236 ' INFLAMMABLES. 77. Ambra. 
7^^^ AMBRA. Floating on water, without 
opake, of a granular texture, ibft like wax, 
r flicking to the teeth; highly fragrant, without 
.... particular tafte, melting in the heat of boilif’c 
water, , burning eafilv with a white ffame 
grey fmoke and entirely confuming. 
01.’ • 
maritima, A M B R A . 
• t- .■■> t. 
Ambra grifea. CronH. min.fiS. 144. 
Ambergrife. S<wetiiaur Pbilof. Tranf. ‘vol, 73. art. 15. 
Ambergris. Kirtvan mheral. 2. p- 66. 
Ambra. SchmdJJer mineral. \.p.2gj. 
. Of a grey colour, a little vaiiegated. 
Ambra grifea. S'tll. nat. xii. 3. p. 107. n. l. 
Ambra grifea. Humph, muf. 262. t. 53, 54, 
Ambra variegata. Wall, lyit. 2. 1 1 8. 
Bitumen fuaveolens, Cartheuf. min, 49, 
, Of uniform blacki(}i-brown colour. 
Ambra unicolor. Syfl. nat. xii. 3./. 107. ». 2. 
Ambra unicolor. Wall.Jxft. 7 ,. p. i ig. n. 2. 
Found chiefly on the fhores of the Molucca ijlandt, SumaV^’- 
Madagafcar, Ethiopia, ixii Malahar : colour various fliades 
grey, yellowilh, brnwnilh and blackilh, with often 
veins, fpots and lines of various colours : it breaks eafily bu^ 
cannot be reduced to powder: it melts like wax, and ’* 
chewed flicks to the teeth like maftick : it is fomewhat folubl® 
in fpiritsof wine with the alTiftance of heat : fpecific gravi’f 
0.926. From the obfervations apd conclufions of Dl”' 
Swediaur, it appears beyond doubt, that this fubftance 
nothing more than the excrements of the P.hyfeter macroc^’' 
phalus or Spermaceti Whale, as it is very frequently met with 
in its mteftines, and moil commonly mixed with ti e beaks o* 
the Sepia otlopoda, which this whale is known to feed upo”- 
He oblerves likewife, that when taken out of the fifh’.s abdo' 
men it is more impure, and has an unpleafaiit odour refe”*' 
bling the other faices of the animal, but that by expofure ^ 
the air it becomes purer, of a lighter colour, morecompatb 
and gradually changes its odour to a grateful ambroliac* 
finell. It is principally ufed as a perfume. 
