338 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. X. 



not at all a science by itself, and constitutes only a small part of 

 inor<ranic chemistry. It can be unquestionably conceded that a 

 knowledge of chemistry is fundamental, and in consequence this 

 claim has a certain plausibility. On the other hand, we contend 

 that it was largely the labors of the mineralogists on the phy- 

 sical characters of minerals, and especially their demonstra- 

 tion of the relation of form to chemical composition which finally 

 .awakened chemists to a more profound study of their own sub- 

 ject. The law of isomorphism was discovered by a chemist, 

 whose training as an expert crystallographer in the examination 

 of natural crystals made it possible for him tu recognize the won- 

 derful relation of form to composition. Dimorphism was first 

 established from observations made on minerals, and it is in the 

 f^tudy of the mineral kingdom that the laws of isomorphism and 

 dimorphism find abundant demonstration. From the further 

 investigation of the chemical nature of minerals we may hope for 

 new lisfht on the molecular constitution of substances which as 

 jet the chemist has been unable to reproduce. We have already 

 indicated the interdependence of geology and mineralogy. May 

 -we not claim the same interdependence of mineralogy, physics 

 and chemistry, letting each go on in its own sphere, contributing 

 to the general progress, sure that every new fact observed and 

 every new law discovered will be for the common advancement 

 of all ? 



