ioo AdAmantine JLarth. [Book VI. 



kind of earth. It is incapable of uniting with fixed 

 air. 



The ADAMANTINE earth is alfo a late difcovery, 

 and was found in a ftone called adamantine or diamond 

 fpar, in which it conftituted about one fourth of the 

 weight. It is infoluble in acids, and infufible by al- 

 kalis j in this laft property therefore it differs [from fi- 

 lex, and in the former from all the other earths. Its 

 fpecific gravity is faid to exceed 3,000. 



Thefe earths are all of them fcarce, tfnd form a fub* 

 ject rather interefting to the curious, than important 

 to the general reader. The Stronthian is faid to be the 

 mod abundant, and yet even this feems fcarcely to have 

 been fubjecled to a fufficient analyfis to afcertain its 

 nature and properties ; nor will it be a matter of 

 furprize, if on further examination thefe new earths 

 fhould be found to be only compounds derived from 

 fome of the five principal earths, fince the more the 

 works of nature are explored, the more of fimplicity 

 is difcovered, and the genuine effect of fcience is rather 

 to diminifh than enlarge the technical vocabulary. 



