of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. | 619 
A madein manner of a thell,and is exceeding hard. A fecondkind there is of it refembling an A- 
gath, but that an Agath in the pollifhing feemeth to looke greafily, which the Oftracias dooth 
not. And the harder kind of this {tone is of that power, that the fragments thereof will ferveto 
engrave other gems. As for Oftracites,it tooke the name of an Oyftre fhell,which irdoth repre- 
fent. The Barbarians have a precious ftone,which they call Ophicardelos; blacke of colour,and_ 
the fame enclofed with two white lines or circles. As touching the ftone Obfidianus,] have writ- 
ten fufficiently in the booke going next before : and yet there be certaine gems of that name and 
carrying the fame colour,not onely in Aithyopia and India,buralfo in Saninium,asfome are of 
opinion, yea and in the coafts of the Spanifh Ocean, | : 
Panchrus,according tothe name, feemeth to confift (inmanner) ofall colours.Pangonius is P 
B_ nolongerthan a mans finger: it differeth from Cryftall in this onely, that it hath more angles 
in number,whereupon it got the name.. Asfor Paneros,what manner of {tone it is Vetr odor us 
hath not fet downe, howbeit he reciteth an elegant verfe of queen Témaris,which together with 
the ftone fhe confecrated to Venus : whereby is given to underftand, That by the meanes therof 
ihe became fruitfull and bare children: Some there be who call this gem Panfebafton. Now con- 
cerning the gems of Pontus,knowne by the name of Ponticz, there be many forts of them.One 
is full of ftarres,garnifhed with bloudie or blacke {pecks in manner of drops;and this is counted 
among thefacred ftones: another in ftead of ftartes hath ftrakes and lines onely of the fame co- 
lours: and there be of them again whichyseprefentthe forme of mountains and valliess The gem 
Phloginos,which is called likewife Chry tes, is found in Bgypt,and is likened unto the Oftracias (hegfibes 
c of Attica. Phoenicites tooke the name of the fimilitude that it hath to a Date.And Phycites was 
fo named,becaufe of the likenefie it hath to the fea weed or Lectuce, named Phycos in Grecke: 
Perileucos isa ftone, fo called by occafion of a whitith lace that feemeth to goc fromthe mouth 
of the gem downe to the verie bottome. The gems Pzantides, which fome name Gemonides, 
are faid co conceive and to bring forth other little ftones: bur a fingular vertue they have to help 
- women that be in travell of child-birth. Such bee found inMacedonie, neare unto the monu- 
ment orfepulchre of T7refias,and thatwhich they bring forth,feemeth like unto water grown to 
be congealed into yce. om 
The Sunnes gem is white: and afterthe manner of the Sunne, whofe nameitbeareth, itca- 
fteth foorth fhining raiesround about on every fide, Sagdaisa ftone, whichthe Chaldzans find 
D fticking to thips,and they fay itis greene as Porrets or Leekes. Samothtacia the Ifland yeeldeth 
usa precious {tone of the owne name,blacke of colour, light in hand, and like to[rotten] wood. 
As for Saurites it isfound(by report)in the bellie of a greene Lizard, flit open with the edge of a 
cane orreed.Selenites is a precious {tone white and tranfparent, yeelding from ita yellow luftre 
in manner of honey,and reprefenting within it the proportton of the lvioone, according as fhe 
groweth toward to thefull,or decreafeth in the wane againft the chaunge: This admirable ftone 
is thoughtto be found in Arabia, Siderites is much like to yron: and {uppofed itis, That if irbe 
brought among them that are at fome variance or controverfie alreadie in law, it will breed dif- 
cord and maintain diffention ftill. Of this Siderites is made another ftone,which is engendred in 
Zithyopia,called Sideropcecilos, for the fundry {pots therin.Spongites is like untoa {punge,even 
Eas itcarietha name refpective unto it,Synodontites commeth from the braine of certain fifhes 
.. Called Synodontes.The {tones Syrtitz be found in the fhore of the Syrtes in Barbarie, yea, and 
in Lucania, fhining with the colour mixt of faffcon and honey,but within they containe certaine 
ftarres,which have but a dim and duskifhlight, The {tone Syringites is hollow throughout in 
manner of a pipe, and is like unto a ftraw betweene two joints, ! 
Trichrus that commeth out of Affricke is blacke, howbeit ifitbee rubbed ityeeldeththree 7 
kinds of humours from it ;to wit, from the root or bottome blacke, out of the midds like bloud, 
and in the head white. Telirthizos is ofan aflicolour orreddifh, and yetthe bottome thereof is 
a lovely and fightly white. Telicatdios is much efteemed in the realme of Perfia, where it is en- 
gendred :in colour it refembleth the heart, and they call it there in their language,a Spot. The 
FE ftone Thracia is of three kinds; the firft greene, the fecond more pale, and the third full of {pots 
of bloud.Tephritis although otherwifeitbe of the colour of afhes,yetitreprefents anew Moon 
croifant and tipped with hornes, Tecolithus feemeth like unto the ftone or kernill of an Olive: Ie 
is not raunged in the number of precious ftones, but whofoever licke thereof, fhall find, T tat it 
will breake the ftone and expell it. The ftone called aus haire,isexceeding blacke and fhining; 
Hhbh ij how- 
