21(3 
M I N 
M I N 
M I R 
Second species. Chrome Ochre 
Ts ofa verdigris-green, passing through se- 
veia! neighbouring shades: it occurs mas- 
sive, disseminated, and in membranes; is 
chill, soft, not very heavy, and is found with 
the preceding species. 
Having already extended this article to a 
greater length than was intended, in order 
that we might be able to give a satisfactory 
view of the beautiful system of Werner, we 
shall only subjoin the names of some other 
minerals, which either have not been regu- 
larly classed, or are but recently discovered, 
and therefore have not been accurately in- 
vestigated : these are 
Earthy fossils, foliated prehnite, sclunelz- 
stein, spodumene, meionite, somnite, glassy 
felspar, spinthere, metallic iossils, pitchy iron 
ore, gadolinite, copper sand or muriate of 
copper, phosphat of copper, corneous lead 
ore, ren.form lead ore, bournonite, columbite, 
tantalite, yttertantalite. 
r I o which may be added loisite, needle or 
*cicular-stone, fish eye-stone, iron-clay, 
figure-stone, granular actynolite, dolomite, 
foliated celestine and its varieties, silver- 
black with its sub-species. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE U. 
Fig. 1. The Icosahedron, 
2. The Dodecahedron. 
The Hexahedron, as 
3. Cube. 
4. Rhomb. 
5. Rectangular tetrahedral prism. 
6. Oblique-angular tetrahedral prism. 
7. Oblique-angular tetrahedral prism, 
in which the terminal planes are 
set obliquely on the lateral planes. 
8. Equiangular hexahedral prism. 
9. Tetrahedron, or simple three-sided 
pyramid. 
10. Double three-sided pyramid, in 
which the lateral planes of the one 
pyramid are set on the lateral 
.edges of the other. 
1 1 . Octahedron. 
12. Simple six-sided pyramid. 
13. Double six-sided pyramid, in which 
the lateral planes of the one pyra- 
mid are set on the lateral planes of 
the other. 
14. Double six-sided pyramid, in which 
the planes of the one pyramid are 
set obliquely on those of the other, 
so that the common base forms a 
zig-zag line. 
15. Rectangular four-sided table. 
16. Oblique-angular four-sided table. 
17. Equiangular six-sided table. 
18. Lengthened six-sided table. 
19. and 20. Common lens. 
Alteration of the Fundamental Figures 
by Truncation. 
S I. Cube truncated on all its angles. 
22. Cube truncated on all its edges. 
B;j Revetment. 
S3. The cube bevelled on all its edges. 
24. Three-sided prism having its lateral 
edges bevelled. 
25. Oblique-angular four-sided prism be- 
vehed on its extremities. 
idQ. Six-sided table, with bevelled termi- 
nal planes. 
27. Octahedron, with bevelled angles. 
By Acumini.tion. 
28. Cube, with the angles acuminated 
by three planes which are set on 
the lateral planes. 
£9. Cube, with the angles acuminated 
by three planes which are set on 
the lateral edges. 
30. Rectangular tour-sided prism acumi- 
nated by four planes, w hich are set 
on the lateral planes. 
31. Equiangular six-sided prism, acumi- 
nated on both extremities by six- 
planes, which are set on the late- 
ral planes. 
32. Four-sided prism, acuminated on 
both extremities by four planes, 
which are set on the lateral edges. 
33. Six-sided prism, acuminated on both 
extremities by three planes, which 
are set on the alternate lateral 
planes. 
34. Six-sided prism, acuminated on both 
extremities by three planes, which 
are set on the alternate lateral 
edges. 
35. Double eight-sided pyramid, accu- 
mulated on both extremities by- 
four planes, which are set on the 
alternate lateral edges. 
MINIMUM, in the higher geometry, (he 
least quantity attainable in a given case. 
MINOR, in law, is an heir, either male or 
female, before they arrive at the age of twenty- 
one;, during the minority of such, they are 
usually incapable of acting for themselves. 
Mixor, in logic, the second proposition 
of a regular syllogism. 
Minor, in music, signifies less, and is ap- 
plied to cortain concords or intervals which 
differ from others ot the same denomination 
by half a tone : thus we say a third minor, 
meaning a less third ; a sixth major and 
minor. 
MINT, the place in w hich the public mo- 
ney is coined, bee Coining. 
