Vlll 
PREFACE. 
with the conviction that these must hereafter become important sources of wealth, 
I could not doubt the propriety of devoting a large space to their consideration. 
Those who are acquainted with the difficulties which attend investigations of this 
kind, will, I hope, at least give me credit for industry in the execution of this 
part of my trust. 
At the commencement of the Survey, few persons, I. believe, were aware of 
the mineral wealth of New-York, or of the number of species which it con¬ 
tains. Such indeed is the extent of territory which the State embraces, and the 
vast number of mineral localities which it contains, that I could do no more than 
visit the most important ones. These were of course situated in the great pri¬ 
mary regions of the northern and southern counties, although the western ones 
also afforded rich supplies of species peculiar to their limestone and other for¬ 
mations. 
The second part, entitled Descriptive Mineralogy, contains detailed de¬ 
scriptions of the various species hitherto found in New-York, with all their varie¬ 
ties, and notices of their principal localities. In preparing these descriptions, I 
have freely consulted standard authorities; while remarks upon such peculiarities 
as our varieties present, have been introduced in their proper place. I may also 
add, that even in those cases where all the varieties have not yet been found 
within the limits of the State, I have still given the descriptions of them, in order 
to render the work as complete as possible in regard to our minerals. 
A few species have been introduced, whose occurrence as New-York mine¬ 
rals is still doubtful, or which require further examination; such are Aluminite, 
Arfwedsonite, Achmite, &c. This course I thought less objectionable than the 
omission of any species which really belongs to the State. I have also added a 
list of such American minerals as have not heretofore been found within our 
limits. 
As the crystalline forms of minerals are of great interest, and indeed consti¬ 
tute a very important part of the science of mineralogy, I have paid much atten¬ 
tion to the determination of those which have been noticed in this State. The 
