Vlll PREFACE. 



connection with this department of the science. The 

 author has, however, in the course of preparation a vol- 

 ume devoted to descriptions, drawn up in conformity with 

 the rules of Physiography, as laid down in this treatise, 

 (. 126). Each species will be described under the trivial 

 name by which it is designated in the Characteristic of this 

 work ; and the order in which they will be arranged, will be 

 alphabetical, with a view to favor easy reference ; against 

 which arrangement there can be no objection urged, since 

 the use of the descriptions always presupposes a knowledge 

 of the names. 



The beginner in Mineralogy will by no means think of 

 perusing the Characteristic in order to obtain a knowledge 

 of minerals. This contrivance has for its object solely the 

 recognition of minerals, always presuming that they are in 

 our hands. Having ascertained the name, the next step in 

 course, is to arrive at a general conception of the species : 

 this is effected through the Pliysiography. It is almost 

 needless to remark, that it would be equally useless to study 

 the descriptions to effect the determination of minerals. 



Still less can it be recommended to the student to arrange 

 his collection in conformity with the Artificial System herein 

 proposed. He has no interest in the classes and orders, 

 or in the succession observed among the species, except 

 so far as they relate to the naming of minerals. To ar- 

 range a cabinet of specimens according to a System invented 

 solely to conduct to their names, would be like preserving the 

 staging about an edifice after its construction was completed. 

 The t\vo Systems according to which collections of miner- 

 als will undoubtedly continue to be arranged, are the Chem- 

 ical and the Natural-historical; the former of which will 

 have its adherents among Chemists, and the latter among 



