ON THE MEIONITE. IQ^ 



4. The meionite (Rome de I'Isle's white jacinth of Som- 

 ma), divisible parellel to the faces of a right prism with 

 square bases. Fig. 4. 



In characterising these species the learned author of the ontheprinci- 

 Theory of the Structure of Crystals has merely applied the fofio^,J"rb'^ 

 general principle, that has served as the base of the classifi- him, 

 cation of the species in the system published by him. On 

 this occasion he had followed the same course, as he had 

 pursued when he separated the heterogeneous substances 

 of which the former miiieralogists composed the species they 

 termed schoerl, in order to make a proper distribution of 

 them, or when he demonstrated four distinct species to have 

 been confounded together under the name of zeolite. In 

 short, to constitute the species meionite Mr. Haiiy has em- and the results 

 ployed the means, of which he has so successfully availed f ^^^ "^^^ ^.T* 

 himself to effect those useful reforms, for which mineralogy is adopted. 

 indebted to him, and the result of which has been a more pre- 

 cise definition of species, with a more regular classification of 

 subjects. The title that meionite has to be admitted into 

 the system as a species therefore is equally incontestible 

 with those of several other species established by the same 

 gentleman, and generally adopted. 



Among those v/ho come to study the mineralogical col- What is the 

 lection of the council of mines, which adds to the means of WerneiVsys- 

 information derivable from the number and variety of itstem? 

 specimens the advantage of being able to compare the me- 

 thods of two of our greatest masters, several have put to 

 me the following question: " What species in Werner's 

 system corresponds with that which Haiiy has designated 

 by the name of meionite?" Hitherto I had been unable to 

 answer this question, notwithstanding the pains I had takea 

 to proc re the printed or manuscpvt syllabuses of the 

 mineralogical lectures delivered at Freyberg. On the one 

 hand I could not suppose that the meionite, which is at pre- 

 sent to be found in all public and private collections, should 

 be wanting in that of Mr. Werner; and on tb« other hand, 

 in t. eiies of famil e^ g ven by tha lustrious professor, 

 into wh ch are adopted withou any change r name everal 

 specips established by the celebrated professor of the Museum 

 of Natural History at Paris, there was ixO mineral that I 



YoL. XXI Nov. 1808, O could 



