215 
where the purchaser of a diamond worth some thousands of pounds, took it 
back to the seller after cleaving it according to the laws of crystallography, 
and I think it realized a thousand pounds more. We are still more indebted 
to this knowledge, and especially to our lecturer this evening, for I believe 
it w r as owing to his suggestions that the Koh-i-noor, which was but roughly 
cut when it was brought to this country, afterwards had its flaws removed 
and its beauty increased. (Hear, hear.) I think all of us must feel that this 
apparently difficult subject has been made very interesting to all, since it has 
been shown that those beautiful flowers of the mineral kingdom have laws 
equal in regularity to those of the other kingdoms of nature, and that crystals 
are all connected with one fundamental form, taking the cube as the primary 
form, and that the other forms are derived from modifications of this figure. 
What Mr. Mitchell has discovered and pointed out is like to the sculptor, 
who seems to realize, even in the solid block of marble, some beautiful image 
hereafter to be chiselled out ; for Mr. Mitchell has shown us how, from the 
common cube, all the beautiful and varied crystallised forms found in the 
mineral kingdom may probably be derived. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Reddie. — It is a fortunate circumstance that our chairman this evening 
is also our treasurer, because I think I shall only express the sentiments 
of the Council, as well as of all our members, in saying that we must en- 
deavour to do every justice to the valuable and important paper of which 
Mr. Mitchell has now given us an outline. And I propose that in this 
instance we shall depart from what has hitherto been our practice, and 
produce Mr. Mitchell’s paper when written, not only with illustrations, but 
with coloured illustrations, giving as far as possible the effect of the coloured 
models with which he has illustrated his lecture, and by which the relation- 
ship of the different classes of crystals to one another has been made so very 
distinct, and, I had almost said, so very simple. I am sure, if you agree, that 
the Council will be most glad to allow', though at some expense, a page or 
two of coloured illustrations, in order to do justice to this most valuable paper 
on crystallography. (Approbation.) 
The meeting was then adjourned. 
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