Werner, and admitted into his fyftem. The econd, thofe which have not hitherto been noticed by him or those which, although they have been admitted into his fyftem, have not as yet been defcribed by the profeffor himself.

It is worthy of remark, that moft of the fpecies difcriminated by Hauy are here acknowledged by Werne, and their defcriptions moulded into his particular form; for example, piftazite, epidote of Hauy, ceylonite, pleonafte H; euclafe; andalufite, felfpath apyre H; chiafloleth, macle H; fcapolite, now paranthine H; arctizite, wernerite 11; anhydrite, chaux fulphaté anhydreé H; cryolite, alumine fluatée alkaline H; foliated prelinite, koupholite H; fchnielr ftein, left untranflated by Mr. Jamefon, dipyre, o pihaps topaz H; fpodumene, tryphane H; melonite, fommite nepheline H; fpinthere; copper fand, cuivie murité H; reniform lead ore, plomb arfenié H, rutilite, titane filicéocalcaire H; fish eyeflone, apophyllite H; granular aftyholite, diallage H. This adoption is a fufficient proof of the accuracy of the Parifian mineralift, and of his merit in dif criminating the fpecies of minerals."

66

The third appendix is a tabular view of Werner's oryctognoftic fyftem in 1803, and is faid by M. Janefon to approach fill nearer to the natural, and to be luther removed from the chemical method than heretofore; a decifive proof of the excellence of the improvements which uns lately experienced." Upon comparing this table with that prefixed to the first volume, the principal removes are of jafper and opal from the clay genus to the quartz family of the flint genus; pitchftone, obfidian, pearlftone, an pam ce," are alfo taken from the clay gehús to form a pecul art.mily, which is placed between thofe of quartz and zeolite in the flint genus, while felfpår forms alto another family in the fame genus, which is placed after the zeolites. The propriety of thefe removes is evident, but how the fyftem can, in confequence thereof, be laid to be further removed from the chemical method does not fo plainly appear, fince they either contain a predominating quantity of flint earth, or poffefs the general characters of the compounds of that earth. A new genus of earthy foffils is indeed formed under the name of the hallite genus, which includes tvo fpecies, namely, boracite and cryolite; but the formation of this genus feems completely at variance with the general principles on which the reminder of the fyftem is founded, as thefe fp cies do not contain any common principle predominating either by its mafs, or its qualities.

The

The fpecies defcribed by Werner in his laft courfe of lectures are given in the fourth appendix; and in another is exhibited the alterations made by that profeffor in 1805, which are of little confequence, being principally divifions of fpecies into two or more fub.fpecies, except that the arrangement of the metallic genera is in fome refpect changed. This part, however, is very imperfect, as no account is given of the differences on which thefe divifions are grounded.

Before we proceed to the confideration of the next volume it will be proper to notice a few blemishes of less consequence in the fecond. In p. 98, fpeaking of amber, it is faid that "the benzoic acid is probably a product of diftillation;" for benzoic we ought to read fuccinic. In p. 566, fommite is faid to contain only 9 per cent. of alumine; it fhould be 49. The other is probably an error of the prefs. In our former review of the first volume we gave fome specimens of Mr. Jamefon's logical acumen, and here, p. 568, glaffy felfpar is faid to" occur imbedded in porphyry flate;" but the fact is, that porphyry flate is a mixed rock composed of a clinkstone ground, in which cryftals of glaffy felfpar are imbedded as a component part of the flate. In p. 159, filver glance is faid to occur in axonite, a mineral not mentioned by this name, but by that of thumerstone, (which ought to be Thum ftone,) and as no fynonyms are inferted in the index, the difficulty is confiderably increased.

Mr. Jamefon has, as in his firft volume, changed in feveral cafes the old names of minerals for the worse, as he uses copper azure for mountain blue, copper mica for at feniate of copper, oliven ore (thus introducing a moft barbarous adjective into our language) for olive copper ore. It is certainly improper to ufe the name anhydrite for the ftone - called by Hauy chaux fulfatée anhydré, as many other foffils have no water in their compofition. Sylvan is faid, p. 515, to be more expreffive than tellurium; but our opinion in this respect is totally different, as we conceive fylvan applied as the name of a metal principally found in Tranfylvania to be highly ridiculous.

Galena is faid, p. 347, to occur " seldom fused like," a ftrange contracted phrafe. We do not thoroughly underftand what is meant by this ore being externally easily frangible." In p. 431, one of the characteristics of antimony ochre is ftated in the following terms: "When it is long enclosed, it emits a weak bitter fmell." In what is it to be enclosed? We fuppofe the hand, but it should have

been

been mentioned. The colour of molybdena is defcribed, p. 465, as" fresh burning lead gray," probably meaning that it refembles newly melted lead. An equal awkwardness is evident in the picture of red manganese ore, where read, p. 463," colour light rofe red, by weathering becomes light yellowish brown." It would fcarcely be proper to be so critical in respect to these minutiae of language if the common idiom of the country were used; but when that idiom is broken through, and the acknowledged intrufion attempted to be justified by the pretence of fuperior accuracy, it be comes a matter of importance to determine how far this affertion is true.

