MINERALOGY. 



By George W. Hawes, Ph. D., 

 Curator in the Xational ALiiscum. 



It is unnecessary to state that in the past two j'ears numerous con- 

 tributions have been made to our knowledge of tlie constituents of 

 the earth, for mineralogical study excites interest upon so many sides, 

 and is demanded for so manj' economic as well as scientific purposes, 

 that the number of workers in this department is always sure to be large. 

 But it is of peculiar interest to note the number and the character of the 

 investigations which have been made in this country, and the attention 

 which they have excited at home and abroad. In looking over the list 

 of new species it will be seen that many of the most interesting have 

 been found here. This is not strange, considering the rapid develop- 

 ment of our mining industries and the explorations that have been 

 made in unknown territories. But tlie finding of new minerals is not at 

 present the highest of mineralogical accomplishments, and a new name 

 is a burden and not an aid to science. A very diflereut thing is such 

 study devoted to a new species as puts us in possession of new informa- 

 tion 5 and it is to the character of the new species and to the study 

 devoted to them that the prominence of American work during tbis 

 l)eriod is due. 



We will therefore first consider the new discoveries that are purely 

 American, and then we will return to more general considerations. 



AMERICAN PKOGRESS. 



Prof. E. S. Dana, in preparing a previous record of mineralogical pro- 

 gress, modestly refrained from assigning a prominent position to the 

 results of the explorations in Branch ville, yet it may safely be said that 

 so fruitful a locality has for many years not been found in any land. 

 Up to the beginning of 1879 they had extracted five new species, but 

 since that time they have found two additional manganese phosphates, 

 making seven in all, and also a new and interesting lithium aluminum 

 silicate. In addition, many rare though previously described minerals 

 have been there found by them, and much interesting analytical work 

 has been done upon this material by Messrs. Penfield and Com stock. 

 These analyses have also suggested investigations that have resulted in 



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