SPrXEL RUBr. 

 with the- excavation, the rock is examined 

 until a vein of reddish appearance is dis- 

 covered, which is recognised as the matrix 

 of the precious gem. Tiiis red coloured rock 

 or vein is called rag-i-lal, or the vein of 

 rubies ; the miners set to work upon this 

 with much art, following all its ramifica- 

 tions through the parent rock. The first 

 rubies that present themselves are small, 

 and of bad colour; these the miners call 

 piedehs (foot - soldiers) ; further on,^ some 

 larger and of better colour are found, which 

 are called sawars (horse - soldiers) ; the 

 next, as they still progress in improvement, 

 ai-e called amirs, bakshis, and vazirs, until at 

 last they come to the king Jewell, after find- 

 ing which they give up working the vein, 

 and this is always polished and presented to 

 the king." The author proceeds to describe 

 the finest Ruby of this kind that had ever 

 fallen under his observation. It belonged 

 to the Oude family, and was carried off by 

 Vizir Ali, from whom the author was after- 

 wards employed to recover it. It was of 

 the size of a pigeon's egg, and the colour 

 very brilliant. The weight was about two 

 tolas. There was a flaw in it, and to hide 

 it the name of Juldl-ud-din was engraved 

 oyer the part, hence the jewel was called 

 lal-i-jalcili. A similar Ruby to this, but 

 considerably larger, was in the possession 

 of Runjit Sing, and has the names of five 

 emperors engraved upon it. — Prinsep. 



The scarlet Spinel is termed Spinel Ruby 

 by lapidaries; the rose-red, Balas Ruby; 

 the yellow or orange-red, Rubicelle; the 

 violet- coloured, Almandine Ruby. 



For varieties of Spinel, see Automalite, 

 Candite, Ceyi.anite, Chlorospinel, Dys- 

 LuiTE, Gahnite, Her(,'inite, Kreittonite, 

 Pleonaste, Saphirine, Zeilandite. 



Brit. Mus,, Case 19. 



M. P. G. Horse-shoe Case, Nos. 929 to 

 934. Upper Gallory, Table-case A, in 

 Recess 4, Nos. 66 1o 7i. 



Spinel Ruby. The name applied by 

 lapidaries to the scarlet varieties of Spinel 

 (which see). 



M. P. G. Horse-shoe Case^Nos. 931 to 

 934. 



Fig. 406. Fig. 407. 



Spinellane, Haily, Dnfremy, Phillips. 



SPODUMENE. 3-57 



See NosEAN". This name was also given by 

 Rose to the variety of Sphene (Se'meline), 

 from Lake Laach. See figs. 406 and 407. 



Spixelle, Jameson. See Spinel. 



Spinelle Pleonaste. The name given 

 to a black variety of Spinel, which occurs in 

 small octahedral crystals in some of the 

 lavas of Etna and Vesuvius. 



Spinelle Zincifere, Haiiy. See Auto'- 



MALITE. 



Spinelline. See Spinellane. 



Spintheke, Haiiy. A greenish variety 

 of Sphene, occurring crystallized in very 

 irregular double four-sided pyramids, which 

 are obliquely truncated. Slightly trans- 

 lucent at the edges. Lustre- splendent. 

 Fracture foliated. 



BB fuses readily. 



Locality. Dauphine', in France, adhering 

 to crystals of Calc Spar, in small crystals 

 which, at first sight, strongly resemble 

 green crystals of Axinite. 



Splenx Coal. See Slate Coal. 



Splint, A miner's name in Derbyshii.. 

 for coarse, grey Coal. 



Splint Coal. A variety of Bituminous 

 (Cannel) Coal with a slaty structure, and 

 of a harder and tougher nature than Cherry 

 Coal. 



Splintery Garnet. See Allochroite. 



Spodumen, Haidinger, Werner. Spodu- 

 IMENE, D^Ajidrada, Phillips. Oblique. Pri- 

 mar}^ form an oblique rhombic prism. 

 Isomorphous with Augite. Also occurs 

 massive Avith a lamellar structure. Colour 

 pale greyish- green or greenish-white passing 

 into apple-green. Translucent (often only 

 at the edges) to opaque. Lustre vitreous ; 

 pearly on cleavage-planes. Streak white. 

 Brittle. Cross-fracture fine-grained and 

 uneven. H. 65 to 7. S.G. 3-1 to 3-2. 



Camp. 4Ai Si^ + Li^ Si2 = silica 65 -15, alu- 

 mina 28-8, lithia 6-05 = 100. A portion o 

 the lithia is replaced by soda. 

 Analysis, from Uto, bv Hagen : 

 Silica . . . " . . 66-14 

 Alumina .... 27-02 

 Peroxide of iron . . . 0-32 



Lithia 3-84 



Soda 2-68 



100-00 



A A 3 