The officers of the mint are, 1. The war- 
den of the mint, who is chief; he oversees 
the other officers, and receives the bullion. 
2. The master worker; who receives the bul- 
lion from the warden, causes it to be melted, 
delivers it to the meneyers, and when it is 
coined receives it again. 3. The comp- 
troller, who is the overseer of all the inferior 
officer?, and sees that all the money is made 
to the just assize. 4. The assay-master; 
who weighs the gold and silver, and sees that 
it is according to the standard. 5. The au- 
ditor; who takes the accounts. 6. The sur- 
veyor of the melting; who, after the assay- 
master has made trial of the bullion, sees that 
it is cast out, and not altered after it is deli- 
vered to the melter. 7. The engraver; who 
engraves the stamps and dyes for the coinage 
ot the money. 8. The clerk of the irons ; 
who sees that the irons are clean and lit to 
work with. 9. The melter ; who melts the 
bullion before it is coined. 10. The provost 
of the mint; who provides for, and oversees 
all tiie moneyers. 11. The blanchers; who 
anneal and c'lease the money. 12. The mo- 
neyers; some of whom forge the money, 
some shear it, some round and mill it, and 
some stamp or coin it. 13. The porters; 
who keep the gate of the mint. 
Mint. See Mentha. 
MIN U ASTI A, a genus of the triaudria 
trigynia class and order. The cal. is 5-leaved; 
cor. none; caps, l-celled, 3‘vaived. There 
are three species, herbs of Spain. 
MINU i E, in ge&metry, the sixtieth part 
of a degree of a circle. 
Minutes are denoted by one acute accent, 
thus ( 7 ) ; as the second, or sixtieth part ofa 
minute, is by two such accents, thus (") • 
and the third "by three &c. 
Minute of lime, the sixtieth part of an 
hour. 
MIlvAEILIS, marvel of Peru', a genus 
of the monogv nia order, in the pentundria 
class ot plants, and in the natural method 
ranking with those of which the order is 
doubtful. The corolla is funnel-shaped 
above; the calyx inferior; the nectarium 
globular, containing the germen. 1 he most 
remarkable species 'are, 1. The jalapa, or 
common marvel of Peru. Of this there are 
varieties, with w Lite flow ers, with yellow flow- 
ers, with purple flowers, with red flowers, 
with white and yellow flowers, white and 
purple flowers, purple and yellow flowers, 
red and yellow flowers. 2. The longiflora, 
or long-flowered mirabilis, with all the 
branches and shoots terminated bv white 
flowers in clusters, having very long tubes, 
nodding downward. 3. The dichotoma, 
dichotomous, or forked mirabilis, with small- 
ish red flowers at the axillas, singly and close- 
sitting. 
The roots of all these plants are purgative; 
but require to be given in a great quantity to 
operate equal to the true jalap, which is a 
species of convolvulus, bee Convolvu- 
lus. 
MIRROR, a speculum, looking-glass, or 
any polished body, whose use is to form the 
images of distinct objects by reflection of the 
rays of light. 
Mirrors are either plane, convex, or con- 
cave. The first sort reflects the rays of light 
in a direction exactly similar to that in which 
they fall upon it, and therefore represents 
bodies of their natural magnitude. But the 
convex ones make the rays diverge much 
more than before reflexion, and therefore 
greatly diminish the images of those objects 
which they exhibit; while the concave ones, 
by collecting the rays into a focus, not only 
magnify the objects they shew, but will also 
burn very fiercely when exposed to the rays 
of the sun ; and hence thev are commonly 
known by the name of burning mirrors. 
In undent times the mirrors were made of 
some kind of metal ; and from a passage in 
the mosaic writings we learn, that the mirrors 
used by the Jewish women, were made of 
brass ; a practice doubtless learned from the 
Egyptians, 
.Any kind of metal, when well polished, 
will reflect very powerfully ; but of all others, 
silver reflects the most, though it has always 
been too expensive a material for common 
use. Gold is also very powerful; and all 
metaL, or even wood, gilt and polished, will 
act very powerfully as burning mirrors. Even 
polished ivory, or straw nicely plaited toge- 
ther, will form mirrors capable of burning, 
if on a large scale. 
borne ot the more remarkable laws and 
phenomenaof plane mirrors are as follow : 
1. A spectator will see his image of the 
same size, and erect, but reversed as to right 
and left, ami as far beyond the speculum as 
he is before it. As he moves to or from the 
