and Mineralogy. 3S9 
time attended with many difficulties. Having made it a rule 
to introduce as few new names as possible, I have borrowed 
from the German mineralogy, particularly the older systems of 
it, as many designations as seemed applicable. In its present 
state, the nomenclature is therefore a German one, but if re- 
quisite, it may easily be converted into Latin. 
14. The nature of the order to which a mineral belongs ^ 
settles its Nam.e. — The names I have employed are, pyrites^ 
orCy glancCy spar^ The term pyrites has already been 
applied to certain minerals belonging to one order, (II. 53.) 
I have therefore employed it to denote an order. Some other 
substances, which likewise belong to that order, have therefore 
necessarily received this designation, and laid aside their pre- 
vious names, — nickel, for example, glance-cobalt, and others. 
The signification of the order settles what is or is not pyrites ; 
and xvhatever, according to that significationy is pyriteSy — ^in 
other words, whatever belongs to the order bearing this name, 
must also he called pyrites. The same kind of management has 
been followed with the other names, as may be seen by inspect- 
ing the mineralogical system, to which the new nomenclature is 
applied. 
15. Closer settlement qf the Name belonging to the Order . — 
Generic Name. — Next to the name, the most important point is 
the first restriction of it, that adjunct, to-wit, by which the name of 
an order is transformed into the name qf a genus. The generic 
name ought to be founded on the natural historical nature of the 
genus. Of this kind are garneUblendy rubyMeiidy glance-blend. 
These three genera all belong to the order of blends. The first, 
however, h^s the appearance of garnet; the second, at least in some 
varieties, of ruby ; the third of glance. This mode of forming 
the generic name would, doubtless, be the most advantageous, 
because it leads to no delineations which are foreign to natural 
history. It cannot, however, be universally applied, without 
introducing a multitude of new names ; and hence, in confor- 
mity to the previous rule, with the sacrifice of uniformity it is 
true, two other means have been attempted. The first is to 
make use of some customary trivial names for settling the ge- 
nera ; the other to apply to this an arrangement not properlv 
