From STRONTIUM, 23 



does not belong to barytes, the muriate of which gives a very 

 faint greenifli hue. To thefe add, what affuredly carries great 

 weight with it, that thefe fubflances do by no means agree in 

 the order of their attra(flions. On the whole, I think it abvin- 

 dantly manifeft, that the foflil from Strontian is not aerated 

 barytes, and that it has not this earth for its bafis. 



54. It has been above remarked, that this mineral occafionally 

 aflumes the appearance of fome forts of calcareous fpar ; and it 

 has likewife been noticed, that fome analogy prevails between 

 the properties of their component earths. In no circumflance 

 does this appear fo ftrongly as in the quality of tinging flame, 

 which I have difcovered to belong alfo to the compounds of 

 lime, though in a much fmaller degree. The muriate of lime 

 gives the flame of a candle, when applied in the manner for- 

 merly defcribed, a red colour, which is confiderably lefs vivid 

 and brilliant than that produced by muriate of Strontites, and 

 fhort of that occafioned by the nitrate of this fubftance. It is 

 eafy, however, to fhow, that Strontites and lime materially dif- 

 fer. The fpecific gravity of the Strontian far exceeds that of 

 calcareous fpar, which is commonly about 2.700. The former 

 retains its carbonic acid much more obftinately in the fire. 

 But the incomparably greater folubility of the pure earth in hot 

 water, and its cryflallizing, are charad^ers of themfelves fuffi- 

 cient to difcriminate Strontites from lime» and I fliall only fur- 

 ther obferve, that Strontites forms a lefs foluble compound 

 with fulphuric acid, yields a cryftallizable nitrate and muriate, 

 and difplays a power of attradlion different from lime ; whence 

 I reckon it certain, that the earth of Strontian mineral is not 

 lime. 



^^. I NEED not draw a parallel between the appearance and 

 properties of this foflil and any of the other earthy bodies, as 

 it is not in the mod diflant degree like any of them. 



56. It perhaps deferves notice, that the mineral I have been 

 treating of, though different from the native carbonates of ba- 

 rytes 



