A
very beautiful and curious object was found in the Australian
opal-fields in 1909. This is a reptilean skeleton resembling a small
serpent that has become opalized by natural processes. Perfect in all
its details, which are rendered more striking by the splendid play of
color, this specimen of Nature's handiwork possesses a beauty and an
interest exceeding those to be found in any work of man. As an amulet
it certainly is sui generis, and in ancient times would have
been valued at an immense sum, for the figure of a serpent was a
favorite symbol of medical science; even to-day there is little doubt
that this strange object will be eagerly sought for by collectors, and
will appeal more especially to all who are interested in occult
science, and to all who appreciate the poetic and perhaps mystic
significance of form, sign, and symbol.
It
is impossible to over-estimate the effect of color in determining the
supposed influence of gems upon the fortunes or health of the wearers.
When we gaze upon the beautiful play of light emitted by a fine ruby or
sapphire, we are all conscious of the esthetic effect pro-duced
; but in earlier times, when scientific ideas were not yet prevalent,
many other considerations combined to give a peculiar significance to
these brilliant gems. Bare and costly as they were, they were supposed
to possess mystic and occult powers and were thought to be the abode of
spirits, sometimes benevolent and sometimes malevolent, but always
endowed with the power to influence human destinies for weal or woe.
Coupled with this was the instinctive appreciation of the essential
qualities of certain rays of light, and modern science, far from doing
away with these ideas, has rather seemed to find a good reason for
them. We all know the thera-peutic value of the ultra-violet rays, and when the unin-
