Geology and Natural History. 155 



warmly welcomed by all mineralogists. It would be difficult to 

 find in the literature of the science a publication of like scope, 

 which could be compared with it in the extent to which it has 

 contributed to the advancement of the science. Whether we 

 consider the excellence of the classification presented as a whole, 

 or the arrangement and discussion of the characters of the indi- 

 vidual groups, or still further, the suggestions made in regard to 

 the probable chemical constitution of many of the individual 

 species, the work has been from its first appearance of the highest 

 value to all interested in the subject. In its present form, it is 

 brought down to the present time, with the introduction of the 

 new species described since the appearance of the last edition in 

 1889, also the changes among the old species made necessary by 

 recent investigations, and further the new system of crystallo- 

 graphic nomenclature which the author has developed in his 

 valuable PJiysikalische Mineralogie. 



8. Mineralogie cle la France et cle ses Colonies. Description 

 physique et chirnique des Mineraux ; Etude des Conditions 

 geologiques de leurs Gisements. Tome Deuxierne ; par A. 

 Lacroix, pp. 353-804. Paris, 1897 (Librairie Poly technique, 

 Baudry et Cie, Editeurs). — The author is to be congratulated 

 upon the completion of the second volume of his admirable 

 Mineralogy of France. Earlier parts have already been noticed 

 in this Journal and attention has been called to the very large 

 amount of new material which has been brought together here, in 

 regard to the occurrence of mineral species in France and her 

 colonies. The part now issued includes pages 353 to 804, embrac- 

 ing the native elements, the sulphur compounds, and the chlor- 

 ides and fluorides. Wherever the reader opens the volume, he is 

 sure to find something of peculiar interest, either in the descrip- 

 tion of the methods of occurrence or in the characters of the 

 minerals themselves. Many excellent illustrations are introduced, 

 a considerable number of them by the photographic process, 

 which is here used to good advantage. 



9. A Description of Minerals of Commercial Value y by D. 

 M. Barringer. 168 pp. New York, 1897 (John Wiley & Sons). 

 — This novel work is intended as a reference book for those prac- 

 tically interested in minerals, especially miners, prospectors, or 

 students in the field. In addition to some preliminary matter of 

 a general nature, it consists for the most part of a series of tables 

 giving the prominent metals in alphabetical order, with the names 

 of the important ores, and for each the prominent physical and 

 chemical characters, arranged very clearly in tabular form. 



10. A Complete Catalogue of Minerals, compiled by Warren 

 M. Foote. 187 pp. Philadelphia, 1898. — Collectors will find 

 this well edited catalogue of much convenience in their work. 

 Besides various other lists, the most extended one of which is in 

 accordance with the generally accepted system of classification 

 and gives a brief summary of the characters of each species, there 

 is also one including the minerals classified according to composi- 



