204 Miscellanies. 



3. Obituary of Gen. Martin Field. — Gen. Field died at his 

 residence in Newfane, (Vt.) in October last, at the age of 60. The 

 early part of his life was assiduously devoted to the profession of law, 

 in which, for many years, he was highly distinguished. On account 

 of an incurable deafness, he, several years since, declined the active 

 duties of his profession, and as a resource to an energetic mind, and 

 a solace in hours that might have been tedious for want of some in- 

 teresting object of pursuit, he turned his attention to scientific inves- 

 tigations. When he was educated, the natural sciences were scarce- 

 ly studied in the schools, and much less extensively than now in the 

 colleges of this country ; he was therefore obliged to commence with 

 the elements. 



Meeting with the American Journal of Science, a new stimulus 

 was given to his efforts, and a proper direction to his researches. 

 He obtained the best scientific works, and sought the acquaintance 

 of those who were pursuing the same path, or who had already 

 made attainments in science. Commencing with mineralogy, he, 

 for a time, was zealously engaged in collecting a choice and beau- 

 tiful cabinet ; but he found, that in order to become a skillful mine- 

 ralogist, there was a kindred science to be grasped, and one without 

 which he could not penetrate beyond the surface of the mineral king- 

 dom ; lie saw that it was beautiful and curious, and felt a desire to 

 know those mysterious laws of combination by which, from a few el- 

 ements, the wonderful variety of material things is produced. This 

 desire led him to the study of chemistry. He purchased chemical 

 books and apparatus, and for a time, directed his inquiries to the ele- 

 ments of matter, and the laws by which they are governed. 



A mineralogist and chemist has attained two important requisites 

 to enable him to become a geologist. Gen. Field was not satisfied 

 with examining nature in his cabinet, and with reading the observa- 

 tions of others. He was, in science, what may be termed a working 

 man. Few points of interest were there among the romantic scene- 

 ry around him, that were not familiar to him; and many a rugged 

 precipice, deep glen, and lofty summit of the Green Mountains, nev- 

 er before trod by human footstep, can bear witness to his persevering 

 research into the nature and arrangement of the rocky strata, of 

 which they are formed. In such expeditions, curious living reptiles 

 and insects presented themselves, and fossil remains of beings that 

 once had life, were found imbedded in the rocks*; he believed that 



In other regions than the green mountains, which are primary rocks. — Ed 



