460 Bevieivs — Banas Mineralogy, 



the future of Nova Scotian gold-mining is considered to depend 

 entirely upon following down the auriferous quartz lodes in depth ; 

 and, as far as yet proved, the promises are encouraging. 



The present system of working the mines, crushing and amal- 

 gamating the gold quartz, are described, and considerable information 

 calculated to be of service to the adventurer is given, whilst at the 

 end of the work several extensive tabular statements showing the 

 mines in exploration, produce, cost of extraction, etc., are given, 

 which must have cost considerable labour in compiling. The present 

 mining laws of Nova Scotia are given as an appendix. 



III. — A System of Mineralogy. Descriptive Mineralogy, com- 

 prising the most recent discoveries. By James D. Dana and 

 George J. Brush. Fifth edition. Rewritten and enlarged, and 

 illustrated with upwards of 600 woodcuts. 8vo. pp. 827. London, 

 Triibner and Co., 1868. 



BY the publication of a new edition of his work, Professor Dana 

 has rendered an essential service to the student of mineralogy. 

 This science has made great progress during the long interval which 

 has elapsed since the last edition was published (1854:). Chemical 

 researches have been carried forward in connection with almost 

 every species, and analyses have been largely multiplied ; crystallo- 

 graphic investigations also have been numerous and important. 

 Moreover, the number of species has been much enlarged, and, in 

 addition, a systematic recognition and description of the varieties of 

 species, and the original locality of each is also given. The number 

 of species described is 834:, including the Hydro-carbon compounds, 

 and those of uncertain place in the system. To this is appended 

 a supplement containing additional facts and notices (104) of im- 

 perfectly known, of recently described, or new species which came to 

 hand too late for insertion in their proper place in the volume. 

 A very useful and important feature of the work is the list of 

 synonyms of each species, arranged in chronological order, with 

 the date of all publications cited, thus rendering this treatise, to 

 some extent, an account of ancient as well as modern minerals. 

 These historical researches evince on the part of the author an 

 amount of labour which few would be willing to undergo, and for 

 which we are deeply indebted to him, although it has delayed the 

 publication of the work about a year. 



Nor is this all the industry bestowed upon the work. Professor 

 Dana states that "not a page, and scarcely a paragraph, of the pre- 

 ceding edition remains unaltered, and full five-sixths of the volume 

 have been printed from manuscript copy. Neither the consultation 

 of original authorities, the drawing of conclusions, nor the putting 

 the results on paper have been delegated to another." In this re- 

 mark the paragraphs on the pyrognostic characters are excepted ; for 

 these, as well as other assistance in the joreparation of the work, the 

 author owes much to the friendly co-operation of Professor G. J. Brush, 



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