6 
T/ie J^atiirallsts ConLpcudori. 
Stibnite. 
our intei-est only as we are eapahle of' 
BY \V. S. BiCEKMAN, W. MEDFORD, MASS. 
In accordanee to a promise made in 
last issue, I was to give a description 
of the most beautiful metallic mineral 
in existence. This article will consist 
of that description, in a certain way. 
It will describe the mineral and give 
its name. As to portraying its beau¬ 
ties on paper, there is no power behind 
the pen adequate to fuHill such an un¬ 
dertaking. An illustration would con¬ 
vey its form better than w’ords; but of 
its beauty—it is inconceivable, until 
seen. 
With this fact in mind, many will 
ask, if about to give a description of 
the most beautiful of metallic speci¬ 
mens, why not give the article a head¬ 
ing with that specimen? It surely can 
have no reference to stibnite. Every 
tyro in collecting minerals will, or if 
not, should have, a good specimen ot 
stibnite. It is a common and cheap 
mineral, very important in its relation 
to workable ores, and no collection is 
complete without its presence. But as 
to beauty, everyone on relering to the 
aspect of their specimen will wonder 
where the beauty comes in. It certain¬ 
ly has an attract!ve,cleanly appearance, 
generally pure, and free from matrix; 
but there are many others, as, for in¬ 
stance, the common iron pyrite, that 
far excells stibnite in attractiveness. 
The stibnite most widely circulated 
among collectors is generally from the 
New Brunswick locality: possessing a 
ciystaline structure,of a cold, steel-grey 
lustre; one glance at the average speci¬ 
men ))eing generally sullicient for a 
complete recognition of its external ap¬ 
pearance. The specimens awakens 
recalling its associations. This is the 
case with all specimens of a tame as¬ 
pect. 
You may be exhibiting your cabinet 
to X, Y^ and Z. I'he individual asso¬ 
ciations that each will feel in regard to 
your specimen is measured in the pro¬ 
portion of his knowledge or insight in¬ 
to the i)roperties and character of the 
specimen under consideration. It is 
cj[uite impossible for all to be aliected 
alike by a specimen—sympathies find 
no likeness, unless we consider those 
outside the margin of minute details, 
where there is a greater chance of find¬ 
ing reciprocation of* identical feelings. 
But here the sympathies with a speci¬ 
men, and by sympathies is meant the 
intelligent interpretations, are govern¬ 
ed according to the temperament as 
well as intellectual development of the 
observer. These three persons can 
have entirely foreign thoughts from 
each other awakened by this one speci¬ 
men; X may recall something he has 
heard concerning the specimens con¬ 
nection: Y has perhaps read a note on 
its uses; while Z may associate it with 
some other member of the famih’ to 
which it belongs, having no knowledge 
of what X is acquainted with, or Y con¬ 
cerning Z’s subject. 
As before stated, power to convey t(» 
your minds a likeness of the specimen 
in all its magnificence is utterly im¬ 
possible. Clear conceptions of objects 
can never be acquired by interpreting 
discriptions; neitlier can a portrait be 
conveyed by words, accurately describ¬ 
ing structure, unless having been re¬ 
vealed by optical representation as 
well as b}^ mental energy. 
You would never describe to a me¬ 
chanic a new design which you wished 
