Reflections on some Mineralogical Systems. 119 
is More just to say that the Germans hunt after genius ; 
they pnrsue it for'the most part awkwardly, and without suc- 
cess. Dr. Johnson erroneously said ot ‘the Scotch, that 
every one had a mouthful of learning, but that no one had 
a sufficiency. The Germans have an indigestion, of it. 
These are some of the reasons why their literature is a va- 
grant, who is passionately fond of surpassing the limits of 
nature, and their science a pedant, who lives very remote 
from the urbanity of the present times. 
COMPARATIVE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEM OF HAUY AND 
WERNER. 
Let us yet consider these two mineralogical systems un- 
der a point of view as to the relation which exists between 
the magnitude of the means and the results obtained. 
Micrology consists in searching the most minute parti- 
culars, in order to draw from them even the least conse- 
quences. Thecontrary of micrology:is to draw great conse- 
quences by means which appear too small to lead to them. 
We have no word to designate it. It matters’ not; genius 
has its own language. [shall give some examples of the 
one and of the other. 
In the primitive rhomboids of chabasie, the plain angle 
of the summit differs 3° 30’ from aright angle: this makes 
a difference of 7° between the angles formed by any side 
from one of the rhomboidal bases, with its adjacent sides, 
This difference prevents the decrements from acting in the 
same manner on the angles and edges which are not in si- 
milar cases ; and it augments, if we may so speak, almost 
infinitely in the secondary forms. Thus, those of ehabasie - 
differ entirely between themselves from those of analeime, 
and from all those produced on a cubic nucleus, This is a 
great effect produced by a cause which the eyes can scarcely 
perceive, but which instruments measure. 
What a triumph for principles over empiricism, when 
they banished from the nomenclature the name of cubic 
calcareous spar falsely given toa varicty of carbonated lime! 
M. Macie proved that this form was not cubic; and the law 
of decrement on which it depends being determined, M. 
Haiiy demonstrated, by the incommensurable relation whieh 
exists between the axi3 and the perpendicular on the axis in 
the cube, that this form could not be produced by any re- 
gular laws of decrement which act on the primitive rhom- 
boid of carbonated lime. The angles, nevertheless, differ 
but about 2/° from a right angle: a new example in favour 
of that quality which ts 5 opposed to microloy. 
Ii 4 M. Haiiy 
