Section III., 1885. [ 23 1 Trans. Eoy. Soc. Canada. 



VI. — On a Natural Sijstem in Mineralogy ; with a Classification of Native Silicates.^ 

 Bij T. Sterry Hunt, M.A., LL.D. (Cantab.), F.R.S. 



(Head in abstract May 27, 1885.) 



I. — Historical Introduction. — The natural-historical method in mineralogy ; Werner and Mohs. The chemical 



method of Berzelius and Ids follower.". 

 II. — Attempt at a Natural Syi-lem. — The author's endeavours to establish such a system in ndneralogy. 

 III. — A Classijiralioii <,f Silicates. — The genetic relations of their suborders and tribes; discussion of genera and 



species of Silicates, with tables. Oxydâtes and Metallates ; a mineralogical system. The question of 



molecular weights. Synoptical tables of Silicates. 



I. — Historical Introduction. 



§ 1. The examiuatiou of the various species of the iuorgauic kingdom which consti- 

 tute the crust of the earth has long occupied the attention of students of natural history, 

 and has given rise to descriptive and systematic mineralogy. Botanists and zoologists, by 

 making known the structure, growth and development of organic species, have mean- 

 while performed a similar task for the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and have more- 

 over arranged organic species in genera, families, orders and classes, in such manner as to 

 shew more or less perfectly their origin and affinities, so that to-day the received classifi- 

 cations of plants and animals merit the name of natural systems. 



§ 2. Without adverting to the work of earlier students, it should be said that "Werner, 

 about a century since, proposed for the mineral kingdom a classification which makes an 

 epoch in the history of mineralogy. His system was based on " the natural alliances and 

 differences which exist between minerals," and of him it is said that he " established and 

 arranged the greater number of species in the mineral kingdom solely by agreements and 

 differences in external characters," grouping the various minerals in classes, families, 

 genera, species, sub-species and kinds. While chemical considerations were not overlooked 

 in the larger divisions, Werner, according to Jameson, regarded the intervention of 

 chemistry as but a provisional expedient, and doubted the possibility of constructing a 

 philosophical sj'stem in which the external and the chemical characters should be conjoined. 



sS 3. Werner died in 1811, and w^as succeeded at Freiberg by Frederick Mohs, who 

 sought to complete the work of his great predecessor in mineralogy. His early pvibli- 

 cations on mineral classification go back to 1805, but it was not till 1822-24 that he gave 

 to the world his " Grundriss der Minéralogie" in two voh^mes. This was translated into 



' An abstract of this paper was previously presented to the National Academy of Sciences at Washington, 

 April 23, 1885, and is published in the American Naturalist for .July, and also, with some further explanations, in 

 the Canadian Record of Science, i. 129-135, 244-247. 



Sec. III., 1885. 4. 



