ISLAND OF NAXOS. 91 
Heliotropium humifusum* : we had seen it often in CI *AP. 
the Holy Land, and wished to observe the 
change that might be effected by such a diffe- 
rence of situation. The mineralogy of this island Minerals. 
promises to be highly interesting, when an 
opportunity is offered to any naturalist for its 
investigation; but where there are no mines, the 
mere traveller, examining only those excavations 
which Nature carries on, has little chance of 
adding greatly to his stock of knowledge. The 
Geologist, attending only to aggregation, may 
fare better in the midst of the compound masses 
which are everywhere presented to his view. A 
species of breccia was found here, called Ophites 
by the Antient Greeks, which may have been the 
Verde antico; it is described as of a green co- 
lour, spotted with white. From the position of 
the strata, as before noticed, this compound may 
frequently occur, where the layers of schistus 
and marble meet, and where the schistus is either 
of a green colour itself, or contains green ser- 
pentine. It has been also pretended that gold 
ores exist in the island, but that the inhabitants 
carefully conceal the secret of their locality, 
through fear of being compelled by the Turks 
to work those ores. The famous emery of 
(4) Towrnef, ibid. p. 265. 
