QUA 
tions or comparfments themselves ; that is, 
to the several coats borne on an escutcheon, 
or the several divisions made in it, when 
the arms of several families are placed on 
the same shield, on account of intermar- 
riages, or the like. Quartering is also used 
for distinguishing younger brothers from the 
elder. In blazoning, when the quartering 
is performed per cross, the two quarters 
a-top are numbered the first and second ; 
and those at bottom the third and fourth ; 
beginning to tell on the right side. When 
the quartering is by a saltier, &c. the chief 
and point are the first and second quarters, 
the right side the third, and the left the 
fourth. 
QUARTERLY, in heraldi-y. A person 
is said to bear quarterly when he bears 
arms quartered. 
QUARTERN, a diminitive of quart, sig- 
nifying a quarter of a pint. 
QUARTZ, in mineralogy, a species of 
the Flint genus, which is divided into five 
sub-species, viz. the Amethyst, which see ; 
the rock-crystal ; milk-quartz ; common- 
quartz t and prase. The rock-crystal is 
white, passing to brown through all the in- 
termediate shades. It occurs rarely mas- 
sive, often in rolled pieces, and often in 
crystals of different forms. Externally, the 
crystals are generally splendent, the rolled 
pieces are only glistening j internally, they 
are splendent and vitreous. It is harder 
than glass, and gives vivid sparks when 
struck against steel. It is brittle, and easily 
frangible. Specific gravity 2.65 when pui’e, 
but when deeply coloured by metallic 
oxides it is considerably more. If two of 
the crystals are rubbed together they afford 
a phosphorescent light, and exhale a pecu- 
liar odour. By exposure to the blow-pipe 
this crystal undergoes no change, except 
the loss of colour. It remains unaltered 
even when exposed to a stream of oxygen 
gas. 'It is composed of 
Silica 
93.0 
Alumina 
6.0 
Lime 
100 
It is found in abundance in the Alps, 
also in Hungary, Saxony, and in many parts 
of the British islands. 
It is used as an ar- 
tide of jewelry, and i? very much prized, 
particularly the wine and orange yellow. 
Milk-quartz is sometimes of white colour, 
but more frequently of a rose red, passing 
through all the degress of intensity to a 
flesh red. It occurs massive : internally 
QUA 
shining: sometimes passes to splendent, 
and is vitreous, inclining a little to resinous. 
Hard, but yielding to the file ; easily fran- 
gible, and not very heavy: it is imagined 
to be composed of silica and oxide of man- 
ganese. It is found in beds, but never in 
veins, in primitive mountains, in Germany, 
Sweden, Greenland, Siberia, and also in 
Coll, one of the Hebrides. It is employed 
in ornamental works, takes a good polish, 
and when the colour is good the ornaments 
made of it are very beautiful. It loses its 
Colour by keeping in a warm place. 
Common-quartz is commonly of a white 
or grey colour, though many specimens are 
brown, yellow, red, &c. It is found mas- 
sive, disseminated, in blunt edged pieces, 
in roundish grains, and rolled pieces. It 
occurs also in crystals of different kinds. 
Externally, the lustre of the true crystals 
varies fi-om splendent to glistening: inter- 
nally, it is shining and vitreous. Fragments 
angular, and sharp-edged ; massive. Occurs 
commonly unseparated, but often in pris- 
matic distinct concretions, which are 
straight, transversely streaked. It is hard, 
brittle, easily frangible. Specific gravity 
about 2.6. It is infusible, without addition, 
before the blow pipe; but when exposed to 
a stream of oxygen gas it melts into a white 
porcellanous ball. It occurs abundantly in 
the mineral kingdom, and found forming 
whole rocks, also in beds and veins, and is 
a constituent part of granite, gneiss, mica, 
slate, &c. It is employed in place of sand 
in the manufactory of glass, also in the pre- 
paration of smalt, .and as an ingredient in 
porcelain and different kinds of earthen- 
ware. 
Prase is of a leek-green colour, of various 
degrees of intensity. It occurs generally 
massive, seldom crystallized ; it is hard, dif- 
ficulty frangible, not very heavy. It is 
found in Saxony, in Finland, and Siberia ; 
and is sometimes cut and polished for orna- 
mental purposes. 
QUASSIA, in botany, so named in me- 
mory of Quassi, a negro slave, who disco- 
vered the wood of this tree, a genus of the 
Decandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Gruinales. Magnoli®, 
Jussieu. Essential character : calyx five- 
leaved ; petals five ; nectary five-leaved ; 
perianth five, distant, each having one seed. 
There are three species, each of which 
we shall notice in their order. Q. sima- 
ruba, is a tree that grows to a considerable 
height and thickness, with alternate spread- 
ing branches; the bark on the trunk of old 
