38 THE AUSYRALIAN NAvUutacls'l. 
in much demand by seal engravers. There were several varie- 
ties, some red and others yellow, all being transparent. Our 
sard and carnelian are probably the same stone. At the pre- 
sent time it is largely used for seals, pendants, beads and other 
ornaments. 
Seventh foundation, chrusolithos,—Latin chrysolithus. This, 
according to Pliny, was “a transparent stone, with a refulgence 
like gold.” Under the name were probably ineluded our yel- 
low sapphire and yellow jacinth, so that one or other of these 
stones would be meant. At the present time the term “chryso- 
lite” is used for a different stone altogether, a yellow variety of 
olivine. Peridot is a green variety of the same mineral. 
Highth foundation, berullion,—Latin beryllus. The most 
esteemed form of beryl was the sea-green. It is one of the 
varieties of emerald, and it is considered that the sea-green 
stone of Pliny’s time was that mentioned by John, and which 
is‘ still known by the same name. 
Ninth foundation, topazion. This stone, the only one of 
the precious stones which was soft enough to yield to the file, 
was valued for its fine green colour. It was not the same 
as our topaz, which is a silicate of alumina and one of the 
hard gem-stones. The stone known as topazion corresponds 
to our peridot, a variety of chrysolite, a stone having numerous 
varieties, and the basis of which is silicate of iron and mag- 
nesia. 
Tenth foundation, chrusoprasos. In Pliny’s time the 
chrysophrasus was looked upon as a variety of beryllus of a tint 
more golden than green. The stone in question is. now con- 
sidered to be a green chalcedony, a variety of plasma. 
Eleventh foundation, huakinthos. Latin hyacinthus. This 
is described by Pliny as a violet stone, somewhat like amethy- 
stus in colour, but otherwise quite different in appearance. It 
corresponds, so far as we can see, with our blue sapphire. 
Twelfth foundation, amethustos. Several varieties of this 
stone are known, all of a purple colour, and it is in all pro- 
bability the same stone as we now name amethyst. 
Pliny mentions several other valued gem stones which, how- 
ever, are not in the list of foundations given by John; these 
include amongst others, onyx, carbunculus, calliana—probably 
our green torquoise, opalus and agate. 
The foundations then were probably as stated in the 
table :— 
