200 Natural History. [Cha?. III. 



by professor Leske, of Leipsic, one of the earliest 

 and most eminent of the disciples of Werner, by 

 whose assistance it Avas arranged. After the death 

 of Leske, it was revised, corrected, and enlarged, 

 by Karsten, another disciple of Werner, and a mi- 

 neralogist of great judgement and learning. This 

 monument of skill and labour was, a few years 

 since, transferred to Ireland, where it has been fof 

 some time receiving those additions and improve^ 

 ments from the hands of Mr. Kirwan, which his 

 Extensive acquaintarice with the subject, together 

 with his acuteness, zeal, and industry, render him 

 so capable of conferring. 



In describing the present state of mineralogical 

 science, it is impossible to do better than to adopt 

 the words of the illustrious Irish academician, 

 whose name has been mentioned With so much 

 respect in the preceding paragraphs. Within a 

 few years, " precise lines of information have been 

 traced, even in the minuter subdivisions of the 

 science; the gross indications of the unassisted 

 senses, freed from their attendant fallaicies, have 

 been pressed into its service; the more refmed 

 chemical tests, still further perfected, have been 

 rendered more conclusive; many new species 

 brought to light ; the catalogue of the elementary 

 substances nearly completed; and the great art of 

 analysis, extended far beyond its former limits, 

 now nearly approaches the precision of an alge- 

 braic formula"*^." 



The progress which was made in the art of ana- 

 lysing minerals^ in the course of the last thirty 



* Kirwnn's Elcmciiis of Mincralovh — Pirfacc. 



