Mercuryl 307 



ficiently diftinguifhes it from all (Hher me- 

 tallic fubftances. 



SPECIES I* 



Native. 



2. Native mercury has frequently been 

 found in the mines of Idria, Friuli, Lower 

 Aujiria, Deuxponts, &c. flowing from a 

 fliiftofe or quartzy matrix, and probably 

 mixed with fome other metal, as its globules 

 are not perfectly fpherical. In Sweden and 

 Germany it has been found united to filver in 

 the form of a fomewhat hard and brittle amal- 

 gam. Mon. Mineral. 387. 3 Lin. von 

 GmeL 41. It has alfo been obferved vifibly 

 diffufed through mafles of clay, or ftone of a 

 white, red, or blue colour and great weight, 

 in Spain and Idria^ and in Sicily in beds of 

 chalk* Borch SiciL Mineral, p. 508. 



3. To examine its purity in the moift way, 

 Mr. Bergman recommends folution in the ni- 

 trous acid ; for, as he well remarks, the metals 

 it is moft likely to be mixed with are gold, 

 filver and bifmuth, as they are moft fre* 

 quently found native : in this folution, gold, 

 if any be contained in the mercury, will re- 

 main undiflblved ; bifmuth may be feparated 

 by the affufion of water, but the filver and 



X 2 mercury 



