No. 161.] 
17 
^nyself to it with all the talent and industry that I possess. Desi- 
rous of doing full justice to all those who had previously directed 
their attention to the mineral resources of the State, I have care- 
fully exanfiincd such mineralogical works and scientific periodicals 
as were within my reach, for the purpose of preparing a catalogue 
of the minerals heretofore known, and of giving credit to the dis- 
<30verer of each species or important locality. In this part of the 
work, I have of course derived much assistance from the ample 
-list of references, contained in the report of the Secretary of State, 
And by a rigid adherence to the rule of making suitable acknow- 
ledgments for the assistance which I may receive during the pro- 
gress of the survey, I hope to secure the co-operation of all who 
are engaged in the study or collection of our minerals^ 
Believing that the execution of the mineralogical and chemical 
department of the survey v/ould be greatly facilitated, by study- 
ing the minerals in groups or families, I have during the past sea- 
son, directed my attention chiefly to the ores of iron, lead and 
:zinc. Of these, the former have ever been ranked among the most 
important productions, and in every country where science has 
been applied to the arts, they have been in some degree, at least, 
scientifically examined. A slietch of such an examination of the 
iron ores of our State, I now propose to submit; and if it be not 
^!o complete as might be desired, I trust you will allow me to state>^ 
us an apology, the difficulty of the subject, the extent of our terri- 
tory, and the comparatively limited tmie which has yet been de- 
yoted to the work. 
The ores generally employed in this State for the manufacture of 
iron, are the magnetic oxide of iron or magnetic iron ore, the red 
oxide of iron or specular iron ore, the brown hematite and several 
varieties of argillaceous oxide of iron, included by some mineralo- 
gists under the specific name of limonite. These ores are also 
sometimes distinguished by the names of mountain, hill, and bog 
ores, in reference to the situations in which they usually occur, 
it is worthy of remark, that the clay iron stone from which the 
greater part of the English iron is manufactured, and which is 
said to be a constant associate of tho coal formation, has not been 
met with in any quantity in this State. Nor is the spathose iron 
from which the variety of steel, called natural steel, is obtained^ 
as yet included in the catalogue of our workable ores. 
[Assem. No, 161.] 3 
