Saturnine or mourning varieties. The famous Nicolo—known as Ægyptilla by the ancient Romans—was obtained by cutting a blue section surrounded by black out of the stone which then presented a fine turquoise blue with a deep black base. On this stone some of the finest ancient work is found. It is supposed to have obtained its name from the Greek word NIKOLAUS: “Its strange derivation,” wrote Mr. King, "from the Greek was to suit the virtue ascribed to it, as if it meant Victor of Nations. Its modern derivation is from ONICOLO, an Italian word signifying a little onyx. A variety of onyx marble with bands of brown found in the cavern limestone of Gibraltar is known as Gibraltar Stone. Professor Dana mentions the famous Mantuan vase at Brunswick which, cut from a single stone 7 inches high by 2½ broad, takes the form of a cream pot. The colour is brown on which are raised figures of white and yellow, illustrating Ceres and Triptolemus searching for the lost Proserpine. The Saturn side of the onyx is taken by the Arabs who call it El Jaza or Sadness, but the colour was always considered and the varieties were thus identified:— 1. Those resembling the human finger nail, under Cancer. 2. White striped with red, under Cancer. 3. White striped with black, under Capricorn. 4. Black, unstriped, under Capricorn (probably the true El Jaza). 5. Black with white stripes, under Capricorn. One of the most remarkable pieces of modern work in onyx is said to be the staircase of a New York millionaire. The cost of this is set down as 300,000 dollars.