QUA 



QUA 



by perpendicular and horizontal lines, 

 &c. 



Quartering- is also applied to the parti- 

 tions or compartments themselves; thatis, 

 to the several coats borne on an escut- 

 cheon, or the several divisions made in 

 it, when the ai*ms of several families are 

 placed on the same shield, on account of 

 intermarriages, or the like. Quartering 

 is also used for distinguishing younger 

 brothers from the elder. In blazoning, 

 when the quartering is performed per 

 cross, the two quarters a-top are number- 

 ed the first and second ; and those at bot- 

 tom the third and fourth ; beginning to 

 tell on the right side. When the quar- 

 tering is by a saltier, &c. the chief and 

 point are the first and second quarters, 

 the right side the third, and the left the 

 fourth. 



QUARTERLY, in heraldry. A person 

 is said to bear quarterly when he bears 

 arms quartered. 



QUARTERN, a diminitive of quart, 

 signifying a quarter of a pint. 



QUARTZ, in mineralogy, a species of 

 the Flint genus, which is divided into five 

 sub-species, viz. the AMETHYST, which 

 see ; the rock-crytal ; milk-quartz ; com- 

 mon-quartz ; and prase. The rock-crys- 

 tal is white, passing to brown through all 

 the intermediate shades. It occurs rarely 

 massive, often in rolled pieces, and often 

 in crystals of different forms. Externally, 

 the crystals are generally splendent, the 

 rolled pieces are only glistening ; inter- 

 nally, they are splendent and vitreous. It 

 is harder than glass, and gives vivid 

 sparks when struck against steel. It is 

 brittle, and easily frangible. Specific 

 gravity 2.65 when pure, but when deeply 

 coloured by metallic oxides, it is consi- 

 derably more. If two of the crystals are 

 rubbed together they afford a phospho- 

 rescent light, and exhale a peculiar odour. 

 J3y exposure to the blow-pipe, this crys- 

 tal undergoes no change, except the loss 

 of colour. It remains unaltered even 

 when exposed to a stream of oxygen gas. 

 It is composed of 



Silica 93.0 



Alumina 6.0 



Lime 1 



100 



It is found in abundance in the Alps, 

 also in Hungary, Saxony, and in many 

 parts of the British islands. It is used as 

 an article of jewelry, and is very much 



prized, particularly the wine and orange 

 yellow. 



Milk-quartz is sometimes of white co- 

 lour, but more frequently of a rose red, 

 passing through all the degrees of inten- 

 sity to a flesh red. It occurs massive: 

 internally shining : sometimes passes to 

 splendent, and is vitreous, inclining a lit- 

 tle to resinous. Hard, but yielding to 

 the file ; easily frangible, and not very 

 heavy : it is imagined to be composed of 

 silica and oxide of manganese. It is found 

 in beds, but never in veins, in primitive 

 mountains, in Germany, Sweden, Green- 

 land, Siberia, and also in Coll, one of the 

 Hebrides. It is employed in ornamental 

 works, takes a good polish, and when the 

 colour is good the ornaments made of it 

 are very beautiful. It loses its colour by 

 keeping in a warm place. 



Common-quartz is commonly of a white 

 or grey colour, though many specimens 

 are brown, yellow, red, &c. It is found 

 massive, disseminated, in blunt edged 

 pieces, in roundish grains, and rolled 

 pieces. It occurs also in crystals of dif- 

 ferent kinds. Externally, the lustre of 

 the true crystals varies from splendent to 

 glistening: internally, it is shining and 

 vitreous. Fragments angular, and sharp- 

 edged, massive. Occurs commonly un- 

 separated, but often in prismatic distinct 

 concretions, which are straight, trans- 

 versely streaked. It is hard, brittle, easily 

 frangible. Specific gravity about 2.6. It 

 is infusible, without addition, before the 

 blow-pipe ; but when exposed to a stream 

 of oxygen gas, it melts into a white por- 

 cellanous ball. It occurs abundantly in 

 the mineral kingdom, and found forming 

 whole rocks, also in beds and veins, and 

 is a constituent part of granite, gneiss, 

 mica, slate, &c. It is employed in place 

 of sand in the manufactory of glass, also 

 in the preparation of smalt, and as an in- 

 gredient in porcelain and different kinds 

 of earthenware. 



Prase is of a leek-green colour, of va- 

 rious degrees of intensity. It occurs ge- 

 nerally massive, seldom crystallized; it 

 is hard, difficultly frangible, not very 

 heavy. It is found in Saxony, in Finland, 

 and Siberia ; and is sometimes cut and 

 polished for ornamental purposes. 



QUASSIA, in botany, so named in me- 

 mory of Quassi, a negro slave, who disco- 

 vered the wood of this tree, a genus of 

 the Decandria Monogynia class and or- 

 der. Natural order of Gruinales. Mag- 

 nolise, Jussieu. Essential character : calyx 

 five-leaved ; petals five ; nectary five- 

 leaved ; perianth five, distant, each hav- 



