338 Mr. D. Forbes' s Researches in 



is 306, of which only 142 have been analyzed, — the majority, or 

 16 i, not having been submitted to chemical examination. 



if, now, the inquiry is made as to what species have been ana- 

 lyzed and what not, it will be learned with much surprise that 

 very many even of the most common mineral constituents of 

 rocks had not up to this date been examined. Thus, for exam- 

 ple, not a single chemical analysis of the following common 

 British species is to be met with : — hornblende, augite, ortho- 

 clase, Labradorite, albite, Saussurite, chlorite, talc, garnet, ido- 

 crase, tourmaline, olivine, epidote, bronzite, diallage, serpen- 

 tine, beryl, Biotite, &c. 



These facts speak too plainly for themselves to require any 

 further comments ; but, in addition, it must not be forgotten that 

 the branch of applied mineralogy (petrology) is in no better po- 

 sition, since not only, with some very few exceptions, are there no 

 analyses available to show the composition of British rocks, but 

 there does not even exist in the language any work on petrology 

 in which the chemical analyses of the rocks of other countries 

 are even reproduced for comparison*. 



May it not now be fairly asked whether the natural inference 

 to be deduced from these facts is not, that it is high time for 

 British mineralogists and geologists to set to work in order to 

 supply these deficiencies before occupying themselves in pro- 

 pounding vague theoretical explanations to account for the origin 

 and metamorphosis of rocks in the field ? 



In thus directing attention to the backward but, unfortunately, 

 true state of the mineralogy and petrology of this country, the 

 author fully believes that he is doing a service to British science, 

 and trusts that the present communication will be accepted as a 

 slight proof of his intention not to shirk a fair share of the work 

 alluded to in the preceding paragraph. 



Gold. 



From the most ancient times native gold has been known to 

 occur in small quantities in various part of the United Kingdom 

 and Ireland ; but as yet, however, no chemical analysis of speci- 

 mens from any of the localities have been made, or at least re- 

 corded. The successful prosecution of gold-mining in Wales of 

 late years has naturally tended to augment the scientific interest 

 with which the occurrence of this noble metal is invested; and 

 consequently, in the spring of this year, the author made a visit 



* A translation of Cotta's * Rocks Classified and Described ' has recently- 

 appeared, which, although purporting to represent the present state of pe- 

 trology, is so very far from so doing, that, besides being both defective and 

 far behind date in many other respects, it does not even contain a single 

 chemical analysis of a rock from any (even typical) specified locality. 



