[52] Règne Mineral, p. 46.
What is an Individual? It certainly is not that which is so simple that it cannot be divided. Individual animals are composed of many parts. But if we examine, we shall find that our Idea of an Individual is, that it is a whole composed of parts, which [148] are not similar to the whole, and have not an independent existence, while the whole has an independent existence and a definite form[53].
[53] Règne Mineral, p. 52.
What then is the Mineralogical Individual? At first, while minerals were studied for their use, the most precious of the substances which they contained was looked upon as the characteristic of the mineral. The smallest trace of silver made a mineral an ore of silver. Thus forms and properties were disregarded, and substance was considered as identical with mineral. And hence[54] Daubenton refused to recognize species in the mineral kingdom, because he recognized no individuals. He proposed to call sorts what we call species. In this way of considering minerals, there are no individuals.
[54] Ib. p. 54.
10. But still this is not satisfactory: for if we take a well-formed and distinct crystal, this clearly is an individual[55].
[55] Ib. p. 56.
It may be objected, that the crystal is divisible (according to the theory of crystallography) into smaller solids; that these small solids are really the simple objects; and that actual crystals are formed by combinations of these molecules according to certain laws.
But, as we have already said, an individual is such, not because it cannot be divided, but because it cannot be divided into parts similar to the whole. As to the division of the form into its component laws, this is an abstract proceeding, foreign to natural history[56]. Therefore there is so far nothing to prevent a crystal from being an individual.
[56] Ib. p. 58.