112 Answer to Dr. Crierson's Olservationi [Fk)*, 



existed. He then proceeds to state tviiat Mr. Jameson says with 

 respect to tin and wolfram, as follows : — 



" I^et us see what Professor Jameson, in his Elements of 

 Geognosy (the work whicli Mr. Allan constantly refers to), says 

 with respect to the occurrence of tin and wolfram. In treating of 

 tin, he tells us that it occurs in very old veins that traverse granite, 

 gneiss, mica slate, and clay slate ; that it occurs disseminated 

 through granite, and in beds that alternate with that rock. He 

 adds, that the granite appears to belong to the we<te..^ formation. 

 (Elements of Geognosy, p. 261.) At p. 309 of the same work, in 

 the tabular view, the Professor gives us again the geognostic situa- 

 tion of tin, and the only granite mentioned is the newest. Of 

 wolfram, he says, at p. 261, that it occurs in veins both in primi- 

 tive and transition mountains. And again, at p. 311, in tlie 

 tabular view, wolfram is stated as occurring not in the oldest, but 

 only in the newest granite formation. What shall we think, then, 

 of Mr. Allan's accuracy, when he maintains that, according to the 

 Wernerian geognosy, tlie granite of Cornwall must be referred to 

 the first or oldest formation because it contains tin and wolfram I 

 But his inaccuracies, or mistatcuients, do not stop here." 



Tiiis is as dexrerous a quotation as could well have lieen made; 

 but perhaps it would have licen better for the friend of Dr. Grierson 

 that he had let it alone. It is by no means a pleasing task to me to 

 be forced to detect the inconsistencies and contradictions of any 

 one, far less those of a gentleman who 1 believe has' exerted him- 

 self as far as he was able to |)romote the study to which we arc 

 equally devoted ; but, forced into my present situation, 1 shall 

 now beg leave to examine what really is said by Professor Jameson 

 on this subject ; and 1 trust I shall make it appear, that I have not 

 consulted his works so very slightly as to be in justice branded with 

 ignorance, or to have quoted ihem so unfairly as to entitle me to 

 the charge of mistatcment. 



In p. 27-^ of his third volume, he states, " molybdena, mena- 

 chin, iin, schce.le, cerium, tantalum, uran, chrome, and bismuth, 

 are metals of the oldest priinh'tve formation, and that only feeble 

 traces of them are to be found in newer periods." In p. 261 he 

 states, •' that tin occurs in veins traversing granite, gneiss, mica 

 slate, and clay sU|tc." Does Dr. Grierson suppose that this granite 

 connected willi oneiss is that belonging to the newest formation, 

 alluded to in a subsiquent paragraph of the same page ? Talking 

 of wolfram, in the same pAge, he states, " it occurs almost always 

 in veins in primitive mountains, and sometimes, thoiigli rarely, in 

 transition mountains; " and afterwards, in so many words, " that 

 its occurrence in grey wacke in the Hartz is only an exception to 

 the rule, that wolfram is a very old formation of the primitive 

 period." With respect to Mr. Jameson's tabular view, where he, 

 no doubt, without any comment, marks tin as occurring dissemi- 

 nated ill newer granite, and wolfram in veins in newer granite, I 

 eould consider it in no other light that^ a luistake, being in direct 



