56 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [JAN. 25, 
properly changed to y. Of this word you will find in the books 
four different forms, only one of which deserves any place in 
mineralogy. 
Breithaupt gave the name kupholit, from xovpos, light, and acdos, 
to a very light variety of serpentine. He leaves out the o of the 
original word, probably because the word with the o had been used 
before, being an obsolete synonym of prehnite. This was first 
changed to kuphoite and then to cyphoite, which gives little idea of 
its original derivation and meaning. 
Many more instances might be cited, but enough has been said to 
show how much confusion has arisen through carelessness or un- 
warrantable assumption, and how desirable it is that it should be 
disentangled as far as possible. 
The first requisite for this work was to get as complete a list as 
possible of the names. This was compiled from many sourees, as 
no published list containing all the names was to be found in 
the books. This list was then written in alphabetical order in a 
book with space between the names for the facts to be noted, and 
plenty of space in which to insert omitted names. All the books at 
command were then looked through in chronological order, and 
facts inserted in their proper places as fast as found. In this way 
all desired information was obtained and collated about the great 
majority of the names, but a number were left either entirely blank 
or with space only partially filled. Then the words were taken 
one by one, in order as written down, and the lacking matter filled 
out as far as possible. In this way the work has progressed through 
the letter G, which accounts for the fact that most of the names 
cited come in the earlier part of the alphabet. But there are a num- 
ber still incomplete, and it is partly in the hope of obtaining infor- 
mation about some of these that this preliminary paper has been 
prepared. 
Of Ainalite and several other words I have not found the deriva- 
tion. They are given by Nordenskiold, and probably the informa- 
tion is to be found in his Mineralogy of Finland, but I have not 
been able to see a copy of it. Albertite is a name that needs a 
father and a first reference. Anagenite as a name for chrome ochre 
seems to have no authoritative beginning. Aricite, a synonym of 
gismondite, is in the same position. Aspidelite of Weibye has only 
the author’s name after it. Barettite, Beffonite, Beudantite as a 
synonym of eleolite, Bieirosite, Bischofite as a synonym of plum- 
bogummite, Braardite and Bromlite are also more or less lacking. 
Bromlite and some others can be cleared up by consulting the 
Records of General Science, a journal published by Thompson in 
1835 to 1836, but I have not yet found a copy of it. These twelve 
names in A and B are all that are wanting to complete the infor- 
mation about the six hundred names catalogued under those letters ; 
and the other letters have about the same proportion. Any infor- 
