130 CONTINENTAL MARBLES. An analysis of this marble, by Wittstein, gave the following results :—Carb. lime, 99.24, carb. mag. 0.28, and oxide of iron, 0.29. It is known, however, that the quality and composition varies considerably, and that varieties differing both in texture and colour may be obtained from the district itself. Small crystals of quartz, and of iron pyrites, occasionally occur, much to the annoyance of the sculptor. The perishable nature of the marble when exposed to the smoky atmosphere of a British city, is evinced by the decayed state of the tomb of Chantrey, erected in 1820, in the ‘God’s acre’ belonging to St. John’s Wood Chapel. Island of Elba. White lamellar marble occurs at Cape Ortano, and was opened up by the Emperor Napoleon I. when an exile there, but after his de parture the quarry was neglected. Besides the white and statuary marbles, there are other kinds obtained in the vicinity of Carrara, such as the ‘ Italian-veined,’ ‘ dove-coloured,’ the ‘ purple- veined,’ the ‘ Bavaccione’ (or Sicilian) varieties. Some of these are obtained from the neighbourhood of with entablature, which belonged to the Temple of Castor and Pollux, and which are formed of Parian marble.—Bcediker’s Italy, vol. ii.—The columns from Trajan’s forum are also of Greek marble* The Roman sculptors distinguish the Parian and Pen- tellic marbles from those of Carrara by the brighter glistering of the crystal facets shown by a fresh surface of the former as com pared with those of the latter.
