1892. ] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 57 
mation about these names or the books mentioned will be gladly 
welcomed. 
One other word I wish to speak of, and that is dragonite, an 
early synonym for rock crystal. No suggestion is to be found 
as to its author or derivation, and yet it is mentioned in many 
books. The earliest mention I have found of it is in Zappe’s Min- 
eralogisches Hand-Lexicon published in 1817, where it has the form 
dragomit, probably a typographical error, as everywhere else it is 
spelled with ann. Zappe says the name refers to rounded or rolled 
quartz crystals, where only traces of the columnar form can be de- 
tected. It is easy to conjecture that this word is from draconis, of 
a dragon, and that such specimens were thought to have some rela- 
tion to the fabulous monster, but without more light on the subject 
nothing positive can be affirmed. But having carried you back to 
the age of fables, I had better close, lest you think me wandering 
from my subject. 
Nore.—Since the above paper was presented, the name dragonite has been 
completely traced back to Pliny’s Draconites, the so-called stone of the Flying 
Dragon. 
The paper being concluded, Dr. Bouton stated that the Library 
Check-list in Bolton’s Catalogue, to which the speaker had referred, 
was compiled by a clerk in the Smithsonian Institution, and his work 
was unfortunately rather carelessly done. He, Dr. Boiron, would 
not like to be held responsible for it. Dr. Bowron said he had read 
in Alchemy for Murray’s Dictionary and contributed about four 
hundred words. Murray’s monumental work is not free from 
errors in chemistry, benzine and benzene being confounded, for 
example. 
Dr. Boxron directed the attention of Pror. CHESTER to several 
early dictionaries of chemistry that might be useful to him in his 
research, viz.: William Johnson’s London, 1652; Martin Ruland, 
Frankfurt, 1612; and Sommerhoff’s Lexicon, Nuremberg, 1701. 
He also exhibited a copy of Bruce’s American Mineralogical 
Journal, New York, 1814, a work of great rarity. Pror. G. 
Brown GoopeE had stated in print that only two copies of this 
journal are known to exist, one in N. Y. State Library, and one in 
Harvard Library (Proceedings, Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. iv, 
1886-88). 
Dr. Botton also exhibited a copy of the Memoirs of the Columbian 
Chemical Society, Philadelphia, 1813, a book of peculiar interest 
and but little known. 
In reply Pror. Cuesrer said the Library of Hamilton College 
Vou. XI.—5 
