itevieics — Dana's System of Mineralogy. 369 



• The general classification is as follows : — 

 I. Native Elements. 

 IL Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides, Antimonides. 



III. Sulpho-salts. — Sulpharsenites, Sulphantimonites and Sulpho- 



bismuthites. 



IV. Haloids. — Chlorides, Bromides, Iodides ; Fluorides. 

 V. Oxides. 



VI. Oxygen- salts. 



1. Carbonates. 



2. Silicates, Titanates. 



3. Niobates, Tantalates. 



4. Phospbates, Arsenates, Vanadates ; Antimonates ; Nitrates. 



5. Borates, Uranates. 



6. Sulphates, Cbromates, Tellurates. 



7. Tungstates, Molybdates. 



VII. Salts of Organic Acids : Oxalates, Mellates, etc. 

 Vlir. Hydrocarbon compounds. 



The author has shown much good sense in modifying the objection- 

 able terminations proposed in the fifth edition : such as " Oxyds," 

 "Sulphids," "Selenids," "Arsenids"; but others have been retained: 

 thus "lodite" is still written " lodyrite " ; " Haiiynite " is preferred 

 to " Haiiyne " ; " Nosean " is written " Noselite " ; " Sphalerite " is 

 preferred to " Blende," although the latter is much better known. 

 Common salt still figures as " Halite." 



These, however, are trivial matters when one considers the 

 enormous labour entailed in the careful production of such a monu- 

 mental work. 



Under the head of "Nomenclature" (pp. xl.-xlv.) some excellent 

 rules are laid down, but several of these are more honoured, by 

 mineralogical Godfathers, in the breach than in the observance as 

 e.g. " the addition of the termination ile to proper names in modern 

 languages (names of places, persons, etc.), but the making this 

 or any other syllable a suffix to common words in such languages 

 h barbarous." The number of such names is, however, far too 

 numerous ever to hope for their elimination. 



There is an excellent and concise Bibliography which will be 

 found very convenient to the student. 



The Catalogue of American Localities of Minerals (51 pp.) will 

 also be of very great service, forming a useful Gazetteer to many 

 little known and obscure names of places. 



The index is excellent and contains over 6000 references. 



We cannot speak in too high terms of the way in which this new 

 edition of Dana's Mineralogy is produced. The editing has been 

 carefully performed, and the illustrations and typography are 

 admirable. The task must have been one of extreme difficulty owing 

 to the great number of tables of figui'es of measurements of angles, 

 chemical analyses, and abbreviations ; and the varieties of types used 

 throughout the text. 



"We congratulate the author on the issue of so excellent a piece of 

 work, which must command a world-wide circulation and be in 

 request wherever Mineralogy is taught. 



DECADE III. VOL. IX. NO. Till. 24: 



