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4 JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 13, No. 1 
types. Following kohalaite is found, in brackets, oligoclase andesite, 
and following mugearite, olivine-oligoclase andesite. Would not 
these more familiar terms by themselves have been more desirable? 
One finds, too, that hawaiite is just an andesine basalt. Why not 
call it that and not perpetuate names that add to our already heavy 
burden?® 
A comparatively few type names with appropriate qualifying words 
should be sufficient to designate all rocks. Occasionally names that 
are inconveniently cumbersome will result, but sodium para-dimeth- 
amino-azobenzene-para-sulphonate is an unwieldy name yet it 
thoroughly justifies itself by telling the chemist the nature and 
properties of the substance named. 
We do not labor under the same difficulties as do the workers in 
biologic science, for it would be an impossible task to formulate a 
name for an oak tree that would give a clear picture of how it differs 
from a maple tree. But two rock types that have received wholly 
unrelated names may differ from each other merely in the presence or 
absence of a definite, concrete, crystalline phase, which fact could 
readily be expressed in the names applied to them. 
The choice of names for rocks has an importance apart from that 
connected with convenience for use by petrologists themselves. It 
can scarcely be doubted that future advances in our knowledge of 
rocks must come in large part through the application of physics and 
chemistry to the problems which rocks present. This means the co- 
operation of the physicist and chemist with the petrologist, and this 
in turn necessitates a certain amount of respect for the petrologist and 
his science. But how can the physicist and chemist respect a man 
who continues to base the names of new rock types on nothing more 
fundamental than the name of the locality in which they are found? 
Only the confirmed systematist can hope to keep abreast of the 
ever increasing multitude of rock names. In the meantime the one 
whose prime interest lies in other aspects of rocks, but who must 
keep informed of the newly discovered facts of petrology, has an 
unnecessary and almost insupportable burden placed upon him in the 
never-ebbing tide of pienaarite, tveitasite, modlibovite, damkjer- 
nite, ankaratrite, assyntite, muniongite, orendite, sviatoynossite, 
yamaskite, kauaiite, ghizite, and leeuwfonteinite. 
De profundis clamavt. 
8 Since this was written Dr. Washington has made changes in his paper so that the 
above remarks apply only to his original manuscript. He has dropped the locality 
names and joined forces with me in criticism of them. 
