March, 1895. SOME NEW BOOKS. 1 99 



very filthy, ventured to hint that such an official would find something 

 to do there. And he thereupon began to enlarge on the evils of 

 accumulating filth, resulting, among other things, in an unhealthy and 

 stunted population. His auditor heard him out, and then, calmly 

 surveying him from head to foot, remarked, ' Well, young man, all I 

 have to tell ye is that the men o' this place are a deal bigger and 

 stronger and handsomer nor you.' She bore no malice, for she offered 

 him a cup of tea, but he was too cowed to face her any longer." 



In dealing with a subject so wide as the growth of the Geological 

 Survey, with which growth Ramsay was so intimately bound up, the 

 historian and biographer has naturally to mention a large number 

 of individuals whose names, though familiar enough to the professed 

 geologist, may be no longer known to the public of amateurs. Each 

 of these, as he is first mentioned, is introduced to the reader in a 

 footnote, while a dozen of them have the additional honour of an 

 excellent portrait. From this point of view, the book, provided as it 

 is with an exhaustive index, may serve as a biographical dictionary 

 to the mesozoic period of the history of British geology. The best of 

 the portraits are those of De la Beche, Murchison, Richard Gibbs 

 (the Survey collector), Thomas Oldham, and J. W. Salter. 



Not only geologists, but many other celebrities, are met with herein, 

 outlined in Ramsay's own picturesque phrases. Many, too, are the 

 glimpses that we get of social, scientific, and scientifico-social 

 assemblies — the Red Lion Club, the Geological Society, the 

 " Wisdom meeting," now known as the British Ass, the dinners of 

 the Survey and of the Geological Club, the Royal Institution and 

 others. Murchison asks young Ramsay to breakfast, when he first 

 comes to London — " His house is a splendid one. They are quite 

 people of fashion, but, notwithstanding, Mrs. M. is a kindly body, 

 and made me quite at ease at once." At dinner there he meets 

 " Mr. Featherstonhaugh, the American plenipotentiary, ... a 

 lively man, but takes no wine for his stomach's sake." Dean 

 Buckland condescended to make Ramsay's acquaintance — " So 

 I was introduced, and the Doctor gave me two of his digits 

 to shake." This was at a meeting of the Geological Society, 

 and the discussion continued till eleven ; is it for suburban 

 trains that the meetings nowadays are always (i closured" at 

 ten, or are geologists more married than they used to be ? At the 

 Royal Institution, this day forty-six years ago, Owen lectured on 

 Limbs ; Ramsay stood on the steps — " the theatre was quite full. I 

 saw many I knew : Dr. Fitton looking good-humoured, Sir Roderick 

 looking anxious to keep awake, Dr. Mantell looking eager, Dr. 

 Macdonald looking jolly and anxious for a hole in Owen's coat, Sir 

 Henry looking attentive and queer when Owen came to the perora- 

 tion, Sir Charles and Lady Lyell looking knightly, Lady S 



looking vulgar, Nicol looking Scotch, with a doubt in his eye, and 



Mrs. F looking at her dress." When Murchison lectured at the 



same place, he " was quite nervous in the early part of his lecture." 

 Forbes, on the other hand, " lectured in first-rate style, coolly and 

 boldly." " The Astronomer Royal lectured to a crowded audience, 

 Prince Albert in the chair. Airy forgot himself, and lectured an hour 

 and three-quarters ! The Prince fell asleep." When Ramsay him- 

 self first lectured there, " Faraday ran up to him at the close, shook 

 him by both hands, and asked ' Where did you learn to lecture ? ' " 

 Shortly before the Museum in Jermyn Street was opened, it was 

 inspected by many great people. Among others by Lord and Lady 

 John Russell. " He, cold and uninterested ; she, most charming and 



