New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-28

Gus. and d. ~" J.S STD DAs. A NJ London and New
g ynss. WIey & Putnam. i144
8 Tss ~" science OF Mincralogy within the last
,.rs ba, fallen into the ambitious and grasp
lev is so;ri, of the times and gradually expanded
80 boundaries Of its definit;on-eiihcr by IAN
os,..on, accreiion, c'ystaogcliic attraction or
aabesise-until, from the term Niincralogy sig
sa,;uc merely the qualities and natural history
hose substances known to the mere unsc!cn-
sand commonplace as Minerals, it now en-
s-,ees all Inorganic natural objects, whether
lid LIQUID. or gascous--with the exception, in
!. latter category, as VIC shall take the liberty 10
li;ere. OF John Joacs's editorials.
The additions TO the science of Mineralogy
md The discoveries of new species and classifica-
,;o,s Of minerals since the publication of the
6,st edition oil this book, (only seven years ago.
,,eouite astounding, and show how very imper-
t.c, and ever must be human power to inves-
,;r.tc and develop this mighty structufe-or,
,ccording to the ancient philosopher whose name
ve never could remember, this mighty animal
mon whose surface we vcgctatc, speculate. con-
struct vast PHILOSOPHERS, cat, sleep, dream, and
de. Brought down TO the contemplation of the
mere Physical by the ponderops weight of these
s1 hundred and fifty octave pages Of mere solid
and avoidupois Mncralogy, how insignificant,
hor contemplate, does Man the Philosopher,
Man the Godlke, appear! Su5limcst OF Ego.
flats And thou, with thy two eyes which can
see nothing save by the help of broad shectcd sun
shine, and which is power not from within thy
! rle--who standest scarce iathom above the mud.
bnve of the worm, and who contest into the world
ieb.r and more he'll less than the ieebcst and most
HELPLESS beast, or bird, or inscct-who art lofty in
nothing but audacity, and learned in naught but
nresumption-what figure art thou there, stand
inn under the shadow Of pebble, and coolly
taking the dimensions Of the embarrassing
the orbits and the attitudes Of tho stars-siitlng
tho ocean through thy tiny fingers to catch its
slislcning mysteries in thy hand, and nosng like
a blind mole las thou art in the Earth, classify
ing, arranging, naming-cvery thing but crea-
ting! Isit not fit to move the m!rlh of Immor-
tails to see us--,heir counterleits, their mere
tetehes, their stuffed ctgies, endowed with iit-
lie momentary momentum by which to stalk for
second or SO through the wide fields Of thought
and being, which will soon be Withdrawn again
and leave us to re-convert our precious bodies
into manure at leisurc-to see us kicking up all
this pother and clatter about tie structure of the
Universe the organization of Mind and Matter,
the destiny of the Individual, the progress aud
problem of the Age, aud all these finelylabeied
bubbles blown up by the poor breath of wheeling
and consumptive humanity - whom few
years, an instant in the life of Nature too insight
6cant to be counted, will consign to dust and no
thingncss
The science of Mineralogy (which Geology
forms in modern nomenclature sort oiaddcndum)
always irresstibly reminds US of the fly upon the
elephants hide, studying and investigating the
structure, organization, purposes and destiny o.
the body upon which lie found himself. What
leaned treatise will he not leave for the adnlra-
ton and wonderment Of future generations OF
flies But TO descend from these misty attitudes
Depreciation with the CELEBRITY OF MlneraogicaI
Specimen thrown from the bosom OF neteoriC
cloud, enter We at once Unto the bowels OF the
landn-under the safe guidance of our author
who, although only human and possessing no more
than ordinary human faculties, can see quite a:
far into millstonc-ayc, or any other sort OF
stone or calcarcous formation, Apatehic, Amino
nophylc, Nussicrilc or Observation-Disclosures ths
best of them. 1.-The progress IN analysis, says
Mr.. Dana, is especially apparent IN the growing
interest excited for the natural method OF classil
cation, and The opening prospect that, before long
the chemical and natural systems will be Identical
There formerly seemed to be 10 bond OF union
between the species, Sornebende, angltc, tabular
spar, aclnitc and manganese spar, and in chcmi-
cal methods we have found one with the ores o!
manganese, another with those of iron, another
with salts OF lime, and so on; but even Chcmls-
Try now suggests the natural system of arrange
ment, and demands their union in single family,
as given in some of the latest chemical trcaiiScs
Numerous other instances, giveR IN our remarks
on Classification, illustrate the fact that the
natural system is founded actually on chemical
principles"
The following catalogue contains the more in
teresing OF the new foreign species added TO this
edition of Mr. Danas treatise:
hpa,elc. potash cOppers soda coppeias oNulac of lime
psSophuHc. eucophaue mucncsau phlrmacOtc hroulie.
lomene, amonOphyle eicnste of lead, vUlbor
the de1ynuNenc, paconte volzie .:ieeUckte iuJaSe,
dihacte. otfete, pclokonltc. ptscuc, bcaun1nc Gre
nate OF cOpps bronze silver iodc mercury. tostc hydar
rii'e, ccantolte, Yatsc, cpdomeianc, hrGriu> MICA.
ryaeoe. aadesne ogOclse. peIclsc, rbudzc, pyrncle
re ;hombcte. varSclte kris'vgte kUumerertc fossil
drte wchlente, cuvcue uTunoiantute hete:ocH autos
ceF',e. wehr,e re. placodnc XsnthukOn znksnte.
e'ouie hchteie. konlic, hattie Noyte guaGulc. bcen
genie, picute.
l,is surprising, considering the correctness OF
this treatise on It's first appearance, TO find how
numerous and important arc the changes which
have been made in the present edition.
One of the most interesting portions of Mr..
Dana's book, I'VE arc as profoundly impressed
with the Importance and beauty of the science
of Mineralogy, notwithstanding the expansion
of gaseous body with which We had within to
introduce our no,ice)-and it is really interesting
In every way and to every body-is his chapter
on the mysteries OF Crystalizetion. We mus