Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 397 



ence, and point out at a glance the nature of it. However mechanical 

 some of this may appear, it is absolutely essential to be attended to 

 in Natural History, where the subjects are infinite in number, and 

 where aid must be derived from every mode of generalizing particulars. 

 In summing up the scientific character of the deceased, it may be 

 comprised in a few words. As a naturalist, he contributed greatly to 

 the advancement of science ; and stood pre-eminent for judgement, 

 accuracy, candour, and industry. He was disposed to pay due respect 

 to the great authorities that had preceded him, but without suffering 

 his deference for them to impede the exercise of his own judgement. 

 He was equally open to real improvement, and opposed to the affecta- 

 tion of needless innovation. He found the science of Botany when 

 he approached it, locked up in a dead language, — he set it free by 

 transfusing into it his own : he found it a severe study fitted only for 

 the recluse,— he left it of easy acquisition to all. In the hands of his 

 predecessors, with the exception of his immortal master, it was dry, 

 technical, and scholastic j in his, it was adorned with grace and ele- 

 gance, and might attract the poet as well as the philosopher. 



LXI. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



NEW MINERALS. 



PROF. BREITHAUPT (Schweigger's Journal der Chemie und 

 Physik, N. S. vol. xx. p. 314, &c.) gives a description of the fol- 

 lowing new mineral species : 



I. Karphosiderite. Name derived from the straw-yellow colour. 

 Reniform masses, rarely from granular composition, uneven ; shining 

 and glimmering in the streak, with resinous lustre. Colour and 

 streak pale and high straw-yellow. Hardness =4*0... 4*5. Sp. 

 gr. z= 2'5. Feels greasy. Before the blowpipe upon the coal it 

 becomes black, and melts in a strong fire into a globule which is 

 attractible by the magnet. In glass of borax it is easily soluble, 

 and with salt of phosphorus it melts into a black scoria. It con- 

 tains oxide of iron, phosphoric acid, water, with small quantities of 

 oxide of manganese and zinc. It has a great similarity to oxalite, 

 yellow iron-ore, or iron-sinter. It occurs in Greenland. 



II. Mesitine-spar. Name derived from psa-tys, that is, what 

 stands in the middle (of brachytypous lime-haloide, and brachy- 

 typous parachrose baryte). Rhombohedral, R — oo. R = 107° 14' 

 R -f ac. Cleavage distinct, parallel to R. Lustre vitreous. Colour 

 dark-grayish, and yellowish-white. . . yellowish-gray. Streak white. 

 Transparent . . .translucent. Hardness = 4. Sp.gr. = 3*34. . .3*37. 

 Before the blowpipe the mesitine-spar decrepitates. In muriatic 

 and nitric acid a feeble effervescence takes place, but it is entirely 

 soluble. It contains probably magnesia, lime, protoxide of iron, 

 and oxide of manganese. It is found in little crystals, in rhombo- 

 hedral quartz at Traversella in Pieroont. 



III. Tauto- 



