MIIERALOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS. 



Relations of the three .Departments of Nature, Viewing 

 the world around us, we observe that it consists of rocks, 

 earth or soil, and water ; that it is covered with a large va- 

 riety of plants, and tenanted by myriads of animals. These 

 three familiar facts lie at. the basis of three primarf branches 

 of knowledge. The animals, of whatever kind, from the 

 animalcule to man, give origin to that branch of science 

 which is called Zoology; the various plants, to the sci- 

 ence of Botany ; and the rocks or minerals, to Mineral- 

 ogy. The first two of these departments embrace all natu- 

 ral objects that have life, and treat of their kinds, their vari- 

 ties of structure, their habits, and relations. 



The third branch of knowledge, Mineralogy, relates to 

 inanimate nature. It describes the kinds of mineral material 

 forming the surface of our planet, points out the various 

 methods of distinguishing minerals, makes known their uses, 

 and explains their modes of occurrence in the earth. 



Importance of the Science of Mineralogy. To the un- 

 practiced eye, the costly gem, as it is found in the rocks, 

 often seems but a rude bit of stone ; and the most valuable 

 ores may appear worthless, for the metals are generally so 

 disguised that nothing of their real nature is seen. There is 

 an ore of lead which has nearly the color and luster of Glau- 

 ber salt ; an ore of iron that looks like sparry limestone • 

 an ore of silver that might be taken for lead #re, and an 

 other that resembles wax. These are common cases, an 



What classes of natural objects exist ? Of what does Zoology treat 

 What Botany 1 Of what does Mineralogy treat ?. What advantage 

 remilt from the study of minerals ? 

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