m 



Mineralogy is llie science which treats upon miner- 

 als in all their forms^ colors and localities. Some pet- 

 rified vegetable substances resemble minerals when 

 found. Moss when changed into stone is beautiful, 

 showing as in its natural state. The building stone of 

 the United States is found in large quantities, and in 

 various forms and colors, such as marble, serpentine, 

 granite, flint and others. Marble is very hard and 

 beautiful, and is used for fine purposes, as monuments, 

 mantels and decorating buildings. It is of several col- 

 ors, white mingled with dark shades. Serpentine is a 

 very handsome building stone, is a green color, and 

 sometimes has dark or light streaks through it* Mar- 

 ble and serpentine when used together make a very 

 attractive building. Granite is also much used and is 

 very pretty; color grayish, similar to a mixture of pep- 

 per and salt, 



THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 



The Solar System comprises the sun, eight large bod- 

 ies called planets, and as far as is known about one- 

 hundred and seventy-five smaller bodies called asteroids, 

 besides numerous comets and meteors. As these ob- 

 jects are equal in interest to those upon the earth, a 

 brief sketch will be given^ Stars are points or lights 

 which dot the sky in clear evenings and at all times, 

 but during the day we cannot see them on account of 

 the great light of the sun. Stars are not points; that 

 is not what was meant. They are immense balls of 

 matter which look like points owing to their great dis- 

 tance from us. Most of them are heated so intensely 

 that they give out light in all directions. There are 



