Stone sculpture stone carving. Alabaster and softer kinds of serpentine, all about 3 on the Mohs scale, are more durable than soapstone. Alabaster, in particular, has long been cherished for its translucence. Limestone and sandstone, at about 4 on the Mohs scale, are the only sedimentary stones commonly carved. Limestone comes in a popular oolitic variety, about twice as hard as alabaster, that is excellent for carving. The harder serpentines can also reach 4 on the Mohs scale. Marble, travertine, and onyx are at about 6 on the Mohs scale. Marble has been the preferred stone for sculptors in the European tradition
Shining thicket rat 1818, which refers to the South American "Oxymycterus rutilans". Shining thicket rat The shining thicket rat ("Grammomys poensis") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. The species is more commonly referred to as G. rutilans, but Musser and Carleton (2005) noted that "Mus rutilans" Peters,