Bibliographical Notice. 437 



mena. Just, however, as geology is a combination of all other natural- 

 history sciences, so the Handbook before us gives a fair proportion 

 of botanical and conchological information for the district. 



Weymouth has had its scientific observers for many years (as Mr. 

 Damon's list of authors shows), but their writings have been too 

 technical for the world at large ; and Mr. Damon has now brought 

 together, in a neat and convenient form, pretty well all about the 

 neighbourhood that is of interest to the general inquirer, and has 

 prepared this information in a clear, systematic, and satisfactory 

 manner. Its speciality, as descriptive of the Weymouth, Portland, 

 and Purbeck coast, its greater conciseness, and more definite treat- 

 ment of the strata and fossils, distinguish it from the only other 

 purely geological guide-book for this district, namely Mantell's 

 * Geological Excursions around the Isle of Wight and along the 

 adjacent Coast of Dorsetshire.' Austen's ' Guide to the Geology of 

 Purbeck,' 1852, and Brannon's * Guide to Swanage and the Isle of 

 Purbeck,' 1859, are less elaborate aids for geologists visiting some 

 parts of the district in question. 



The * Handbook' commences with remarks on the physical fea- 

 tures of the Dorsetshire Coast, and on the place in the series of 

 rock-formations that the strata of Dorsetshire hold. These strata 

 (from the Fuller' s-earth of the Oolite to the superficial gravel) and 

 their characteristic fossils are then concisely described ; the places 

 where the latter can best be got at are noted ; the most important of 

 the fossils are well portrayed in good-sized woodcuts, as well as sections 

 and views ; and considerable information is given respecting the iron, 

 coal, gypsum, alum, clays, cement-stone, building-stone, &c, occur- 

 ring in the strata. Illustrative notes and explanations of technical 

 words are not wanting. 



Special information on some points interesting to the geological 

 observer is given — relating to the faults or cracks whereby the strata 

 have been shifted along extensive lines across the country, also as 

 to the foldings or bendings of the beds of rock, the land-slips, the 

 waste of the coast, Chesil Beach, &c. Popular Notes on Fossils 

 are added ; and a short summary or retrospective survey of the Pre- 

 adamitic history of the district (somewhat after the style of Dr. 

 Mantell's eloquent "Retrospect," in the work above alluded to) is 

 offered at page 149. Some previously unpublished species of fossil 

 shells (partly figured in woodcuts in this work) are carefully described, 

 with the aid of Messrs. Morris and Lycett, at pages 1 72 to 1 74, and 

 are also figured in lithograph and described in the * Supplement.' 

 Lists of the sea-, river-, and land-shells of the neighbourhood, the 

 marine crustaceans, the sea-weeds, the rarer land-plants, and of the 

 ferns, complete the ' Handbook.' 



Mention of the much-talked-of stone tools of the old Flint-folk of 

 the Valley of the Somme is not omitted (p. 134) : and here we may 

 correct Mr. Damon in his referring the " Stone-beads " to M Lunu- 

 lites," by directing his attention to No. 31 of these * Annals' (July 

 1860), p. 35, where their true relationship, as Orbitolince, amongst 

 the Foraminifera, has been shown by Messrs. Parker and Jones. 



