INTRODUCTION. 13 



aid s of such things as we can every where obtain, still, a cabinet or 

 museum is peculiarly necessary, and as this study is acknowledged 

 to be both important and interesting, collections in mineralogy are 

 found in colleges and universities more generally than any other sub- 

 jects of natural history. They have the very important advantage 

 of being, with few exceptions, not liable to destruction, nor to any 

 spontaneous changes. They need no preparation, but when detach- 

 ed from their native situations, and reduced to a proper size, are 

 ready for the museum. This department of nature affords much of 

 the wealth of nations, many of the comforts of civilized and polished 

 society, nearly all the instruments of physical and philosophical re- 

 search, and most of those of the ornamental and useful arts. Civili- 

 zation, social refinement and science cannot exist where the mine- 

 ral kingdom is not explored and understood, and especially where 

 iron and some of the other metals are not known and used. 



Although no aliment for living beings is obtained from this king- 

 dom, very important remedies are derived from it, especially from 

 several of the earths and metals. Plants and animals are probably 

 more attractive to the eyes of most persons than the greater part 

 of minerals ; still, among crystals are found objects of extreme 

 beauty, whose polish and whose form rival the finest works of art, 

 and some of the gems have ever been selected to adorn diadems 

 and crowns. 



GEOLOGY, which reveals to us the actual structure of the globe, 

 and the natural position, relation and associations of its productions, 

 affords important light in the research for useful minerals ; and it ex- 

 hibits, in the arrangement and contrivance of the mineral strata, de- 

 cisive proofs of the power, wisdom and design of its author. 



BOTANY is the natural history of plants. It is a beautiful and em- 

 inently useful branch of knowledge. It is constantly extending its re- 

 searches and adding new species to the great number,* which have 

 been already discovered. 



The loftiest forest tree and the humblest shrub are equally within 

 its domain, and every climate, and every continent and island, are 

 visited for the discovery of new species. The plants that grow in 

 mountains indicate, with great accuracy, the climates that belong to 

 the different elevations ; the plants and fruits of tropical regions may 

 grow at the foot, and the stunted evergreens of the polar circle may 

 crown the summit. 



In this elegant department of knowledge, a sufficient number of its 

 subjects is scattered every where around us, to afford the means of 

 comprehending the outlines of the science and of prosecuting it with 



Fifty-six thousand, or more. 



