Editorial Comment. 249 
Every subordinate worker under private auspices, without 
pledge for share in the reputation earned, may still congratulate 
himself on the opportunity for acquiring exceptional skill, and 
laying the foundations of personal reputation, whenever he shall 
become free from the restraints of his personal obligations. If 
however, while such eventuality is pending, health fails, or 
death intervenes, the case becomes deeply sad; but the disap- 
pointment can only be regarded as an incident of human for- 
tune. It is not an occasion for incrimination of the employer, 
unless it appears that he failed in the discharge of some portion 
of his agreement with the employed. It furnishes, however, a 
a fit opportunity to exercise his magnaminity in according to 
his coadjutor and helper a posthumous reputation to such an ex- 
tent as it may be done in justice to himself. 
The discussion of this subject would be incomplete, should we 
fail to point the moral. Every man, young or old, who engages 
in the paid service of an employer conducting researches at his 
own cost, should enter into a written agreement specifying to 
what extent he will be entitled to public acknowledgement for 
scientific results attained by his personal efforts. This precau- 
tion should also be taken if the work is to be done under the 
auspices of a public museum. If imder the auspices of a pub- 
lic survey, credit may be expected and demanded under the law 
of prevailing usage. 
THE USE OF THE TERMINATION YTE FOR NAMES 
OF ROCKS. 
The use of the termination "yte" in The American Geolo- 
gist has occasioned some inquiries. As we expect the journal 
to be read by many who are not professional geologists, a word 
of explanation is here offered. In the fifth edition of his System 
of Allneralogy (1868), Introduction.^ p. xxxiv, professor 
James D. Dana introduced the following paragraphs: 
"It has appeared desirable that the names of rocks should 
have some difference of form from those of minerals. To se- 
cure this end, the author has written the final syllable itc of 
such names with a j)'; thus Diorite, Eurite, Ton^lite, etc., are 
written Dioryte, Eurytc, Tonalyte. The y is already in the 
