124 DescripLion of the Miner alogical CaUnets 



leucite. They rest insulated on liornblende in the syenite, which 

 contains zircon in such abundance. Yet in France there is a 

 conviction that these crystals are not leucite, but analcini (Wer- 

 ner's cubicite). The difference between these two fossils exter- 

 nallv is indeed very trifling, and consists principally in the greater 

 hardness of the analcim, and its less frequent tendency to foliated 

 fracture. But in the chemical analysis they differ more. Leu- 

 cite contains twenty-four pro cent kali, and analcini, on the other 

 hand, ten pro cent of soda, I cannot omit noticing that the 

 appearance of this ample collection of Arendal put me always in 

 mind of the fossil of Vesuvius. The analogy between them is 

 great. Here and there new and wholly unknown fossils were 

 contained in primitive stones; and those which weie known ap- 

 peared in forms seldom hitherto observed. But in both places 

 thev are numerous, and heaped together to a degree which we 

 seldom find in an existing bed; and were we to find all that the 

 country of Arendal produces in such uncommon perfection at a 

 distance from their first beds, and heaped together on the decli- 

 vity of a volcano like Vesuvius, we should be as embarrassed as 

 we now are at the appearance of so many druses of !\ephelin, 

 meionite, vesuvian, hornblende and felspar, in the granular lime- 

 stone on the sides of Vesuvius. The first beds of these masses 

 may therefore have been the same as a bed in micaceous slate, 

 or gneiss like that of Arendal ; and in this case, it must be sought 

 westwards in the sea, or in Sardinia and Corsica ; for towards 

 the west, the primitive rocks are to be found on the Italian 

 coasts. 



The exotic articles possessed by M. Schumacher in his collec- 

 tion are numerous, but of no great importance. 



The treasures of the Great Royal Library are well known. But 

 the excellent collection of books of Classen, which no stranger 

 in Copenhagen can examine without envying, is much less 

 known than it ought to be. General Classen bequeathed not 

 only his books to the public, but also a sufficient fund along with 

 them, ])art of which was dedicated to the erection of a suitable 

 building for the reception of the books, and the remainder to 

 provide a revenue for the increase of the collection. He chiefly 

 possessed historical books. But the directors of the new insti- 

 tution had the good sense to give up this department entirely to 

 tlie Great Lib'-ary, and to confine themselves solely to natural 

 history, the arts, and travels. They wisely judged that in this 

 way alone it was possible for them to attain any thing like per- 

 fection ; and every one who wishes for other books, may find 

 them with more certainty in the Great Library. The conse- 

 quence is, that in Classen's library we not only find the most 

 cxpcuoive botanical works and original travels, but also a more 



complete 



