ANALYTICAL SYSTEM. 139 



for how few are able! Most clearly then, it subserves no utility in 

 the determination of unknown minerals. Its sole merit consists, in 

 providing for the proficient in mineralogy, one way of arranging 

 the different objects of his knowledge in his cabinet, and the ideas 

 which relate to them in his mind. This certainty is an object of 

 much importance, but secondary in point of time to the one now 

 under consideration. Our information must first be acquired, be- 

 fore it can be philosophically arranged. 



It is otherwise, however, with respect to the system first men- 

 tioned : this provides for the determination of the species in a sci- 

 entific manner, the learner' being enabled to proceed to the names 

 of minerals through the intermediate degrees of the class, order, 

 and genus, without being obliged to read over the entire catalogue 

 of species in each instance, when an unknown mineral is to be de- 

 termined. But, like the system of Natural Orders in botany, it 

 experiences frequent embarrassments from those combinations which 

 the principles of the synthetical method impose, and which render 

 it necessary, in order to distinguish the geneva within an order, 

 and the species within a genus, to descend to the observation of char- 

 acters, too nice and minute in their application, for the use of the be- 

 ginner. To the advanced student, however, this system becomes 

 more available, since it will often be in his power to determine the 

 place of a mineral by analogy, without the minute study pf its char- 

 acters, an advantage which no purely artificial system can possess. 

 Like the same system in botany, it is superior to all other methods 

 after a certain amount of knowledge is acquired, but at first, is lia- 

 ble to confuse and discourage. (D'abord, quant alafacilite, il est 

 Evident que, pour le commen$ant, une mdthode artificielle doit 

 paraitre, et est en re 1 alit6 plus facile. * * * il est done lien 

 certain que lorsqu'on ne connait encore aucune plante, et qu'on 

 est reduit a chercher par soi-meme le nom des premieres qui se 

 pre'sentent, on doit employer une mdthode artificielle ; et sous ce 

 point de vue, la plus facile de toutes est la meilleure. Des Classi- 

 fications naturelles en general co?npar6es aux artificielles. De 

 Candolle. TMorie eldmentaire de la Botanique, p. 52, et seq.) 



. 109. DIVISION OF THE MINERAL KINGDOM INTO 

 CLASSES. 



The Mineral Kingdom is divisible into three Classes; 

 , Minerals possessed of regular forms 5 2. Minerals yield- 



