S^CT. III.] Miner alogi/. \ 93 



Abraham G. Werner, of Freybprg, in Germany, 

 who certainly holds a place among the most distin- 

 guished mineralogists ol" tlie age. His principal 

 publication on thi^ subject appeared in 177 i, 

 and has commanded an unconnnon degree of at- 

 tention among philosophers. Though lie did not 

 wholly neglect the chemical properties of fossils, 

 ^le devoted his chief attention to their external 

 characters, and made these the principal founda- 

 tion of his arrangement. He and his disciples in- 

 sisted, that the colour, shape, lustre, transparency, 

 texture, cohesion, density, feel, and general habitude 

 of mineral substances, furnish abundant I3- sufTicient 

 indications for distinguishing and arranging thcm"^. 

 And, indeed, the ingenuity and skill with which 

 they selected these characters, the judgement and 

 accuracy with which they learned to apply them, 

 and their wonderful success in forming a luminous 

 system on the principles which these sensihlc (|iia- 

 lities afforded, must be considered as pointing out 

 one of the most important periods in the liistury 

 of mineralogy. 



Before this period, the nomenclature of mineral 

 bodies had been in a very perplexed and imperfect 

 state; insomuch, that, while rich stores of know- 

 ledge respecting them were possessed by many, ii 

 was extremely difficult to communicate this know- 

 ledge, for want of precise defmitions and descriptions. 

 The same substance, from some slight variations 

 in appearance, was often called by dilferent names ^ 

 and diiferent substances, from some aflinities of ex- 



* See his Treatise on the External Characters of Minerals, 

 Leipsic, 177-*- 



Vol. J. O 



