Mineralogy of Sky. 105 



Phrygia, as well as In some of the Greek islands ; it is supposed 

 to be the variety known to statuaries by the name of marmo 

 Greco, and some ancient statues are described as being formed of 

 this marble. It is possible that specimens of it may exist in the 

 British Museum, but our sculptors are, as far as I know, Incapable 

 of distinguishing it at present, and It is much too hazardous to 

 assign the place of a particular specimen from the contemplation of 

 a polished and often of a stained surface. Mr. Tennant has found 

 that the marmo Greco is a magneslan limestone. 



I am equally unable to point out specimens of that variety 

 known to the Italians by the name of marmo statuario, of which 

 the quarries are also lost, but which, with greater translucency of 

 surface, resembles the Parian marble in the largeness of its grain, 

 unless those which I have conjectured to belong to this variety, 

 when describing the specimens of sculpture in Parian, do in fact 

 appertain to the latter. 



The quarries of Luna produce a compact white marble sus- 

 ceptible of a high polish, and capable of being wrought with the 

 most minute accuracy. Hence it is preferable for the finer opera- 

 tions of has relief, either to the Parian, of which the aspect In- 

 terferes with the delicacy of finish and of surface required in these 

 works, or to the Pentellc, which was subject to accidents from veins 

 of mica and of serpentine, or to that of Carrara, in which dark veins 

 are of frequent occurrence. It was accordingly preferred by the 

 antients, and among many other works, the Apollo (Belvedere) is 

 said to have been executed in Luna marble. We have no other 

 knowledge of the marbles of Hymettus and of Arabia than their 

 names. 



Of all the marbles employed in the works of the antients, and 

 of which many specimens have descended to our days, that f)f 



Vol. III. o 



