Editorial Comment. 53 
As an example- of the working of the method, the monzon- 
vte — an augite syenyte from the Monzone in the Tyrol — is 
selected. This, it may be stated, is a granular, moderately 
coarsely crystalline rock, composed essentially of feldspars, 
pyroxene, and hornblende, with some biotite, a little quartz, 
and insignificant amounts of magnetite and apatite. The silica 
alumina — salic — minerals dominate over the iron magnesian 
— femic. It therefore belongs to class 2, above — the do-salic, 
or dosalanes. Since neither quartz nor the feldspathoids (len- 
ads) are present in essential quantities, it belongs to the 5th 
order and is, germanese. Both of these references could in 
this particular instance be made from megascopic examination 
in the field. The ratio of the alkalies to lime, as shown by 
chemical analyses, relegates the rock to the second rang, the 
dominant alkalic (domalkalic), for which the name monzon- 
ase is proposed, while the nearly equal proportions of potash 
and soda causes it to be referred to the sub-rang monzono^. 
Further refinement is possible through a consideration of 
the relative proportions of the subordinate minerals. From the 
illustration, it thus appears that our old acquaintance is here- 
after to be found among the polynomial hyphenated throng 
and to show, if not pedigree, at least social standing and 
position, all in a name. Thus, if met with casually in the field, 
it is a biotitic-horiiblcndc-grano-dosalanc. but as we become 
intimately acquainted, we may, through more attentive study. 
be enabled to still more closely define its social standing and 
introduce it to our intimate friends — those of our own mental 
standing — as a biotitic-lionibloide-graiw monzonose. 
However cumbersome such a system and nomenclature may 
at first seem, it certainly has the advantage of putting one at 
once in possession of all the salient points of character in a rock 
mass, and should new peculiarities develop on further ac- 
quaintance, other hyphens are provided, such as shall meet all 
possible requirements. Moreover, cumbersome as the names 
may seem, they are, after all, little more so than some now in 
use — porphyrinic hornblendc-biotitc granite, for instance, and 
surely they are preferable to such meaningless terms as shon- 
kinyte and laurvikyte. 
To one not in the front rank in petrographic work, the 
amount of calculation and detailed chemical and mineralogical 
