25S 



On Mr, Chenevix^ Attack 



smattering of education, is ignorant of a fact known to almost 

 all the world. I have two observations to make here. This 

 supposed error is quoted from the mineralcgy of Brochant, a 

 book published before the author had ever heard a single lecture 

 from Werner. Now what right had Mr. Chenevix to ascribe to 

 Werner an error, however glaring or absurd, which occurred in 

 a book not written by Werner himself, but by a man with whom 

 Werner had no connection whatever. Whoever will take the 

 trouble to turn to the passage of Brochant quoted by Chenevix 

 will find that the phrase plus que i^0° is an error of the press* 

 This has been already pointed out by D'Aubuisson, and must 

 have been obvious to Chenevix. A man must be greatly at a 

 loss for objections when he is obliged to have recourse to the 

 pitiful shift of an error of the press. 



I shall pass by the remaining remarks of Mr. Chenevix on th€ 

 language of Werner relating to crystals. They are all of a similar 

 cast, and none of them of more importance than those which I 

 have noticed. 



6. As to the cleavage, Mr. Chenevix himself must admit that 

 Werner has described it with precision, as far as his observations 

 went. Why blame him for not going farther ? When he says 

 that 7nica has one cleavage^ he has no reference whatever to the 

 number of cleavages necessary to inclose a space. He means 

 merely that he has observed only one cleavage in mica. Now this 

 is a remarkable circumstance, and serves to facilitate the disco- 

 very of the mineral. Mr. Chenevix, I presume, will not blame 

 Haiiy for describing only three cleavages in calcareous spar, 

 which were all that he perceived ; though some subsequent ob- 

 servers have since described a great many more. 



7. As to the violent attack upon Werner because he so fre- 

 quently changes the position of his species, it requires no answer. 

 Who made greater, or more violent, or more frequent changes 

 in the position of species than Linnffius ? Haiiy's species are all 

 unconnected, and constitute in fact nothing better than a cata- * 

 logue. Any position whatever would be equally proper for each* 

 He has no occasion to change the place of his species, yet his 

 system is not more permanent than the Wernerian, and undef- 

 goes as numerous and as violent changes, not merely in the 

 distribution, but in the destruction and resurrection of species. 

 The Wernerian species are connected with each other by transi- 

 tions. Must not the discovery of new specimens and new 

 affinities enlarge the knowledge of Werner, and oblige him to 

 alter and improve the position of certain species ? The science 



is yet far from perfection ; and till it reaches that height changes 

 and improvements must be continually taking place. 



S. The attack upon the Wernerian genera of stones proceeds 

 from ignorance or inadvertence. Werner does not maintain that 



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