842 - General Notes. 
of the Congress’s suggestions as to the terminations to tei 
to indicate groups, systems, series, etc., Mr. Gilbert says,— 
“Tt would be ee for a geologist to name or allude to a terrane w 
declaring its rank,” 
To this it may be said that schemes of classification are not $ 
for systematizing what we do not know, but what we do kn 
Nevertheless, it would not be an insuperable obstacle to speak: 
the “ blankary, blankic, or blankian terrane.” . Equally ill-fou 
is the fear that by too systematic a classification— 
a - Taxonomy would be conceived by many geologists as an end ‘ 
jeans; and energy would be wasted in taxonomic refinement and taxon 
iAy. i p 
Energy is wasted now, and a great deal more than if Heg 
some fixed principle to guide the controversialists. 
One line of objection, curious in one who mus 
have accustomed himself to take broad views of ings b ist 
« A commi pa apee for the purpose fiera rules for t ishn 
the names of genera and species, and their report was adopted by “he Cong 
have no Or eo eee as to the wisdom of the a, but it isa | 
a o 
med 
om one point of sae palæo ntology is a part of Pa i4 from 
o. Ins 
: ar a era 
biologic, and it would s m pr oper t that eons oF foseils unite 
pe A animals and hiving | ata | in the S ion of rules of nomenc nclature.” 
inquiries are the very members of the Con 
attempted the Classification to which he alludes. Hea 
f mineralogy, in regard to which no action has bay 
The most intimate relations of systematic mineralogy are with chemist” 
The last sentence would hardly secure Mr. coat 
approval were he aware that, from the earliest dna i 
ence of mineralogy up to the present time, SO ome 
pre-eminent among mineralogists have denied this. 
it were so, some of those best able as chemists to 
petrological problems have entered the field of genie 
purpose of devoting themselves to it. Towar å 
address he ebei again upon this p as w 
“ When r is g 
proposed for regulation by t ngresh rdet 
which should be bé asked fe whether it falls within ee * egitim 
vention of geologists. l 
which bea 
But what does not fall within such purview w 
ever indirectly, upon the riddles they are trying oc 
Is the ‘science of geology to be classed with mane 
taal 
