THE RUBY.	141
	blood," which is a pure deep, rich red, without any admixture of blue, or yellow. According to Pliny the Ethiopians had a way of increasing the splendour of Rubies by laying them for fourteen days in vinegar, which increased.their lustre for a time, but made them afterwards softer, and more brittle. The rare occur­rence of specimens of the desired vivid " pigeon's blood " red colour, when of any size, causes their value to increase in a proportion even greater than that of the Diamond. A Ruby of one carat weight is worth from fourteen to twenty pounds sterling. Mr. Streeter asserts that a Ruby of perfect colour, and weighing five carats, is worth at the present day ten times as much as a Diamond of equal weight; one of four carats weight is worth from four hundred to four hundred and fifty pounds. The magical properties formerly ascribed to Rubies were that they made amulets against poison, plague, evil thoughts, and wicked spirits, keeping the wearer in health, and cheering his mind. If he, or the stone's donor, were in danger, it would become black, or obscure, and would not resume its pristine colour until the peril had passed away. All, or nearly all, the fine Rubies which are met-with in collections are believed to have come from Burmah ; the Ruby mines of which district have been long known, but the stones found there are almost always small, and seldom free from defects. One of the King of Burmah's titles is " Lord of the Rubies." When a particularly large, and fine stone is found, the usual custom is to send out a pro­cession of grandees, with soldiers, and elephants, to meet it. The Ruby (or, Red Sapphire) is susceptible of electricity by friction, and retains it for a considerable time.