222 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIII. No. 1367 



The year 1837 is m'emorable in the annals 

 of American mineralogy on account of the 

 publication in that year of Dana's " System 

 of Mineralogy." While this work, consisting 

 of 580 pages, was based to a considerable ex- 

 tent on the writings of European mineralo- 

 gists, notably Haiiy, Mohs, and Naumann, it 

 was not devoid of originality. This is espe- 

 cially true of the section on mathematical 

 crystallography and of the elaborate classifica- 

 tion of minerals based upon the systems in 

 use in botany and zoology. As it is well 

 known, this system of classification gave way 

 in the fourth edition, in 1854, to a chemical 

 classification which has continued in quite 

 general use down to the present time. Dana's 

 " System of Mineralogy " was received with 

 great favor, and the first edition was suc- 

 ceeded by others as follows: second in 1844, 

 third in 1850, fourth in 1854, and fifth in 

 1868. The last edition, which is the sixth 

 by E. S. Dana in 1892, with its various ap- 

 pendixes, is the standard reference work the 

 world over on descriptive mineralogy. 



As already indicated, in 1810 Bruce founded 

 The American Mineralogical Journal which 

 was discontinued after the publication of but 

 one volume. Although but short-lived, it had 

 demonstrated the great need of a strictly sci- 

 entific journal. Consequently in 1817 Colonel 

 George Gibbs, one of the most enthusiastic 

 devotees of mineralogy and the possessor of 

 perhaps the largest and most notable mineral 

 collection in America at that time, which was 

 purchased by Tale University in 1825, sug- 

 gested to Professor Benjamin SilHman that 

 a general scientific journal be established. 

 This led to the founding of the American 

 Journal of Science in 1818 under the editor- 

 ship of Sillimau. While its scope was in- 

 tended " to embrace the circle of the physical 

 sciences and their application to the arts, and 

 to every useful purpose," the American Jour- 

 nal of Science has from the beginning pub- 

 lished most of the important contributions on 

 mineralogical subjects by American writers. 



The decade 1810 to 1820 is an extremely 

 important one to us, for during that period 

 there were founded the American Mineralog- 



ical Journal and the American Journal of 

 Science. There was also published Cleave- 

 land's Mineralogy. However, it yet remains 

 to call attention to the fact that in 1819 

 there was organized at Yale College the 

 American Geological Society. Many of the 

 members of this society can be characterized 

 as mineralogists, and mention may be made 

 in this connection of Gibbs, Silliman, Cleave- 

 land and Godon. This organization con- 

 tinued until 1828, when it went out of exist- 

 ence. During this period, however, it did 

 much to stimulate American workers in geol- 

 ogy and mineralogy. 



This organization was followed in 1840 by 

 the Association of American Geologists, which 

 held its first meeting in Philadelphia on 

 April 2, 1840. Meetings were held annually 

 and in 1843 the Transactions of the Associa- 

 tion of American Geologists and Naturalists 

 appeared. However, in 1847 this organization 

 became the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science. It is thus seen that the 

 American Association with which practically 

 all the important scientific societies are now 

 affiliated, was according to Alexander Win- 

 chell " in its incipiency a body of geologists, 

 and its first constitution was prepared by 

 geologists assembled in Boston, in 1847." 



In the development of American higher edu- 

 cation in the period prior to 1850, the fact 

 must not be overlooked that no college or uni- 

 versity considered itself adequately equipped 

 unless it possessed a representative collection 

 of minerals. Indeed in the case of some insti- 

 tutions mineral collections, or cabinets as 

 they were commonly called, were usually 

 among the first purchases authorized by the 

 governing bodies of the institutions. Such 

 was, for example, the case at the University 

 of Michigan, which was founded on March 

 18, 1837, but was not formally opened for in- 

 struction until 1841. In the meantime, how- 

 ever, the well-selected mineral collection of 

 Baron L. Lederer, of New York City, con- 

 sisting of 2,600 specimens, mostly from 

 foreign localities, was purchased. This ad- 

 mirable collection was moreover quickly aug- 

 mented, so that when the university opened 



