242 Oti Professor Jameson's System of Miner nlogij. 



the observations which are inserted at the close of many of the 

 articles, to enable the student to distinguish particular minerals 

 from those which they more nearly resemble, the discriminating: 

 characters given frequently depend on chemical properties, of 

 which Mr. Jameson professes his system to be perfectly indepen- 

 dent J yet Mr, B. might easily pccccive that these are not de- 

 livered as essential characters, but are merely intended to give 

 greater facility, and it would be a very absurd adherence to sy- 

 stem to reject them. What he say.s about the vagueness of the 

 definitions is applicable to mineralogy in general, not merely to 

 Mr. Jameson's system. 



The individual and minor faults pointed out by Mr. B, tHay 

 be readily admitted without any great diminution of the merit of 

 Mr. Jnmeson's woBk, when we reflect how arduous the under- 

 taking is which he has attempted, and has so far aecomplished. 

 It is not merely precision in distiiiguishing " fibrous brown zinc 

 blende " from " fibrous brown iron ore," or " antimony ochre '* 

 from " bismuth glance," vvithout the possibility of any person of 

 inferior apprehension making a mistake, that is to constitute 

 the excellence of the system ; but the laying down such methods, 

 founded on the external characters of miijerals, as shall afford 

 the means of immediately placing the mineral in the class, order 

 and species to which it belongs. In such an undertaking some 

 imperfections must no doubt occur ; but these, though urged and 

 magnified by wit, good or bad (allowing even to Mr. Brown the 

 indulgence of the alternative), will be little regarded by the can- 

 did inquirer. 



It gives me pleasure, as an old pupil of Mr. Jameson's, to 



have the opportunity of vindicating his labours from unfair and 



groundless objections, and to express the conviction which all 



must entertain who have studied under him, that mineralogy will 



, always be improved by his exertions. 



I remain, sir. 



Your most obedient servant, 



G. M. 



XXX VIF. Fur (her Reply to Mr. Riddle on the Lunar Olser- 

 vations. By Mr. Henry Meikle. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — In your last Number Mr. Riddle has resumed his fa- 

 vourite theme of making vague remarks and groundless charges 

 on my paper on the Lunar Observations; I shall therefore take 

 this opportunity of replying briefly to some of his very unfair and 

 iiicoUercnt assertions. 



I formerly 



