THE COLLECTION OF MINERALS 



moner minerals and the exceptional perfection of the spe 

 The present Museum collection is the combination of the material 

 fn»in all these sources, but owing to lack of space the Bement col- 

 m «>nly is on exhibition, except in the wall cas 



Classification. 



The classification of minerals in an exael sense was impossible 



mineralogists adopted artificial systems based solely 

 >r, hanlness. source, weight or fanciful external resem- 

 blances. Only as the science of chemistry developed and as 

 ter methods of analysis were devised could a philosophical 

 ition of minerals become possible. To chemical law 

 mineralogy has adhered more and more clo 1 while 



• extent, minor groups are founded upon crystallographic 



identity rilarity, the underlying basis oi ification 



ughout is chemical composition. Minerals of the same 



mical t\ rouped together, and under that type 



minerals of similar physical or crystallographic features 



arranged in smaller subdivisions. The forms of minerals 



bvious characteristic. The six-sided prisms of Quartz 

 and Beryl crystals, the rhomboidal or trapezoidal faces of i 

 triangular f. Magnetite and the square faces of Flu 



kable. Observation at last passed beyond tl 

 »f curiosity or a '.miration and, slowly helped by many 

 early students, and rapidly advanced by the genius of iw 



the branch of mineral science known phy 



develo] rystal form, furthermore, has been found to 



ha\ hemical composition. 



In the development of tb nclature of the • the 



form of the names instituted by the ancients has been retained, 

 rmination -//e. derived from the i k -itis, 



ails. I 

 for Mood, allud 



and Siderit 

 k word for iron, has refer al natui 



thir 



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