MINERALS AND GEOLOGY OF CANADA. 169 
colour of streak, structure, or other easily determined character. In 
this manner we arrive, without difficulty, at the name of our 
mineral. 
To illustrate this by example, let it be supposed that we have a 
piece of a red, dull, and somewhat earthy-looking substance, the 
name of which we wish to ascertain. By its non-metallic aspect, we 
see at once that it belongs either to group C or to group D. We try 
if it will scratch glass. It is not sufficiently hard to do this: hence 
it belongs to group D. Turning now to the respective sub-groups or 
sections under ), we find that our mineral has no taste, and hence 
does not belong to ) 1. Neither does it take fire (although it 
blackens) when a thin splinter of it is held for a moment in the flame 
of a candie, or in the flame of an ignited match: and hence it does 
not belong to D2. It has, however, a coloured streak* (red), and 
so belongs to the next section, D3 Now in this section there are 
only two minerals with red streak: or only one, mdeed, of un- 
doubted Canadian occurrence—Earthy Red Iron Ore, commonly 
ealled fed Ochre; and as our mineral becomes magnetic after expo- 
sure to the flame of a match or candle, it can be nothing else than a 
specimen of that substance. This example will be sufficient to shew 
the method of procedure to be followed in order to ascertain the 
name, &c., of an unknown mineral, by reference to the annexed 
TasuLar Disrrizurion. In this connexion, it has been thought 
advisable to include a few substances of more or less common occur- 
rence in the United States, although not yet found in Canada; and 
also to refer occasionally, in smaller type, to some other minerals of 
economic value or popular interest, so as to make the subject more 
complete, and render our Tables available for the examination of the 
small collections sometimes imported into this country for the pur- 
‘poses of study. Some of the substances thus noticed, may also be 
discovered eventually in Canada. Finally, it should be observed that 
the descriptions of these various minerals, given in our TaBULAR 
Dist.1BpuTion, are necessarily exceedingly brief, referring only to 
matters of easy comprehension or general importance. When, how- 
ever, the name of a mineral is once discovered, the reader, if he de- 
sire to pursue the subject further, can refer for fuller details to any of 
our ordinary works on Mineralogy. 
* For an explanation of these characters, technical terms, &e., see Part L. 
