394 Murchison’s Siluria. 
clearly that this metal oa to have the name of columbium ? 
M. Rose has now come to the same conclusion at which Mr. 
Hatchett arrived fifty years ago, when he announced that one 
new metal, to which he gave the name of columbium, existed in 
the American mineral columbite. If the countrymen of the lat- 
ter most distinguished analytical chemist have any sense of jus- 
tice or regard for the memory of an eminent man—one with 
whom I am. proud to say I had a slight i gd and from 
whom I received some kindness—they will now unite for the 
future in support of his just right not to be fonsotidl and entirely 
laid aside in this matter. There cannot be a better opportunity 
than the present for taking this step. 
am very far from wishing to overlook the important researches 
of M. Rose on this, as on so very many other interesting topics, 
and we shall always feel grateful for his further investigations 
regarding columbium and its various oxyds and other combina- 
tions. But we ought not to overlook what was bsg before him. 
The matter is now reduced to a very simple i 
We have columbium in the American nae Bodenmais colum- 
bites, and probably now in some other mine 
Ww ave tantalum in habe a tantalite id "yttrotantalite, and 
now quite ascertained to be different from ny of the other met- 
als. This course can only lead to confusion. ‘Tantalum 1s not 
umbium. 

Arr. XLIL—Murchison’s Siluria.* 
[Tuts recent work by Sir R. I. Murchison is an . able 
instructive epee = the history of the earliest rocks that 
contain organic rema 
In aa 9 Sir KR. 1 Morita published his Silurian System 
in two parts, in a quarto of 768 pages copiously illustrated. 
This was followed in 1845 by another great work of 652 pag 
quarto, embellished with the most ample and beautiful views, 
sections, maps, &c., eee the geology of Russia in cat 
and the Urals. As a companion, a second volume of 512 pages 
appeared at the same’ de devoted to the Paleontology of the 
* Suur1a: The History of the oldest known Rocks containing Organs Remains 
with a brief sketch of the vgs arteage ie Gold over the -earth. By Sir a nego 
Ivery Mor F. c. ete. 523 pp. large Svo, with 37 P 
SON, 
many wood-cuts. London, i854. 
