of the P y r i t e s. 35 



in the abovementioned difbincftion of colours. At 

 leaft the appellations, yellowifh and yellow, arefuf- 

 ficiently exprefiive, to caufe no miftake in tke 

 application of them. And provided we know 

 how to diftinguifh the white -pyrites from the above- 

 mentioned white or white grey ores, particularly 

 the cobalds, which caufe the greater!: difficulty ; 

 there will be none at all, upon fight of the yel- 

 lowifh and yellow, or brafs colours in ores, fe- 

 curely to pronounce fuch bodies real pyrites ; as. 

 there are neither yellowifh nor yellow ores, that are 

 other than pyrites, conflicting of fulphur, iron and 

 copper. 



In fome authors we find the appellation wild 

 applied to pyrites. Wild, is a term much ufed in 

 mineralogy and applied to waters, ores, rock and 

 ftone. Wild waters are fuch, as weaken or fpoil a 

 brine or a mineral water. A wild ft one or rock, 

 what neither holds any ore or metal at all, or not 

 the metal we look for. In like manner may the 

 pyrites be called wild, when not anfvvering our 

 purpofe, either for gold, filver or copper •, as a 

 gem may be properly called wild, which fails 

 either in colour, purity or firmnefs -, * is foft, 

 pale, dirty, plumofe and clouded. 



To the ft 'one pyrites, procured from the operation 

 of crude-fmelting, and containing pure fulphur and 

 iron, is ufually oppofed the fpeife -pyrites, an arfe- 

 nical, femimetallic regulus, properly called Jpeife 

 and procured from arfenical pyrites. 



The abovementioned divifions of the pyrites, 

 taken from their nature, figure, colour, 6cc. have, 

 as was faid, their peculiar reafons, and may prove 

 of lift in natural hiflory •, not only for undemand- 

 ing the old writers, but the different methods of 

 D 2 treat- 



* RoiUjr's Bcrgbaa fpicgel. p. M4, and 151. 7. 



