L I M E, 



tenf. Frai^menJs Indeterminately aftgulnr, not particularly 

 (harp-ed'^ed. It occurs almoll rfKvays in graii'.ilar dilUnCl 

 concretion?, which arecoarfe, fmall, and finegrained. 



1' is jTenorally trandiicid ; the dr.rk-coloiired varieties 

 tranfl'.Kvnt only on the cdj^es 



It is feii.i-hard, fome^imes hard when mixed "ith liliccous 

 and argillaceous particles ; brittle ; cafdy frangible ; feldom 

 clalbc. . 



Specific gravity 2.707 (white Cnrrara), Mufchenbr ; — 

 2.717 (the fame)', Kirwan ; — 2.837 (Parian), Bridon ; — 

 ".849 (white Saxon), Gcllert ; — 2.8j6, (elallic var. from 

 Campo Lon^o), Fl. dc Bellevue. 



Pure white granu'ar hV.e-ilone is infufible before the blow- 

 pipe, and only crumbles to piccef. In the charcoal cruci- 

 ble, that of Carrara was found by Klaproth to be burnt to 

 <|uicklime; while in the clay crucible it was fu fed into a 

 compaft, tranfparent, hard glafs of a light glafs-green co- 

 lour. It iifi'.ally ftrongly effervefces with nitric acid, and 

 •when pure is foon difiblved in it without leaving a refidue. 



Granular lime-ftone is almoft alway.'! of primitive forma- 

 tion ; it feldom occurs as tranfition rock, and fcarcely ever 

 as a produftion of fLCOndary mouvitains, or if it be found in 

 thcfe, it is never in extcnfive depofitions, but only in beds of 

 rot very con uderable dimcnfion.s. As tranfilion rock it prin- 

 cipally occurs on the Hartz ; it is found there of a grey 

 colour, and of coarfe granular texture. 



Primitive granular lime-ttone is fcidom feen very diftinflly 

 ftratified ; it moll commonly occurs in confiderablo beds in 

 gr.eifs, mica flate, and clay flate, in which latter the Iran- 

 fition lime-ilone appears, which, however, principally be- 

 longs to compaft lime-tlcne. It is generally iimple, bi:t alfo 

 font.iins ingredients which are characleriUic of it, fach as 

 mica, quartz, ferpcntine, tremoiite, hornblende, c!ay (late, 

 garnets, magnetic iron-ftone, blende. Sec. Mixe<^wi:h no'^le 

 ferpcntine it conditutes the ■uerik ant'ico. 



The common varieties are employed for the fame purpofcs 

 as comnad lime-ftone ; the finer are among tiic muft fulendid 

 and defirable materials for ftatuary and architcftiire, and for 

 the decoration of the interior of houfes. See M.xreLE, under 

 which article alfo feveral of the numerous localities of this 

 fub-fpecies will be given. 



Some varieiies of granular lime-ftone have manifcfted a 

 confider^le decree of flexibility ; one of thefe was dif- 

 covered by M- Fleuriau de Eellevne, at an elevation of 6000 

 leet, on Campo Longo, on mount Gothard. Tlie fame phe- 

 nomenon may be anificially produced by expofing granular 

 iime-ftone to a certain degree of heat. 



3. Cakartous [par. Cak /par. Jam. Kalhfpath, Wern. 

 Civr.monfiary Kirw. Spalh cakaire, Broch. 



Its principal colour is white, which is pure and fnow- 

 ■whitc, or greyifli, yellowifh, greenidi, and feldom reddidi ; 

 it occurs alio olive, afparagus, piilachio and leik-green ; 

 greenidi-" rey, yellowifli-grey, honey, ochre, wine, ai^d wax- 

 yellow ; flelh-red, brov.n-red, and very rarely rofe-red ; 

 fmoke-grey pafTuig into black ; very feldom pearl-grey, and 

 light violet-blue. 



It occurs mafiive and diffeminated, alfo drufcd and fta- 

 laftiticil, but molt commonly cryftallized. 



The primitive figure of the cryftals is an obtufe rhomboid 

 of 101' 32' 13", and 73- 27' 47", according to Haiiy ; and 

 of TOl'^ 32', and 7S' 28', according to Bournon. 



The integrant molecule, as obferved by Monf. de Bour- 

 ron, is a trihedral prifm with inclined bales. The number 

 of modifications derived from the primitive rhomboid is 

 very confiderable ; thofe enumerated in the laft mentioned 

 author's very elaborate " Trait e de Miacr.dogie," amount- 

 ing to no lefs than !ifty-nine. 



