CHAP. 62—LEPIDOTIS. LESBIAS. LEUCOPHTHALMOS. LEUCOPŒCILOS.
LIBANOCHRUS. LIMONIATIS. LIPAREA. LYSIMACHOS.
LEUCOCHRYSOS.
Lepidotis[1] is a stone of various colours, and resembles the
scales of fish in appearance. Lesbias, so called from Lesbos
which produces it, is a stone found in India as well. Leucophthalmos,[2]
which in other respects is of a reddish hue,
presents all the appearance of an eye, in white and black.
Leucopœcilos[3] is white, variegated with drops of vermilion of
a golden hue. Libanochrus[4] strongly resembles frankincense,
and yields a liquid like honey. Limoniatis[5] would appear to
be the same as smaragdus; and all that we find said about
liparea[6] is, that employed in the form of a fumigation, it allures
all kinds of wild beasts. Lysimachos resembles Rhodian
marble, with veins of gold: in polishing it, it is reduced very
considerably in size, in order to remove all defects. Leucochrysos[7]
is a kind of chrysolithos interspersed with white.
1. "Scale stone." A fossil, probably.
2. "White eye." Cat's eye chalcedony, perhaps. See "Astrobolos" in
Chapter 48, and "Beli oculus" in Chapter 55, of this Book.
3. "Variegated with white."
4. "Yellow incense."
5. "Meadow-green stone."
6. "Fat stone."
7. "White gold." Ajasson thinks that this may have been either a sub-
variety
of Hyalin amethystine quartz, a yellow quartz or false topaz, or
else an unctuous, white quartz, either opaque or transparent.