40 Review of Cleavelatid^s Mineralogy* 



of similar properties ; and from not giving due prominence to 

 those which are pecuhar, and therefore distinctive, they fre- 

 quently fail to leave a distinct impression of any thing on the 

 mind, and thus, in the midst of what is called by the writers of 

 this school a fall oryctognostic picturcy a student is sometimes 

 absolutely bewildered. 



Some of the modern French writers, avaiUng themselves of 

 Mr. Werner's very able delineation of the external characters 

 of minerals, have selected such as are most important, most 

 striking, distinctive, and interesting ; and drawing a spirited and 

 bold sketch, have left the minuter parts untouched : such a pic- 

 ture, although less perfect, often presents a stronger likeness, 

 and more effectually arrests the attention. 



This is the method of description which has been, as we 

 think, happily adopted, to a great extent by Mr. Cleaveland. 



Mr. Werner, availing himself of the similarities in the ex- 

 ternal appearance of minerals, has (excepting the metals) 

 arranged them also upon this plan, without regard to their con- 

 stitution ; that is, to their real nature, or, at least, making this 

 wholly subservient to the other : this has caused him, in some 

 instances, to bring together things which are totally unlike in 

 their nature, and, in other instances, to separate those which 

 were entirely similar. Whatever may be said in favour of 

 such a course, considered as a provisional one, while chemical 

 analysis was in its infancy, the mind can never rest satisfied 

 with any arrangement which contradicts the real nature of 

 things ; in a word, the composition of minerals is the only cor- 

 rect foundation for their classification. This classification has 

 been adopted by several of the ablest modern French writers. 



" It is believed," (says Professor Cleaveland, Preface, p. 7.) 

 *' that the more valuable parts of the two systems may be in- 

 corporated, or, in other words, that the peculiar descriptive 

 language of the one may, in a certain degree, be united to the 

 accurate and scientific arrangement of the other. 



" This union of descriptive language and scientific arrange- 

 ment has been eifected with good success, by Brongniart, in 

 his System of Mineralogy — an elementary work, which seems 

 better adapted both to interest and instruct, than any which 



