30 



but although they detract from the regularity and 

 perfection of a geological arrangement, they do 

 not destroy its utility. With some sacrifice to 

 order, and with some repetition, many of them 

 may be so remedied as to leave the classification 

 equally applicable to practice ; an advantage well 

 purchased by such trivial inconveniences. 



In discussing those objections to a mineralo- 

 gical system of arrangement, which relate to the 

 nomenclature of rocks, a few remarks on the na- 

 ture of such a nomenclature became unavoidable. 

 But it is necessary to examine this important 

 branch of the subject in greater detail ; as the 

 defects of a geological arrangement will be found 

 to depend, in a very great degree, on the imper- 

 fections and deficiencies of the existing and very 

 limited catalogue of terms by which rocks are de- 

 signated. 



If the only object of a nomenclature were to 

 distinguish the individuals in a cabinet of speci- 

 mens, it is true that they could scarcely become 

 very inconvenient except from their numbers. 

 Yet, tmlegsan enormous number was adopted, it 



