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CHAP. 73.—PRECIOUS STONES WHICH DERIVE THEIR NAMES FROM OTHER OBJECTS. HAMMOCHRYSOS. CENCHRITIS. DRYITIS. CISSITIS. NARCISSITIS. CYAMIAS. PYREN. PHŒNICITIS. CHALAZIAS. PYRITIS. POLYZONOS. ASTRAPÆA. PHLOGITIS. ANTHEACITIS. ENHYGROS. POLYTHRIX. LEONTIOS. PAEDALIOS. DROSOLITHOS. MELICHRUS. MELICHLOROS, CROCIAS. POLIAS. SPARTOPOLIAS. RHODITIS. CHALCITIS. SYCITIS. BOSTRYCHITIS. CHERNITIS. ANANCITIS. SYNOCHITIS. DENDRITIS.

Hammochrysos1 resembles sand in appearance, but sand mixed with gold. Cenchritis2 has all the appearance of grains of millet scattered here and there. Dryitis3 resembles the trunk of a tree, and burns like wood. Cissitis,4 upon a white, transparent surface, has leaves of ivy running all over it. Narcissitis5 is distinguished by veins on the surface, and has a smell like that of the narcissus. Cyamias6 is a black stone, but when broken, produces a bean to all appearance. Pyren7 is so called from its resemblance to an olive-stone: in some cases it would appear to contain the back-bone8 of a fish. Phœnicitis9 resembles a palm-date in form. Chalazias10 resembles a hailstone, both in form and colour: it is as hard as adamant, so much so, indeed, that in the fire even it retains its coolness, it is said. Pyritis,11 though a black stone, burns the fingers when rubbed by them. Polyzonos12 is a black stone traversed by numerous zones of white.

Astrapæa13 has rays like flashes of lightning, running across the middle on a ground of white or blue. In phlogitis,14 there is, to all appearance, a flame burning within, but not reaching the surface of the stone. In anthracitis,15 there are sometimes sparks, to all appearance, flying to and fro. Enhygros16 is always perfectly round, smooth, and white; but when it is shaken a liquid is heard to move within, just like the yolk within an egg. Polythrix17 presents the appearance of hair upon a green surface; but it causes the hair to fall off, it is said. Leontios and pardalios18 are names given to stones, from their resemblance to the skin of the lion and panther. Drosolithos19 has received its name from its colour. Melichrus is a honey-coloured stone, of which there are several varieties. Melichloros20 is a stone of two colours, partly honey-coloured, partly yellow. Crocias21 is the name given to a stone which reflects a colour like that of saffron; polias, to a stone resembling white hair in colour; and spartopolias, to a stone more thinly sprinkled with white.

Rhoditis is like the rose in colour, chalcitis resembles copper, and sycitis22 is in colour like a fig. Bostrychitis23 is covered with branches of a white or blood-red colour, upon a ground of black; and chernitis24 has, on a stony surface, a figure like that of two hands grasping each other. Anancitis25 is used in hydromancy, they say, for summoning the gods to make their appearance; and synochitis,26 for detaining the shades from below when they have appeared. If white dendritis27 is buried beneath a tree that is being felled, the edge of the axe will never be blunted, it is asserted. There are many other stones also, of a still more outrageously marvellous nature, to which, admitted as it is that they are stones, barbarous names have been given: we have refuted, however, a quite sufficient number of these portentous lies already.

1 "Golden sand." This may possibly have been Aventurine quartz.

2 "Millet stone."

3 "Oak stone." Fossil coal, perhaps.

4 "Ivy stone."

5 "Daffodil stone." An Eastern compound, probably.

6 "Bean stone."

7 "Our Jew stone," probably; identical with the Phœnicitis of Chapter 66 and the Tecolithos of Chapter 68.

8 See Note 13 to Chapter 66.

9 See Chapter 66.

10 See B. xxxvi. c. 43. Pebbles of white flint were probably meant under this name; from which is derived, according to Ajasson, the French word caillou, meaning a flint pebble.

11 "Fire stone." Not a Pyrites of modern Mineralogy, probably.

12 "With many zones." Probably an agate or jasper.

13 "Lightning stone."

14 "Flame stone."

15 "Burning coal stone." See B. xxxvi. c. 38, and Chapter 27 of this Book.

16 "Containing liquid." Identified by Desfontaines with the Geodes enhydros of modern Geology, which sometimes contains a liquid substance.

17 "Many-haired stone."

18 As to these stones, agates or jaspers probably, see "Nebritis," in Chapter 64, and the Note.

19 "Dew stone." The reading here is very doubtful. See Chapter 61.

20 "Honey-coloured and yellow."

21 "Saffron stone."

22 All three being derived from the corresponding name in Greek.

23 See Chapter 55 of this Book.

24 "Hand stone."

25 "Stone of necessity."

26 "Retaining stone."

27 "Tree stone."

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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