14 
feALOON. 
Nat. Hist. 
which barbarous, though now generally adopted, 
specific name, are comprehended the precious 
stones commonly called oriental gems, (the sap¬ 
phire, ruby, oriental amethyst, oriental topaz, orien¬ 
tal emerald) of the crystalline forms of which the 
principal modifications are here exhibited ; and 
the common or imperfect corundum from Bengal, 
Mysore, China (the diamant-spath of Werner), 
Lapland, Piedmont, &c.—As appendix to these 
are added the fibrolite (bournonite of Lucas), one 
of the concomitant substances of common corun¬ 
dum ; and the emery, which owes its hardness and 
consequent usefulness in polishing to an admixture 
of blue corundum.—Among the many varieties 
of spinel we have the ceylonite or pleonaste, by 
some still considered as a distinct species, and 
the blue spinel from Aker in Siidermania. Ano¬ 
ther substance nearly related to this species, is 
the automolite from Fahlun, in Sweden, or the 
spinelle zineifere of Hairy: in one of the larger 
crystals the metallic particles are easily distin¬ 
guished.—As chemically allied to the substances 
in this glass case is added the scarce diaspore, and 
the wavelite or hydrargillite: the specimens of 
the latter border on those of the prehnite (in the 
opposite case, No. 11), to which species this mine¬ 
ral was referred before its chemical composition 
was known.—Between the common corundum of 
this 
