The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)

Hammochrysos3434 resembles sand in appearance, but sand mixed with gold. Cenchritis3435 has all the appearance of grains of millet scattered here and there. Dryitis3436 resembles the trunk of a tree, and burns like wood. Cissitis,3437 upon a white, transparent surface, has leaves of ivy running all over it. Narcissitis3438 is distinguished by veins on the surface, and has a smell like that of the narcissus. Cyamias3439 is a black stone, but when broken, produces a bean to all appearance. Pyren3440 is so called from its resemblance to an olive-stone: in some cases it would appear to contain the back-bone3441 of a fish. Phœnicitis3442 resembles a palm-date in form. Chalazias3443 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,3444 though a black stone, burns the fingers when rubbed by them. Polyzonos3445 is a black stone traversed by numerous zones of white.

Astrapæa3446 has rays like flashes of lightning, running across the middle on a ground of white or blue. In phlogitis,3447 there is, to all appearance, a flame burning within, but not reaching the surface of the stone. In anthracitis,3448 there are sometimes sparks, to all appearance, flying to and fro. Enhygros3449 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. Polythrix3450 presents the appearance of hair upon a green surface; but it causes the hair to fall off, it is said. Leontios and pardalios3451 are names given to stones, from their resemblance to the skin of the lion and panther. Drosolithos3452 has received its name from its colour. Melichrus is a honey-coloured stone, of which there are several varieties. Melichloros3453 is a stone of two colours, partly honey-coloured, partly yellow. Crocias3454 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 sycitis3455 is in colour like a fig. Bostrychitis3456 is covered with branches of a white or blood-red colour, upon a ground of black; and chernitis3457 has, on a stony surface, a figure like that of two hands grasping each other. Anancitis3458 is used in hydromancy, they say, for summoning the gods to make their appearance; and synochitis,3459 for detaining the shades from below when they have appeared. If white dendritis3460 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.