NOTES ON COLLECTING MINERALS. 
From the collector's point of view, Minerals differ in many respects 
from both Animals and Plants : the individuality being little pro- 
nounced, a specimen may be broken in two, and yet often be as 
satisfactory as before in its illustration of the characters of the 
material ; the characters themselves are independent both of climate 
and seasons and of mere longitude and latitude ; the material, after 
collection, is comparatively permanent, and is free from that liability 
to decay which is a special feature of organic matter. 
Meteorites. — Of the mineral products of Nature some are interesting 
as having fallen from the sky (meteorites) : most of these (meteoric 
stones) are of grey stony matter, which is completely covered with a 
thin black crust, and contains particles of metallic iron dispersed 
through it ; the others consist of metal (meteoric iron), which, though 
containing on the average about 10 per cent, of alloyed nickel, 
has an aspect like that of the iron of commerce. As native iron 
is extremely rare, any natural material consisting either wholly 
or partially of metallic iron is of special interest and worthy of 
collection. 
Minerals. — The specimens which show the characters pertaining 
to mineral species and varieties in the most perfect way are found, 
not at the earth's surface, but in the course of the working of mines 
and quarries. The people connected with the latter know when a 
specimen has unusual merit, and they are in more or less direct 
communication with mineral dealers; specimens of exceptional 
character thus already find their way from these districts into the 
market, and a traveller without special knowledge of minerals can 
be of little help. 
Rocks. — In general, rock-specimens are of little value, except in 
connection with a complete survey and description of the region bj 
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