1894. SOME NEW BOOKS. 71 



Middle Lias ; while no less than seventeen species are stated to go 

 from the Upper Lias into the Inferior Oolite. This peculiar result is, 

 of course, due to the author's method of treatment of the Upper Lias 

 in Dorset and Gloucestershire ; and it will be interesting to note in 

 the Oolitic volume whither the author will be led by this pursuit of 

 lithological uniformity in defiance of palaeontological evidence. 



From mistakes other than those of identification, and from mis- 

 prints, the work seems to be creditably free. Dactylocevas is given 

 throughout the Appendix instead of Dactyliocefas ; and a species called 

 Ophiodevma millcvi on p. 192 is alluded to as O. tennibrachiata on 

 p. 198 ; while " mutations of sub-genera '\(p. 328) certainly puzzles us. 



A certain conservatism has prevented any attempt to classify 

 Ammonites according to genera ; but it has not been extended to 

 Gasteropods, for new genera like Pseudomelania and Nortonia are 

 admitted. There is the same conservatism in the matter of Ammonite- 

 species. We are told that " many of the species are so split up that 

 the multitude of names is simply bewildering, and they become of 

 little or no service to the stratigraphical geologist " (p. 328). Now, we 

 were under the impression that from the days of Oppel onwards 

 the best stratigraphical work done on the Continent and in America 

 had been accomplished by those who were strict in specific identifi- 

 cation. But here, again, this conservatism is only applied to Am- 

 monites : in Brachiopods there are catalogued under Spinferina all 

 those species which Davidson was so doubtful about admitting. This 

 is surely inconsistent. 



In conclusion, we must express our sincere regret that a volume 

 which contains an immense amount of valuable work should have 

 been disfigured by palaeontological inaccuracies arising from a laxity 

 in the use of specific names. We regret it for the author's sake ; 

 because it too often happens that inaccuracies in the part about 

 which he can form an opinion induce the reader to condemn the rest, 

 of which he knows naught. Though excusable, this is often unjust. 



S. S. B. 



Poems. By Arthur Christopher Benson. Svo. Pp. xvi. and 192. London : 

 Matthews & Lane, 1893. Price 5s. nett. 



Scientific people are often said to have no care for literature. This 

 is surely a libel ; at any rate lovers of nature will do well speedily 

 to make the acquaintance of this little volume. In days when so 

 many write for the sake of writing, and to be read by other writers, 

 it is a pure pleasure to chance on a poet who takes us back again to 

 the simple, strong heart of the world without intervention of Grub 

 Street fripperies. Other poets have incidentally cast flashes of light 

 on our ordinary surroundings, making for us beauty where none was 

 seen before ; but Mr. Benson takes the common olDJects of the field 

 as the very text of his songs. Berries of Yew, Old Nests, The 

 Mole, The Dandelion, Knapweed : such are some of the subjects on 

 which he writes with the insight born of love. Not often does he 

 deal with the deeper questions of natural science, but the following 

 lines from the very beautiful poem addressed to A Child touch on 

 the mysteries of inheritance : — ■ 



Old signs are written in thy tender face, 



Desires, regrets that thou hast never known. 



Thou art the heir of thy aspiring race. 

 Heir of a troubled throne. 



