Mineralogy of Sky. 1 03 



evidence, often little better than conjectural, has guided sculptors and 

 mineralogists in their attempts to determine the quarries from whence 

 they were derived. Among these, the quarries of Paros afforded a 

 marble (the often quoted lychnites of Pliny) in which it is asserted 

 that the celebrated Venus was wrought, as well as some others to 

 which we have not access. But there are many specimens of sculp- 

 ture in the British Museum which seem to have been executed in 

 this stone, or in one at least of analogous character. 



Of the nature of the Parian marble we are enabled to speak posi- 

 tively, since some blocks of it have been quarried during the last few 

 years, and are now to be found in the shops of the sculptors of this 

 city. The grain of this marble is large and glistening, while at the 

 same time its texture is loose and soft, and its colour of a yellowish 

 and watery v/hite. It possesses considerable translucency on the 

 edges, a quality which, however desirable in statuary marble when of 

 a fine grain, from the softness which it gives to the outline, only 

 Increases the disagreeable aspect of the Parian, by the angular re- 

 flections of light which take place on the pellucid edge and sur- 

 face, from the innumerable faces of the small plates. The specimens 

 of sculpture which I am about to quote, will exemplify this fault. 

 It is certain indeed that the Greek sculptors abandoned the marble 

 of Paros after the quarries of Luna and Carrara were discovered, the 

 superior fineness and whiteness of these marbles which at present 

 cause them to excel any with the places of which we are now 

 acquainted, rendering them also at least equal to the best of those 

 ancient ones of which the native places are now unknown. 



Independently of the injurious effects which the large grain of the 

 Parian marble produces on the transparent surface of sculptured 

 works, and the false lights which it thus introduces into the con- 

 tour, it interferes materially with the requisite correctness of draw- 



