168 A POPULAR EXPOSITION OF THE 
A POPULAR EXPOSITION OF THE MINERALS AND 
GEOLOGY OF CANADA. 
BY E. J. CHAPMAN, 
PROFESSOR OF MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, TORONTO... 
PART II. 
Inrropuctrory Norice. 
In the first of this series of papers, published in the January 
Number of the Canadian Journal, we gave a brief review of the 
more common characters or properties employed in the determination 
of minerals. The present paper exhibits the practical application of 
these characters, in the distribution of our Canadian minerals into a 
small number of easily recognized groups, so arranged as to lead at 
once to the names of the included substances. . 
By referring to the heads of this arrangement or classification, * 
as given below, it will be seen that there are four principal groups: 
A, B, C, and D: the first two containing those minerals which ex- 
hibit a metallic aspect ; and the other two containing our glassy, 
stony, pearly, or earthy-looking minerals. The metallic-looking sub- 
stances placed in group 4 are sufliciently hard to scratch window- 
glass ; whilst those placed in group B, are too soft to effect this. In 
like manner, the minerals of non-metallic aspect placed in group C, 
scratch glass; whilst those placed in group JD, are less hard than 
glass, and are consequently unable to scratch that substance. The 
term “glass,’”’ as employed in this sense, means ordinary window- 
glass. By these simple characters it is easy to determine in a minute, 
to which group a substance under examination belongs. This deter- 
mined, we proceed to a consideration of the sub-groups, 1, 2, 3, &c., 
of the group in question. In the sub-group or section to which the 
substance will thus be found to belong, there will probably be some 
three or four, or perhaps half-a-dozen, other minerals ; but these, it 
will be seen, are readily distinguishable, one from another, by colour, 
* The general reader should understand that this classification is a purely artificial one,. 
intended solely to lead to the recognition of minerals by means of their more obvious or 
easily determined characters—somewhat on the principle of the Linnzan classification of 
plants. 
