The blue ruby-spotted marble comes from Switzerland; it is light-colored, beautiful marble which may be introduced either in large or small masses with equally good effect.

The ground for this marble is a very light blue, with a few patches of white in those parts where the yellow spots are afterwards to appear. Both the blue and white of the ground must be quite dry before any marbling color can be applied. A bright tint of Prussian blue and white may be painted on in spots over the blue ground, and above this, whilst wet, a few touches of a darker tint must be laid on in large spots sufficiently apart from each other to allow the first tint to be seen between them.

The yellow spots may now be applied over the white ground; this is done with King's yellow mixed with a little vermilion. The work must be left to dry before it can be proceeded with. The surface being quite hard, paint the dark red or ruby veins with a tint of lake and blue. This is rather dotted than painted over the blue, taking care to avoid the yellow. These marks in some places are quite-red, and for these lake alone is used. As soon as the ruby tint is applied, mix a much stronger tint of lake and blue and draw the strong markings over the lake; these lines are drawn out in a long succession of spots over the blue. It is impossible to give a verbal description of the manner of applying the tints in the various markings of this marble, but the painter who keeps the general character cannot greatly err from nature.

This is a most excellent pattern for distemper color. The ground is white, the light blue is white and Prussian blue; this may be sprinkled with a large brush. The darker spots are a tint with a little more blue than the first.

Blue-Veined Swiss Marble. This marble is exceedingly splendid in color and not very difficult to imitate. The ground is white. Light blue spots or broken streaks are drawn over the ground so as to let the white be seen between them. The blue must be omitted on that part of the ground where the yellow markings are seen. On these spaces a tint of King's yellow is painted and on this tint broad spots or touches of burnt sienna. The work must then be suffered to dry, after which the purple tint may be applied over the blue spots; this tint is lake and blue; the marking upon it is black; a glaze of burnt sienna in different parts will give variety of tint to the representation.

To execute this marble in distemper the blue may be sprinkled upon the ground with a large brush. The yellow is King's yellow, touched up with lake; the purple tint is indigo mixed with rose pink, and the darkest markings are black.

Dove-Colored Spotted Marble. This differs from the Dove marbles commonly seen by the contrast of the strong dark and light spots, and the interspersion of thin light veins. Dove marbles are used to heighten the effect of white-veined or statuary marble in sepulchral monuments, etc. The imitation in painting is mostly required for chimney-pieces or common dark work, for which it is very appropriate.

The ground for this marble is a light grey formed with black and white, mixed to the tint required; the sprinklings on the ground are done with a very dark tint formed of the same colors. The large spots are black, laid upon the sprinklings while wet with a sable pencil. The white spots and the veining may also be painted while the dark sprinkling is wet, as they will then blend with it and have a more natural effect than it would if they were painted when the dark sprinkling had become dry.

The process and colors are the same if the work is re- quired in distemper, but as it is so easily and quickly performed in oil it is seldom that distemper color for so dark and common a marble can be used with advantage.