. 23G. NOMENCLATURE. 355 



. 236. SIGNIFICATION OF THE NAMES OF THE 

 ORDERS. 



The simple names receive their signification in 

 agreement with the ideas of the orders. They 

 must always be used in these, never in any other 

 significations. 



It may be useful in this place to add a few remarks on 

 the meaning attached to several of these names as applied 

 to the orders. The name of Ore has been hitherto applied 

 to a great many minerals, and it is one of those, whose sig- 

 nification has been particularly vague and uncertain. Even 

 its technical signification had disappeared ; for though in 

 this respect we understand very well what is meant by 

 Iron-ore, Copper-ore, Manganese- ore, and Chrome-ore ; 

 yet it will be very difficult to say what we should understand 

 by Liver-ore, Tinder-ore, Horn-ore, Tile ore, Oliven-ore, 

 Pea-ore, Pitch-ore, &c. Names of that kind have indeed 

 no signification at all, as long as there does not exist an 

 order Ore, to the genera of which they may be referred. 



If, on the contrary, we attempt to comprise in one single 

 expression all the minerals which have hitherto been de- 

 signated by the name of Ore, and add such as are naturally 

 allied to them in their properties and resemblance, in order 

 to produce the natural-historical idea of the name of Ore ; 

 the idea conveyed by this term would necessarily become 

 so complex and varied as to be utterly devoid of clearness 

 and consistency with itself. It would moreover-include so 

 many species, that the greater part of the minerals would 

 become ores, and thus the whole Mineral Kingdom would 

 not admit of another idea of that kind. 



If therefore the name of Ore shall not lose both signifi- 

 cation and applicability in the Natural History of the Mi- 

 neral Kingdom ; it must be confined to a few only of those 

 minerals which hitherto have been called ores. Among 

 these are Red Copper-ore (octahedral Copper-ore), Tin-ore 

 (pyramidal Tin-ore), the Iron-ores (rhombohedral, octahe- 



