understood as representing the green feldspar of which many objects in
our museums are made. But Dümichen (_Zeitschr._, 1872) has shown that
the ⁂⁂ ‘of the _East_’ is a synonym of _Māfkait_, emerald, and M.
Naville has referred to Pliny, who (_Hist. Nat._, XXXVII, 17) speaks of
the Egyptian emeralds ‘qui eruuntur circa Copton oppidum Thebaidis in
collibus, ex cautibus.’ The same author quotes Juba in reference to
Ethiopic gems as being ‘alacriter virides, sed non facile puri aut
concolores.’