GLOSSAUY. 
69 
logical word in Germany, which seems to have been at first 
specially applied to a transparent kind of gypsum called selenite. 
Felspathic. Of or belonging to felspar. 
Ferruginous. Anything containing iron. Etym., ferritin, iron. 
Floetz Rocks. A German term applied to the secondary strata by 
the geologists of that country, because these rocks were sup- 
posed to occur most frequently in fiat horizontal beds. Etym., 
jlolz, a layer or stratum ; the word is applied in some parts of 
Germany to pavements and plastered floors. 
Flora. The various kinds of trees and plants found in any country 
constitute the Flora of that country in the language of botanists. 
Fluviatile: Belonging to a river. Etym., flavins, a river. 
Formation. A group, whether of alluvial deposits, sedimentary 
strata, or igneous rocks, referred to a common origin or period. 
Fossil. All minerals used to be called fossils, but geologists now 
use the word only to express the remains of animals and plants 
found buried in the earth. Etym,, fossilis, anything that may 
be dug out of the earth. 
Galena, a metallic ore, a compound of lead and sulphur. It has 
often the appearance of highly polished lead. Etym., yakecj, 
galeo to shine. 
Garnet. A simple mineral generally of a deep red colour, crystal- 
lized, most commonly met with in mica slate, but also in 
granite and other igneous rocks. 
Gault. A provincial name in the east of England for a series of 
beds of clay and marl, the geological position of which is 
between the upper and the lower greensand. See Table II. 
F, p. 390. 
Geology, Geognosy. Both mean the same thing, but with an 
unnecessary degree of refinement in terms, it has been proposed 
to call our description of the structure of the earth geognosy. 
{Etym. yea, gea, earth, and yivwaKu, ginosco, to know,) and our 
theoretical speculations as to its formation geology. (Etym., 
yea, and Xoyoc, logos, a discourse. 
Glacier. The vast accumulations of ice and hardened snow in the 
Alps and other lofty mountains. Etym. glace, French for ice. 
Glacis. A term borrowed from the language of fortification, where 
it means an easy insensible slope or declivity, less steep 
than a talus, which see. 
Gneiss. A stratified primary rock, composed of the same materials 
as granite, but having usually a larger proportion of mica, 
and a laminated texture. The word is a German miner's term, 
