. 231. NOMENCLATURE. 347 



duction with a denomination, and represents, by these de- 

 nominations, the natural-historical resemblance by which 

 these bodies are connected in the system. 



In every part of Natural History, nomenclature is the 

 mirror, which reflects an image of the whole science. The 

 image hitherto produced by Mineralogy, has not been an 

 agreeable one, or calculated to invite the zoologist or bota- 

 nist, or any enlightened naturalist, to bestow particular at- 

 tention on Mineralogy. A mass of names and denominations, 

 formed arbitrarily or accidentally, and subject to perpetual 

 change, retard the solid progress of the science, and are 

 a great impediment to the acquisition of knowledge in its 

 purity. The want of a well constructed systematic nomen- 

 clature, is therefore an essential defect in the Natural His- 

 tory of the Mineral Kingdom ; and the present attempt to 

 remove it, how imperfect soever it may be, is founded upon 

 the very idea of Natural History (. 18.), which cannot 

 exist without it. 



. 231. OBJECT OF THE SYSTEMATIC DENOMINA- 

 TION. 



The object to which the systematic denomination 

 must refer, is to express the correctly determined 

 natural-historical species. 



The natural-historical species is the foundation^ the syste- 

 matic nomenclature the verbal expression of the system. 

 The species, therefore, is the object to which the systema- 

 tic denomination refers. 



Nomenclature requires that the species be previously 

 correctly determined, according to the principles of Natu- 

 ral History. For the necessary connexion among several 

 of these unities, which is to be represented by a verbal ex- 

 pression, cannot take place upon any other supposition ; 

 and the systematic nomenclature is degraded into a mere 

 jumble of words, to which no object corresponds. In this 

 state, it cannot any longer be useful to Natural History ; 



