324< THEORY OF THE SYSTEM. . 220. 



with perfect distinctness and accuracy. An assemblage of 

 individuals formed in this way does not contain any thing 

 foreign, nor does it want any thing capable of being united 

 with it on account of its natural-historical properties. 



. 220. SPECIES. 



An assemblage of individuals, brought under the 

 idea of identity by the process of . 219., is term- 

 ed a Species ; and the individuals belonging to it 

 are homogeneous individuals. 



This is the pure natural-historical and invariable idea 

 of the species in the Mineral Kingdom. The series of 

 characters do not every one of them allow of a mathemati- 

 cal treatment. This, however, has no influence upon their 

 application for producing the idea of the natural-historical 

 species ; and nothing is lost of the peculiar evidence of this 

 idea, which immediately flows from the mode of its forma- 

 tion (. 218. 219.). Under these circumstances, the idea of 

 the species is capable of becoming a certain foundation to 

 the whole scientific Mineralogy ; it must likewise be the 

 fixed point, from which every inquiry has to start, whose 

 object it is to procure some knowledge of the productions 

 of the Mineral Kingdom, of whatever kind this knowledge 

 may be, if we wish to preserve a certain unity in the 

 acquirement of our information. 



We must not pass over unnoticed any of the series, in 

 short none of the natural-historical properties, in pro- 

 ducing the idea of the natural-historical species ; be- 

 cause this would render the idea itself incomplete ; the 

 variety of nature could not be explained sufficiently and 

 to its full extent, nor could it be demonstrated, by a ge- 

 neral developement, that we are really entitled to consider 

 certain lodies under the required circumstances, as belonging to 

 one and tlie same species, although they differ in their natural- 

 historical properties ; and this nevertheless is the very pro- 

 position which was to be proved by the preceding consi- 



