398 Misectenies: 
two methods of ‘classification, the natural and the artificial—or the 
synthetical and the analytical, the author introduces his artificial 
method by the following remarks. 
** The first object with the student in Mineralogy being the names of minerals, it . 
becomes necessary to point out with as much clearness as possible the course he must 
adopt. The most obvious method, and indeed the one which has hitherto been most 
in practice among learners, is to derive them from a living Instructor; but this be- 
ing out of the reach of many persons, who would otherwise be glad to form some ac- 
quaintance with the mineral kingdom, and where enjoyed, being without any cer- 
tain mode of verification, is exceedingly unsatisfactory. The second thought is to 
have recourse to books containing descriptions of every species; but the number has. 
now become so great, that the labor of reading them over in succession, in order to 
assure ourselves of a single mineral, is too great to be encountered without consid- 
erable fatigue and loss of time, and consequently, danger of disgust. An analytical 
method, therefore, whose sole object is, to lead us, by an easy and sure manner, to the 
names of minerals, becomes desirable. _ Its utility in the vegetable kingdom has been 
abundantly tested; and the only question to be decided is, what shall become of the 
grounds of our snreaae 3 in the mineral kingdom, in order to apply to it the same ben- 
efit. 
“Tf we except the synthetical method of Prof. Mohs, no system is to be found in 
which the requisite assistance, above alluded to, is afforded. If, for example, we be- 
stow a few moments attention upon the arrangement of the Abbe Haity, the most cel- 
ebrated hitherto constructed, and which has been made the basis of several popular 
treatises upon the science, we shall find it incapable of accomplishing this end. It 
is true, it contains classes, orders and genera; but surely, neither their author nor 
any other person, ever supposed it possible, that the Jearner could derive advantage 
from them in the way in which a botanist does from similar ideas in the determina- 
tion of an unknown plant; viz. by first ascertaining its class, then the order, then 
the genus, and lastly, by reading over the essential differences among the unities 
within this last general idea, to arrive at the appropriate species. Now, who avails 
himself of this method as respects the classification of Hatiy? . Who analyzes a min- 
_ eral to determine its class, order and genus, with a view of arriving at its name ? 
No one certainly. It might be asked, who can do it? for how few are able! Most 
clearly. then, it subserves no utility in the determination of unknown minerals. Its 
sole merit consists, in providing for the proficient in Mineralogy, one way of arranging 
the different objects of his knowledge in his cabinet, and the ideas which relate to 
them, inhis mind. This certainly is an object of much importance, but secondary in 
point of time to the one now under consideration. Our information must first be ac- 
quired, before it can be philosophically arranged. 
“It is otherwise, however, with respect to the system first mentioned : this pro- 
vides for the determination of the species in a scientific manner, the learner being 
enabled to proceed to the names of minerals through the intermediate degrees of the 
class, order, and genus, without being obliged to read over the entire catalogue of 
species in each instance, when an unknown mineral is to be determined. But, like 
the system of Natural Orders in Botany, it experiences frequent embarrassments 
from those combinations which the principles of the synthetical method impose, and 
which render it necessary, in order to distinguish the genera within an order, and 
the species within a genus, to descend to the observation of characters, too nice and 
minute in their application, for the use of the beginner. To the advanced student, 
however, this system becomes more ayailable, since it will often be in his power to 
