Review of Cleaveland^s Mineralogy, 39 



localities, and give the leading features of our natural mineral 

 associations. 



Thus it appears* that the work of Professor Cleaveland was 

 eminently needed ; the science, at large, needed it ; and to 

 American mineralogists it was nearly indispensable. It appear- 

 ed too at a very opportune moment. Had it come a few years . 

 sooner, in might not have found many readers. Now it is sus- 

 tained by the prevailing curiosity, and diffused state of inform- 

 ation regarding mineralogy ; and, in turn, no cause could 

 operate more effectually to cherish this curiosity, and to dif- 

 fuse this information still more widely, than this book. Pro- 

 fessor Cleaveland is therefore entitled to our thanks for under- 

 taking this task ; and, in this age of book-making, it is no small 

 negative praise if an author be acquitted of unnecessarily adding 

 to the already onerous mass of books. 



With respect to the plan of this work. Professor Cleaveland 

 has, with good judgment, availed himself of the excellencies 

 of both the German and French schools. 



Mr. Werner, of Fribourg, in some sense not only the 

 founder of the modern German school of mineralogy, but 

 almost of the science itself, is entitled to our lasting gratitude 

 for'his system of external characters, first published in 1774. 

 Id this admirable treatise he has combined precision and 

 copiousness, so that exact ideas are attached to every part of 

 the descriptive language, and every character is meant to be 

 defined. 



It is intended that a full description of a mineral upon this 

 plan shall entirely exhaust the subject, and that although 

 many properties may be found in common among different 

 minerals, still every picture shall contain peculiar features, not 

 to be found in any other. It would certainly appear, at first 

 view, that this method must be perfect, and leave nothing far- 

 ther to be desired. It has, however, been found in practice, 

 that the full descriptions of the Wernerian writers are heavy 

 and dry ; they are redundant also, from the frequent repetition 



* The smaller works of Phillips and Aikin were not then published; had 

 they been, they could not have superseded Cleaveland ; the same may be sai^ 

 of the respectable werk of Profesgor Kidd, of Oxford University. 



