44 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
2nd Row. 
Auth. Vers. Sept. Vers. Josephus. Vulgate. 
Smaragdos Anthrax Anthrax Anthrax 
Sappheiros Sappheiros Taspis Sappheiros 
Adamas Iaspis Sappheiros Taspis 
8rd Row. 
Auth. Versé Sept. Vers. Josephus. Vulgate. 
Ligurion Ligurion Ligurion Ligurion 
Achates : Achates Amethustos Achates 
Amethustos Amethustos Achates Amethustos 
4th Row. 
Auth, Vers. Sept. Vers. Josephus. Vulgate. 
Berullion Chrusolithos Chrusolithos Chrusolithos 
Onuchion Berullion Onuchion Onuchion 
Taspis Onuchion Berullion Berullion 
Tt is thus seen that each of the descriptions differs in the 
order of arrangement, but that the Septuagint, Josephus and 
the Vulgate agree in the names included, except as has already 
been mentioned, Josephus gives sardonux instead of sardius, 
while the authorised version includes diamond (adamas) and 
omits chrusolithos. I have already explained why the diamond 
must be rejected as one of the constituent stones. Finally, ac- 
cepting the preponderating evidence in favour of the Septuagint 
list we may conclude that the following was a very probable 
arrangement :— 
1st Row: 2nd Row: 3rd Row: 4th Row: 
Sardion Anthrax Ligurion , Chrusolithos 
Topazion Sappheiros Achates Berullion 
Smaragdos Taspis Amethustos Onuchion 
It now only remains to identify these with the stones as 
we now name them, and in this task valuable assistance is de- 
rived from a learned Greek, Theophrastus, who wrote a work 
on minerals, the earliest on the subject which has come down 
to us. Theophrastus lived about 370-287 B.C., so that he wrote 
just before the period when the Septuagint translation was 
earried out (270-280 B.C.). He mentions nine out of the 
twelve names given in the Septuagint, and combining with his 
the descriptions given by Pliny, we may state the names as 
follows :— 
