Naiural History, 
constitute each series or group. In this view there is no real in- 
congruity ; for, in fact, had the carboniferous limestone appear- 
ed in force in the north of Germany, it certaiuly would have 
been designated by Werner as the first floetz limestone; and 
this, according to the established method of that naturalist, who, 
in arranging the mineral masses of the globe, was led to distri- 
bute the predominant into principal formations, and the inciden- 
tal into subordinate. Bearing this in mind, the carboniferous 
limestone would have been his first floetz limestone formation ; 
and, as a necessary consequence, the magnesian limestone would 
have become his second floetz limestone. The whole difference, 
therefore, is a mere question of enumeration. 
“ In conclusion, I must observe, that, in awarding the meed 
of praise due to the services of Werner, French writers appear 
in general to have been more just than the English. Not a few 
of the latter seem to forget, or not to consider, that, though 
others might, before his time, have hit upon the general division 
of rocks into primary and secondary, yet geology, as a science, 
had no existence. To Werner belongs, in the first place, the 
merit of introducing a nicer discrimination in the examination 
of simple minerals, and of inventing an appropriate language by 
which they might be described and distinguished, previous to 
which mineralogical science was quite in its infancy. And, in 
the second place, to him also belongs the chief merit, not mere- 
ly of distinguishing and giving names to rocks, but of accurate- 
ly marking out both the grand distinctions of primary, transi- 
tion, and floetz classes, and the various principal formations of 
which those classes consist. If, then, it be the glory of the 
Saxon to have laid the broad foundations of the edifice, let that 
of the Briton and Frank be to complete the structure.” 
20. Sulphate (yf Lead , — Connected with an argentiferous ga- 
lena, in Mr Lamb’s mine at Huntingdon, is an incrustation of 
sulphate of lead. It is tolerably abundant, but is nowhere in 
crystals or in masses ; it occupies merely the surface and cavi- 
ties of the other ores of lead. It gives metallic lead instantly 
by the blowpipe, but does not effervesce nor dissolve in acids. 
According to Mr Lane, it is equally rich in silver as in galena. 
This, if correct, is we believe a new fact, but we have not exa- 
mined the ore in this respect.— -Silliman’s Journal. 
r 