The perfons who have adopted in English a bold literal tranflation of Werner's mode of defcribing foffils do not feem to difcriminate between the ufe of peculiar words as terms of art, and the abuse of expreffions in common use by giving them a new fignification. The adoption of terms of art from another language, or from the barbarous flang of the workshop, does not caufe any confufion, but only enriches the language, at the fame time, however, that the trouble of youth and foreigners in learning, it is increased. On the other hand, the alteration of the fenfe of expreffions in common ufe is not only a grofs offence against the purity of the language, but it renders the knowledge intended to be conveyed ridiculous to thofe accustomed only to the common meaning of the words, and who, of course, comprehend the far, nay very far greater number of readers. What in fact can be more ridiculous than a perfon affirming, that the diamond is " fnow white" inftead of colourless? that pumice is "fwimming" instead of being fo light that it will fwim upon water? or when speaking of wacke, faying "it is very characteristic of it that it falls in the open air?" Nor is it lefs abfurd to speak of the fracture of a foffil, when the grain or appearance of the broken part is meant to be defcribed.

Since heliotrope, marle, loam, and fome other minerals are enumerated by Werner as oryctognoftic fpecies, we cannot conceive why feveral kinds of rocks are denied a place in the Syftem, as it is allowed that the diffimilarity of their component parts cannot be perceived by the naked eye, and the use of a lens is prohibited in the Freyberg Ichool. Among these omitted fpecies may be reckoned the bafis of green porphyry, vol. ii. p. 131, already enumerated by Delametherie as two fpecies, under the names of ophitine and variolite, but which he suspects to bé in reality the fame

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BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVI. JULY, 1810.

foffil;

foffil; the bafis of fienite porphyry, p. 140, which is the leucoftine of Delametherie; tranfition greenftone, p. 148; graywacke flate, p. 150; thofe kinds of faudflones which confift of quartz grains cemented by quartz, p. 155; sandftone flate, p. 157; falt clay, p. 174; peat, p. 208; nagel fluh, p. 210; moya, p. 354; and to these might perhaps be added fome kinds of grayflone, p. 190.

We come at laft to the confideration of the third volume, which contains an explanation of Werner's Syftem of Geology, or, as he chufes to denominate it, Geognofy. This he founds upon fucceflive depofitions from a watery folution, of which the fea is the remains. The chaotic fluid was of a very compound nature, and the first depofitions from it are principally compofed of filica, alumina, and magnefia. The following metals, molybdena, menachan or titanium, tin, fcheele or tungften, cerium, tantalium, uran, chrome, and bifmuth are, alfo inmates of thefe primitive depofitions. This chaotic fluid gradually diminished as these fediments were depofited, fo that the relative age of the fediments may, he fuppofes, be eftimated by the elevation of their outgoings on the prefent furface of the earth, the higheft being the oldeft.

The feveral rocks are divided into five claffes, 1. The primitive, which were antecedent to the creation of organic beings, and were depofited while the earth was ftill covered with water; 2. The tranfition, or thofe contemporaneous with that creation, fo that the older members of this class contain fcarcely any remains of those beings, while in the newer rocks of this clafs they are numerous; 3. Floetz, or horizontally ftratified rocks, which not only contain petri. factions, but alfo bituminous fubftances, and thefe latter fubftances increafe in quantity the newer the formation. 4. The alluvial, which comprehend the fubftances that are formed from previously exifting rocks, whofe materials have been worn down by water, and after wards depofited in beds nearly horizontal on the furface of the land or at the bottom of the fea. 5. The volcanic, which arife from the fpontaneous combuftion of the bituminous depofitions of the third class of rocks.

As the combuition of the bed of coal that so often forms the bottom ftratum of the newest floctz trap formation, and which is fometimes one hundred feet thick, is thought by Werner to be the cause of volcanoes, it does not appear why volcanic rocks fhould be confidered not only as a formation, but even a feparate clafs of rocks, as they are

on

on this hypothefis only the floetz trap rocks in a state of decompofition. In p. 96 it is faid, that" the volcanic ftate appears foreign to the earth,-a circumflance that points out its great antiquity." This expreflion we do not underfland.

It is evident from the above flatement, that Mr. Jamefon, with the generality of thofe who have formed fyftems refpecting the formation of the globe, allows a confiderable period of time antecedent to the creation of organic beings. Nor is this the only particular in which he differs from the account given of the creation by the infpired pen of Mofes, as he proposes two feparate rifings of the waters of the globe. The firft, according to Werner, took place before the creation of vegetables or animals, while the folid part of the globe was ftill fubmerged beneath the fea; the depofition which took place in confequence of it, and which is called by the Freyberg fchool the fecond porphyry and fienite formation is, when complete, compofed, according to him, of four beds; the firft of confiderable magnitude, and formed from fragments of different primitive rocks; the fecond of clayftone, rather earthy in the lower part, but gradually be coming more compact, with included cryftals of felfpar, which increase in number, and at length caufe the rock to poffefs the character of porphyry; this third bed of porphyry is covered with fienite, which forms the upper part of the depofition.

The fecond rifing of the water, to which the name of deluge may, as Mr. J. obferves, be more properly applied, as the dry land had appeared, and organic bodies been formed, is, according to Werner, the laft formation of the third clafs of rocks, and the peculiar beds which were then formed, that profeffor conceives to be bafalt wacke, greenftone, porphyry flate, and traptuff. An immenfe ftratum of coal, as has been already obferved, very often forms the lowermoft bed of this depofition, upon which reft feveral beds of coarse fediments that had been merely fufpended by the violent motion of the water, as gravel, fand, bituminous wood, clay, and trap tuff. The coarse chemical depofitions lie upon these, as bafalt, clay ftone, and wacke, and are co vered by the fine chemical precipitates, as porphyry flate, gray ftone, and greenftone. As thefe diluvial depofitions, to which Mr. J. gives the name of neweft floetz trap, are feldom fimilar to one another, but are compofed of rocks agreeing only in the above circumflances of the coarfer depofitions lying lower than the finer, which is contrary to the D 2

ufual