J. D. Dana’s Mineralogical Contributions. 81 
ferlasur, of the Germans, Chessylite of Brooke and Miller) is 
written Lasurite, contrary to a canon laid down by the author, 
requiring a Greek etymology; while mzspickel is thrown aside 
for arsenopyrite of Glocker, as it wants this honorable origin. 
—The mineral called Fahlerz by the Germans, has given great 
trouble to English mineralogists, partly on the ground that a name 
like Gray Copper, consisting of two words, is objectionable, and 
partly because of the desirableness of a name common to both 
countries: sometimes the German name has been used, although 
one of the least significant of names, meaning simply Gray-ore; and 
sometimes Fahl-ore is employed, as if preferable to the translated 
expression. Haidinger’s name, Tetrahedrite is adopted for it by 
von Kobell to the rejection of Beudant’s Panabase, which is long 
prior in date, but less appropriate and badly compounded.—The 
mineral named Lédingite by Haidinger, and so accepted by von 
Kobell, was named Mohsine by Chapman, in 1843, and Leucopy- 
rite by Shepard in 1837, and this last name has, therefore, the 
best title. 
_ The name given by the writer to the so-called Common or Ob- 
lique mica, on the ground that the old name was bad, is over- 
looked by von Kobell. The word Muscovite was intended as no 
indignity to the Czar or his subjects, and commemorates the old 
name Muscovy glass, as well as the mineralogical fact that Rus- 
sia has long been famous for affording gigantic plates of this spe- 
cies. Von Kobell adopts the name phengite for the mineral, 
Breithaupt’s generic name for the biaxial micas.—The name Cal- 
amine is adopted for Electric Calamine, and Smithsonite for Car- 
bonate of Zinc, as was long ago proposed by Beudant. Brooke 
and Miller have unfortunately reversed these names. 
Although some objections have been suggested, the names and 
principles of von Kobell will command special attention. 
System of names once agreed upon, would in part stop off the 
crowd of synonyms that are constantly coming in upon the sci- 
ence :—only in part, however, as long as there exists more ambi- 
tion to attach a name to a stone than carefully to determine and _ 
accurately describe a species. Add to Prof. von Kobell’s princi- 
ples, one more,—truth and not self as the end of every investiga- 
tion,—and the remedy would be nearly complete. 
3. The “ Krystallo-Chemische Mineralsystem of Gustav Rose.” 
Prof. Rose has here presented a modification of the Berzelian 
System of classification of minerals, in which the modifying princi- 
ple is derived principally from Crystallography. The first part 
of the work, after an introductory chapter, contains a view of the 
distribution of species, according to their composition, as men- 
loned in volume xv, of this journal, page 430. op eS 
Seconp Serres, Vol. XVII, No. 49.—Jan. 1854. 
