no one has sup- 

 posed that beautiful stone to be a bricia. The 

 polzevera of Genoa is in like manner a green 

 serpentine, with veins of white marble, but is 

 never classed among the bricias. 



others, There is another ancient and very rare mar- 

 Antique. 



ble, of a deep green, with little distant red and/ 



black spots, and fragments of entrochi changed 

 into white marble. Another rare kind is called 



