202 
NATURAL HISTORY 
higher into lower parts of the mine, flicks in tubes fide by fide, 
or forms into thin leaves or fringes in the chinks of the rock, floats 
into horizontal lamince on plane furfaces, or is detained and formed 
by the hollows which it fwims into. 
Let it be obferved in the next place, that when the menftruum is 
different, the folution of copper will be fo too, and will be more or 
lefs pure according to the quality and power of that menftruum. If 
iron (which is a magnet to copper) interferes, the vitriolic fluid 
depofites the copper, and moftly in granules, corroding at the fame 
time, imbibing and carrying off the iron, by which it is attracted 
more forcibly than by the copper. Again : There being fo many 
menftrua , and the concretions of copper fo foluble, the metal muff 
undergo fbmetimes a great many folutions in the mine ; and as every 
diffolution muff depofit fome faces, the metallic glebe confequently 
becomes proportionably the more pure the oftner it is diflblved. 
This obfervation may lead us to account for the different ftates and 
degrees of purity which wc find in the folutions of copper above- 
mentioned. The yellow, flake, brafs-coloured copper, (Section u.) 
is a folution, as appears not only from its frequently blifcered 
bottom, as Fig. hi. Plate xxi. but alfo for that the plain figns of 
the drops, as they fell and concreted on each other, are evidently 
to be feen at b , c, in Fig. n. ibid ; but by reafon either that the 
menftruum w r as not forcible enough, or that this and fuch like was 
the primary and only folution, thefe fpecimens have neither the 
ductility, nor colour, nor weight of the malleable ore ; they retain 
more of the arfenical fulphureous ffate of the common yellow ore, 
and are indeed but one remove from it. In other folutions, as 
particularly in the red bliftered ore, we find a further degree of 
purification, owing to a, more powerful menftruum or reiterated folu- 
tion, or both, till at lafl the metal becomes thoroughly maturated, 
that is, as duaile, and free from Hone, fulphur, and fait, and as 
brilliant in colour, as fire itfelf can make it, which indeed is the 
cafe of the Mullion copper *. Again : The different menftrua not 
only defecate the ores of copper, but alfo impart various colours to 
them. Acids will make copper green, alcalies will make it red, 
ftal armoniac and the intermediate falts will give it a blue caff d . 
Thefe menftrua again being reduced and qualified by one another, 
will give it the grey, black, and purple dies, whence arifes the 
great variety of colours fo confpicuous in thefe ores ; but when the 
mejtftrua are clear and forcible, they borrow from the copper, and 
impart the mofl piercing dyes to precious Hones, making the 
lapis lazuli , the fapphire, emerald, amethyft, beryl, and other 
gems. 
* Se£t. viii. page 199. “ Hiflory of Waterford, page 304. 
As 
