Miscellaneous Localities of Minerals. 295 
2. By Dr. Samuel Robinson, with Remarks on Spurious 
Localities. 
TO THE EDITOR. 
DEAR Sin, 
Iv compiling the “Catalogue of American Minerals,’? of 
which there was a notice in the last number of your valuable 
Journal,the author omitted the locality of no mineral which had 
been published within his knowledge, (except a few instances 
which he personally knew did not exist.) In so doing, he is 
perfectly aware that he may have copied many localities, from 
which only a single, or perhaps a doubtful specimen, was 
obtained, with no prospect of more being found. . Such lo- 
calities are generally published, without defining the spot, 
but merely naming the township. ‘The author had but few 
opportunities of detecting such instances, which are the more 
unfortunate, as they tend to deceive the public, and to mis- 
lead the mineralogist who is travelling for the purpose of 
collecting specimens.* The author had two objects in view, 
in republishing all localities: to induce aineralaoists to for- 
ward to the American Journal, or some other periodical work, 
a list of all such localities as have been exhausted, and of 
such as never existed,which may come within their knowledge 
and to notice any errors they may discover in this catalogue— 
and also to avoid the accusation of overlooking or omitting loca- 
lities which were published. A writer in the North American 
Review has justly remarked, that ‘it has unfortunately hap- 
pened in this country, that in the ardour with which mineral- 
ogy has been entered upon by our students, instances are not 
unfrequent, where a desire of being distinguished by the title 
of mineralogist, has been more conspicuous than that of 
being an accurate observer; hence lists of minerals have 
been published which cannot be perfectly relied on.”’t 
enna 
* The author is not aware that any locality of any new mineral, in 
New-England, has yet been found to be incorrect, with one exception; 
the idocrase, of Salisbury, has been found to be a variety of garnet. Ses 
Catalogue, p. 291. i 
+ See catalogue, p. 88, ““ Common Serpentine,” &c: 
Vou. xX No: Oy 99 
