SCIENTIFIC NEW*. 23/ 



toot be expedient to incur the expense of printing any cata- 

 logues, until the collections themselves shall have been ren- 

 dered much more perfect than they are at present. They 

 are farther of opinion, that the nature of these collections 

 requires, that the catalogues should be arranged according 

 to the topographical situation of the specimens, rather thau 

 by a systematic distribution into classes; but adverting to 

 the great labour, which would attend the making a catalo- 

 gue on so opposite a principle from that which has beea 

 adopted, they merely recommended for the present, that the 

 professor of chemistry and mineralogy be directed to add a 

 topographical index to the catalogue of each country, spe- 

 cifying under the names of the different places, that are 

 mentioued in the catalogue, the numbers of the various spe- 

 cimens, which have been brought from it. 



The committee have farther taken into their consideration Geological nvd 

 the resolution of the Society of the 7th day of July last, siuve y. 

 authorising this committee to offer a premium not exceeding 

 two hundred pounds for the best geological and mineralogi- 

 cal survey of the comity of Dublin, to be approved of by 

 them, and sanctioned by the board. The committee find, 

 that no person has become a candidate for executing Hie 

 task that has been thus proposed ; and they recommend, 

 that the proposal itself be discontinued. * The committee 

 are further of opinion, that the division into counties is, in 

 many instances, an inconvenient mode of assigning a district 

 proposed for mineralogical survey ; and they should recom- 

 mend in preference an attention to the great lines of geolo- 

 gical character, which have been traced out by nature.^ Of Coal district 

 these they know of none more interesting than that which %o1 *^ llkt;i4U y- 

 marks the coal district in the vicinity of Kilkenny, compri- 

 sing some portion of each of the three countries of Carlow, 

 Kilkenny, and the Queens-county. 



The committee are of opinion, that no measure would 

 conduce more eminently to the advancement of the agri- 

 culture, manufactures, and general commerce of this coun- 

 try, than a complete and scientific survey of its mineral pro- 

 ductions; but such a survey as the committee allude to 

 would require a degree of geological science and practical 

 knowledge, such as is possessed by Tcry few, and, if extend- 

 ed 



