COMBUSTIBLE MINERALS, NOT GASEOUS. 185 



AMBER. 



Amber. CUaveland, Phillips, and Thomson. — Succin. Ham ''"^ Beudant. — Yellow Mineral Resin, or 

 Amber. Jameson. — Gelbes Erd-Harz. Mohs. 



Description. Colour yellow or yellowish-white, sometimes passing into red brown. Streak 

 white or grey. It occurs in irregular grains, nodules, and sometimes in stalactites ; often in- 

 closes insects, leaves and other parts of vegetables. Fracture conchoidal. Lustre resinous 

 or vitreous. Transparent and translucent. Brittle, and easily frangible. Hardness from 2.0 

 to 2.5. Specific gravity from 1 .080 to 1.085. When rubbed, it becomes negatively elec- 

 tric. A notice of this fact formed the basis of the science of electricity, the Greek name for 

 amber being ijXsxrpov. It burns with a yellow flame, emits an agreeable odour, and leaves a 

 light shining black coal. It is soluble in alcohol. When distilled, it yields succinic acid. 



Amber may be distinguished from gum copal, which it often resembles, by its being harder, 

 and not melting into drops when burning. Mellite or honey-stone becomes white when laid 

 on a red hot coal. 



Composition. Carbon 70.68, hydrogen 11 .62, oxygen 7.77 {Ure). According to Kane, 

 it is a mixture of two resins which are soluble in alcohol and ether, a bitumen insoluble in 

 those liquids, a volatile oil, and the succinic acid. 



Geological Situation. Amber usually occurs in alluvial and tertiary formations. It has 

 been found associated with lignite and iron pyrites, at South-Amboy in New-Jersey. The 

 same stratum is continued at Rossville in Richmond county, N. Y., and there is little doubt 

 that amber will be found associated with it. The amber from Amboy occurs in small pale- 

 yellow or reddish-yellow translucent. masses. The stratum in which it is found is covered by 

 an astringent clay. 



Uses. Amber is very extensively used in the arts as a material for varnishes. It is also 

 employed as a perfume, and the finer kinds are wrought into ornaments which in some coun- 

 tries are highly prized. Its scientific interest depends upon its electrical properties and the 

 results of its distillation. 



MiN. — Part II. 24 



