GLOSSARY. 69 



logical word in Germany, which seems to have been at first 

 specially applied to a transparent kind of gypsum called selenite. 



FELSPATHIC. Of or belonging to felspar. 



FERRUGINOUS. Anything containing iron. Etym., ferrum, iron. 



FLOETZ ROCKS. A German term applied to the secondary strata by 

 the geologists of that country, because these rocks were sup- 

 posed to occur most frequently in flat horizontal beds. Etym., 

 flotz, a layer or stratum ; the word is applied in some parts of 

 Germany to pavements and plastered floors. 



FLORA. The various kinds of trees and plants found in any country 

 constitute the Flora of that country in the language of botanists. 



FLUVIATILE. Belonging to a river. Etym.,fluvius, a river. 



FORMATION. A group, whether of alluvial deposits, sedimentary 

 strata, or igneous rocks, referred to a common origin or period. 



FOSSIL. All minerals used to be called fossils, but geologists now 

 use the word only to express the remains of animals and plants 

 found buried in the earth. Etym.,fossilis, anything that may 

 be dug out of the earth. 



GALENA, a metallic ore, a compound of lead and sulphur. It has 

 often the appearance of highly polished lead. Etym., yaXew, 

 galeo to shine. 



GARNET. A simple mineral generally of a deep red colour, crystal- 

 lized, most commonly met with in mica slate, but also in 

 granite and other igneous rocks. 



GAULT. A provincial name in the east of England for a series of 

 beds of clay and marl, the geological position of which is 

 between the upper and the lower greensand. See Table II. 

 F, p. 390. 



GEOLOGY, GEOGNOSY. Both mean the same thing, but with an 

 unnecessary degree of refinement in terms, it has been proposed 

 to call our description of the structure of the earth geognosy. 

 (Etym. yea, gea, earth, and ytvwo-Kw, ginosco, to know,) and our 

 theoretical speculations as to its formation geology. (Etym., 

 yea, and Xoyoc, logos, a discourse. 



GLACIER. The vast accumulations of ice and hardened snow in the 

 Alps and other lofty mountains. Etym. glace, French for ice. 



GLACIS. A term borrowed from the language of fortification, where 

 it means an easy insensible slope or declivity, less steep 

 than a talus, which see. 



GNEISS. A stratified primary rock, composed of the same materials 

 as granite, but having usually a larger proportion of mica, 

 and a laminated texture. The word is a German miner's term. 