The figures fuppofed fundamental by Werner, and from 

 which all the others may be derived, are : the fix-fidcd 

 pyramid, the fix-fided prifm, and the three-fided prifm.- 

 The followinir Wernrrian defcription of the different va- 

 rieties of calcareous fpar is from JanVefon's Mineralogy. 



1. The fixfi(hd Prifm. — When perfetl it is acute, and 

 three alceruate lateral edges are more obtufe tiiaii the otheni. 

 It occurs I. Simple; either erect or inverted. The inverted 

 has three cylindrical concave, and three inwardly bent lateral 

 plants, and on the upper extremity it is flatly acuminated 

 by three planes, whicii are fet on the c)lindrically concave 

 lateral planes. 2. Double, where the lateral planes of the 

 one are obliquely fet on the lateral planes of the other, in 

 fuch a manner, that the edges of the common bafis form a 

 zigzag line, and the more obtufe lateral edges of the one 

 are oppofed to the lefs obtufe lateral edges of the othci- 

 pyrnmid. Of this figure the following varieties occur : 

 (7. The extremity of the pyramid is fometimes more or lefs- 

 deeply and flatly acuminated by three fomewhat convex 

 planes, which are fet on the more obtufe lateral e<lges ? 

 b. The angles of the common bafe are often more or lefs 

 deeply truncated; when the truncating planes become fo large 

 that they touch one another, the tr^nfitinn into the fix-fided 

 prifm is formed, c. The lefs obtufe edges are fometimes 

 bevelled, and the extremities fometimes more or lefs deeply 

 truncated, d. If two double fix-fidod jjyramids penetrate 

 one another in the direflion of their axis, and one of them 

 is turned around a fixth of its periphery, fo that the lefs ob- 

 tufe lateral edges of the one cryfta! come to be oppof«:d to 

 the lefs obtufe lateral edges of the other, the refult is a 

 twin cryllal, reprefenting a double fix-fided pyramid having 

 three alternate re-entering angles at the common bafe, where 

 the more obtufe lateral edges are oppofed to one another. 



2. Sixfulcd Prifm. — It occurs ufually h idi three alternate 

 lateral planes broader than the oth.ers, and rather acutely 

 acuminated by fix planes which are fet on the lateral edges, 

 and t!:e acuminating planes m.eet alternately under more obtufe 

 angles, a. The fame prifm a fecond time flatly acuminated 

 by three planes, which are fet on the alternate obtufe lateral 

 edges of the firft acumination. b- When th.e planes of the 

 fecond acuminatioii enlarge fo much that thofe of the firll 

 entirely difappear, il\e.'-e refults the fix-fided prifm flatly 

 acuminated by three planes, which arc fet on the alternate 

 and alternating lateral planes, c. The apex of the acumi- 

 nation is often more or lefs deeply truncated, which pro- 

 duces the fix-fided prifm, in which Ihe alternate ar.d alter- 

 nating terminal angles are truncated, d. When the trun- 

 cr.tion of the apex becomes fo large that all traces of the 

 acum.i'iation difappear, the perfect fix-fii d prifm is formed. 

 e. When the prifm becomes lower, it paiies into the f:x- 

 fided table, which is often exrreir.ely thin. 



3. I'hreefiiled Pyramid.— 1. Simple three-fided pyramid, 

 whofe fummit angle is of variou"^ degrees of magnitude, from 

 obtufe to acute. 2. If the angles of the preceding figure 

 are fo deeply truncated, tLit the angles of the truncating 

 places meet each other, an oftahedron is formed. 3. The 

 pyramid is often double ; in which cafe, the lateral planes 

 of the one pyramid are fet on the lateral edges of the other. 

 It prefents the following varieties : a. Flat double flx-fided 

 pyramid, which has fometimes convex lateral planes, b. If 

 a number of thefe flat or obtufe pyramids are piled on one 

 another, there is formed a fix-fiiled prifm acuminated by 

 three planes, which are fet on the alternate and alternating 

 lateral planes, c. When this pyramid becomes very obtufe, 

 it gives rife to the lens. d. When the fummits of the py- 

 ramid become lefs obtufe, and approach to right angles, a 

 figure differing but little from the cube is formed,, e. When 



S> the 



