55 



TAB. CCCXXXII. 



Granite. 



Class 2. Earths. Order 1. Aggregate, 

 Gen. Petuntse. Spec. Granite. 



Syn. Roche Feldspathique. Hai'ty, 4. 430. 



This Granite is considered as of the primitive formation ; it 

 was once brought from Siberia as a great rarity, and cut for 

 seals. &cc, at a handsome price, though not pernaps ex- 

 travagant, being brought so far : it however happens in this 

 instance, as in many others, that where curious minerals 

 are sought for abroad, the same are to be found at home. 



Monymusk in Scotland affords many beautiful varieties. 

 One of the characters of Primitive Granites is the crystal- 

 lization of its component substances ; the two of which 

 this, is composed are, as it were, coeval in the act of crystal- 

 lizing, and each in part prevented the other, which gives it 

 the particular appearance in these varieties, said to re- 

 semble the letters of the Greek alphabet, though to me 

 }hey rather represent in form the Hebrew characters : — they 

 have, however, been termed Graphite and Siberian Greek 

 Stones most commonly. 



The crystals of the Quartz occasionally terminate in such. 

 a manner as to show their facets, and they often present, 

 themselves remarkably flat, with a perfectly concordant 

 structure, and even new facets :-^thus the shaded face in the 

 upper left hand outline is at present new to this substance, 

 more particularly as being placed on the middle of one of 



