220 Elements of Mineralogy. 



SPECIES XIII. 



Amber^ Bernfteln y Agtftem, Succinum^ Elec~ 

 trum, Carabe. 



Amber is a hard, brittle, taftelefs fub- 

 fiance, fometimes perfectly tranfparent, but 

 moftly femi-tranfparent or opake, and of a 

 glofly furface ; it is found of all colours, but 

 chiefly yellow or orange, and often con- 

 tains leaves or infefts ; its fpecific gravity is 

 from 1,065 to i> IO > its frafture is even, 

 fmooth and glofly; it is capable of a fine 

 polifh, and becomes eleftric by fri&ion; 

 when rubbed or heated, it gives a peculiar 

 agreeable fmell, particularly when it melts, 

 that is, at 550 of Fahrenheit, but it then 

 lofes its transparency ; projected on burning 

 coals, it burns with a whitifh flame, and a 

 whitifh yellow fmoke, but gives very little 

 foot, and leaves brownifh afhes ; it is in- 

 foluble in water and fpirit of wine, though 

 this latter when highly rectified extracts a 

 reddifh colour from it, but it is foluble ia 

 the vitriolic acid, which then acquires a red- 

 difh purple colour, and is precipitable from it 

 by water ; no other acid diflblves it ; nor is it 

 foluble in fixed alkalis, nor in eflential oils, 

 nor in expreiied, without fome decompo- 

 fition, and long digeftion ; but balfams dif- 

 folve it readily 5 75 gr, of it alkalife 100 of 



nitre, 



