. 241. NOMENCLATURE. 367 



ed in several of the systems of Mineralogy hitherto pub- 

 lished, might he of use in the construction of a good trivial 

 nomenclature ; they should be collected and properly com- 

 pleted. The difficulty of introducing a nomenclature of 

 this kind, even though it were acknowledged as useful, 

 will be probably found greater, than if it had been syste- 

 matic. On account of the great difficulties in establishing 

 certain and general rules in the selection of trivial names, 

 there will always remain some arbitrariness, which is un- 

 avoidable, and will form the principal impediment of a 

 general agreement in this respect. 



The natural-historical determination of natural produc- 

 tions, does not go beyond the species (. 222.). The syste- 

 matic nomenclature, therefore, must stop at the denomina- 

 tion, the trivial nomenclature at the name of the species. 

 The disadvantage arising to the systematic nomenclature, 

 from a want of attention to this rule, consists in the cir- 

 cumstance, that the denominations become composed of 

 too many words, because they require at least two adjec- 

 tives. If the trivial nomenclature applies names to parti- 

 cular varieties, as Amethyst, Prase, Adularia, Amiantus, 

 Anhydrite, &c. the idea of the species becomes too much 

 dismembered. If it produces denominations by adding 

 adjectives to the names of the species, it assumes the ap- 

 pearance of a systematic nomenclature, neither of which pro- 

 perties would serve to its recommendation. 



