PREFACE. Vll 



trivial nomenclature. Approving of this reform, I have 

 adopted his names in numerous instances ; and where spe- 

 cies were still left unprovided with trivial epithets, I have 

 ventured in a few instances to propose them- 



To the trivial name, the systematic denomination is add- 

 ed in a smaller type, as it appeared to me important not to 

 lose sight of what in its other branches, is conceded to be one 

 of the greatest advantages of Natural History ; viz. that of 

 expressing in the names, the connexion in natural proper- 

 ties, subsisting among the species. Whether the names 

 here employed, which are mostly those contrived by MOHS, 

 will ultimately be approved of by Naturalists, is not at pres- 

 ent certain ; but their use in the intercourse of Mineralo- 

 gists will often be found to possess important convenience, 

 and though compelled in the future and more perfected 

 state of the science to give place to simpler expressions 

 perhaps to those, constructed according to the genius of 

 the Latin language by which means the difficulty of their 

 translation from one language into another will be avoid- 

 ed they still appeared to me to be worthy of being re- 

 tained, especially as they are introduced merely as syno- 

 nyms. 



The alphabetical arrangement of the species has been 

 adopted because it seemed most likely to subserve the con- 

 venience of students using my characteristic, or any other, 

 in the determination of specimens ; as well as that of per- 

 sons having occasion to refer to the descriptions for less 

 general purposes, as for example, to learn only the crystal- 

 line form of a particular species, or to obtain information 

 respecting its locality. Had the natural-historical arrange- 

 ment, the chemical, or any mixture of the two, been em- 



