IQI2. Reviews. 121 



REVIEWS. 



A HANDBOOK OF GEOLOGY. 



The Student's Handbook of Stratigraphical Geology. By A. J. Jukes- 

 Browne, F.R.S. 2nd edition. London; E. Stanford, 1912. Price 

 125. net. 



Whoever possesses himself of this book, and also of " The Building of 

 the British Isles,"' by the same author, M-ill indeed be well equipped for 

 studying Britannic geology. Mr. Jukes-Browne is an unfailing guide 

 to modern stratigraphical research, and at the same time a wise critic 

 of results. Like most of our prominent schoolmen in geology, he regards 

 our islands as the centre of historic interest. The Karroo Beds do not 

 tempt him ; he does not help us to realise the Jurassic reptiles of America, 

 nor the amazing development of mammalia in Eocene times. The last 

 glacial epoch (p. 648) is treated as if it concerned only a portion of Europe, 

 and we are once more invited to consider the diversion of the Gulf Stream, 

 as if this would account for the glaciation of New Zealand or the torrential 

 deposits of the Andes. But the continent of Europe receives far better 

 treatment than is usual, and Ireland, in the author's careful hands, becomes 

 truly one of the British Isles. It is not Mr. Jukes-Browne's fault if he 

 leaves unmentioned two publications, of the present year ; but we are 

 certain to find near p. 95 of the next edition an account of Messrs. Ryan 

 and Hallissy's new fossils from Bray Head, and near p. 210 a record of 

 Mr. M'Henry's bold suggestion concerning the succession in the Dingle 

 Promontory. In view of their general characters, and of the occurrence 

 of the freshwater Kiltorcan Beds between them and the marine base of 

 the Carboniferous System, the Old Red Sandstone rocks of southern 

 Ireland are not at all likely to be marine. Mr. Jukes-Browne, however, 

 only repeats here (p. 209) the marine view that he has elaborated in his 

 " Building of the British Isles." A general geological map of Ireland 

 is given on pp. 270 and 271, which can easily be coloured by the student. 

 The igneous rocks on this are shaded according to their geological age. 



The difficult question of the succession of the rocks in the Scottish 

 highlands seems excellently dealt with, and Mr. Bailey's very recent 

 views on recumbent fold -structure are illustrated (p. 44). The intrusive 

 nature of much of the so-called " fundamental gneiss" in Europe is clearly 

 stated, and the Archaean series of Fennescandia are described from the 

 publications of the International Geological Congress of 19 10. In 

 accordance, however, with the plan laid out in the preface, our great 

 Archaean dominion of Canada is unnoticed. 



Though some of us may favour the eclectic method, by which the best 

 evidence, for the earth's life-history is gathered from the globe at large, 

 Mr. Jukes-Browne's work is remarkable for the wide reading that it 

 represents. From his home in Devonshire, he watches what geologists 

 are doing throughout Europe, and he does much to bind them together 

 by his sympathetic statement of their views. 



The only misprints that we have noticed in this full volume are in 

 proper names ; but Three Rock Mountain has wandered into the county 

 of Wexford on p. 634. 



Grenville a. J. Cole. 



