THE PROGRESS OF AMERICAN MINERALOGY. 8c 7 



being, as in many of our gold and silver mines, remarkably few asso- 

 ciated minerals. In other cases, however, it is doubtless due to the 

 fact that very few persons connected with our mines have even an ele- 

 mentary knowledge of the rudiments of mineralogy, while in continent- 

 al Europe almost every mining officer is familiar with all the ordinary 

 minerals. Thanks to the training of our schools of science, an improve- 

 ment in this respect is already noticeable, as is shown in the discov- 

 eries made in the mines of our Western States and Territories during 

 the past few years. 



While the service done for mineralogy by our geological surveys is 

 gratefully acknowledged, we feel that we have a right to demand much 

 more from them in the future. Mineralogy has been too largely looked 

 upon as a guide to the discovery of useful ores and minerals, and not 

 as a matter for scientific study ; fortunately, during the past decade the 

 discoveries in optical mineralogy and their importance in the deter- 

 mination of the constituent minerals of the crystalline rocks have led 

 many geologists to again recognize the desirability of a knowledge of 

 our science. Much will be accomplished if those in charge of geolog- 

 ical surveys will direct competent persons to make observations, not 

 only on the main mineral constituents of rocks but also in the manner 

 of occurrence of individual minerals. The careful inspection of quar- 

 ries and mines is greatly to be desired. These are rich sources for 

 minerals, but, unless constant watchfulness is exercised, valuable mate- 

 rial for science is in danger of being buried out of sight. 



It is too true that many of the most interesting discoveries already 

 recorded seem to have been due more to the result of fortunate acci- 

 dent than of systematic and intelligent exploration. If our trained 

 mineralogists, instead of devoting most of their attention to the exami- 

 nation of specimens in cabinets collected by others, would give more 

 time to personal observation in the field in the study of the order and 

 manner of occurrence of mineral species in place, our knowledge would 

 doubtless be greatly promoted. Again, if our wealthy amateurs could 

 be induced to spend their money as freely in the exploration of prom- 

 ising American localities as in the importation of costly European 

 specimens, we might hope for many important discoveries, and they 

 could have the satisfaction not only of gaining novelties for their col- 

 lections, -but incidentally they would do much to foster science. 



In order to keep pace with the progress of the science, we need many 

 more workers who will devote themselves especially to mineralogical 

 research, and we need more of the spirit of the early workers. It is 

 my belief that the number of persons at present interested in the study 

 here, either as amateurs or investigators, is relatively less than in 1825. 

 The mineralogy of to-day is a very different subject from the mineral- 

 ogy of the commencement of the period over which we have so hastily 

 glanced. Then the study of minerals was .confined almost exclusively 

 to their external* characters. Led by Werner and re-enforced by his 



