Miscellaneous Intelligence. 143 
2 nicate atone in the science of mineralogy, then in - infaney in 
2 this country. e were however thrown almost into despair by the un- 
minute and dry technicalities of the Wernerian language—useful and 
satisfactory as they are to adepts. At this time we obtained a copy of 
. Mr. Alexander Brongniart’s Mineralogy, being the substance of his lec- 
i tures as given in Paris. In this admirable work we found just what we 
wanted. The classification and arrangement were excellent, the de- 
; scriptions Ave sSeagee and discriminating ; ; the most important and dis- 
a tinctive characters were made ds se and those that were minute 
. and unimpor 08 were omitted. It wasa common off-hand mode of 
a describing, which placed the picture in full outline before the eye with- 
‘ out too elaborate a filling u The uses of the minerals were also indi- 
* cated in a striking manner, ‘and with this work literally in hand asa 
a text-book, and cited from topic to topic, and occasionally read aloud 
= English, there was no longer any serious difficulty in making min- 
ralogy interesting and instructive to the pupils. It is very remarkable 
Z that this work, of unrivalled excellence, was never published in more 
= than one edition, that of 1807—forty years before the death of the 
author. 
It is equally remarkable that the best work ever published in the Eng- 
: lish language upon the subjects of which it treats, namely, the Diction- 
- ary of Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology, and the connected Arts, in 
_%2 two full volumes quarto, by the Aikins, in 1809, has also been confined 
to ae oe edition, and is now almost unknown to the younger class of 
st 
a In mineralo ogy we are no longer on in pee American 
works ; tas of Prof. Cleaveland in two volum in two editions has 
s have me aid, 
although a bianibar work as a ig a for young students is still a desid- 
eratum. The mention of Mr. Brongniart’s admirable work has led us 
into shi Higreasion from which we return. ur latest communications 
Mr. Bro rt 
him on this subject, ‘sittenars they were less siigpeietal than we could 
have wished, as our then known* aboriginal productions in this " 
were—exeepting Mexico—few and humble, and the ror eeepen 
Bai and ee was only beginning to become conspicuous in 
nited Stat 
aesiion:. porcelain was however produced at ron Spare 
coat in the fineness of the material and in the beauty of ing 
t of Sévres—but this country was not as yet willing . pay rd 
the highest order of talent and skill in the ornamental part of the col- 
oon and figuring. 
rom Mr. Brongniart’s beautiful work on the Ceramic a pli re- 
rit ot 4 the effort mentioned above, we learn that he has been success- 
d Davis have brought to ligh 
= vis have brought to light 
nantes ee cemabes or wa or porary in the Western States. 
