39 



TAB. CXXI. 



SILEX magnesiatus; var, amianthiformia. 

 Amianthus. 



Class 2. Earths. Order 1. Homogeneous. 



Gen. 4. Silex. Spec. Magnesiatus, - 



Div. 1. Imitative. 



Spec. Char. Silex in combination with Magnesia. 

 Syn. Amianth. Kirw. v. 1. 161. Emmerl. 1. 402. 

 Jameson, 1. 442. Wern. 

 Asbestus maturus, Amianthus. Waller, 1. 408, 



410. 

 Asbeste. Haiiy, 3. 245. 



Amianthus is probably a decomposition, or change per- 

 formed perhaps by some yet unknown chemical agent, as 

 its situations in solid rocks seem to evince. This unknown 

 chemical agent does not. appear to be common, as the Amian- 

 thus is not an universal substance in the silky filamentous 

 form. The present specimen was undoubtedly chosen with 

 a scientific view by my kind patron Lord Seaforth, who 

 brought it from Portsoy. 



It is partly what is called Mountain Cork in a rather 



dense state, including some very fine transparent Carbonate 



of Lime, in which there are extremely slender filaments of 



Amianthus, seemingly passing through it, and in some parts 



8 



