i894. SOME NEW BOOKS. 305 



Palaeolithic times, and in Chapter XI. a discussion as to the age of the 

 implements themselves. Pages 179-306 deal with " Traces of primeval 

 man," and contain a record of discoveries of implements found between 

 Bedfordshire and London, dozens of which are figured and all of 

 which are of Palseolithic age. The rest of Mr. Smith's work treats 

 of Neolithic weapons which have been found from time to time over 

 the same area, together with notes on earthworks, roads, and track- 

 ways near Dunstable ; early British hut-remains, deneholes, graves, 

 tumuli and skeletons from Dunstable Downs. In the above imperfect 

 sketch we have endeavoured to show the contents of this interesting 

 book, and have not pretended to offer any critical remarks. The 

 book is emphatically one to buy, to read, and to ponder over. 

 From it those interested in the early history of their race will 

 learn much, while the sketch map will enable them to follow 

 the author in his topographical details, and assist them to 

 obtain an excellent idea of the mode and conditions of life of their 

 remote ancestors. Of the illustrations of flint implements we need 

 scarcely speak, suffice it to say that they are Mr. Worthington 

 Smith's, and that the variety and number of them should enable 

 many a tyro to supplement our knowledge of their distribution. 



We observe with pleasure, from a circular recently received, that 

 Mr. Smith will conduct an excursion of the Geologists' Association 

 to Caddington on May 26, in order to explain to thein the structure 

 of the district and his discoveries. May we be there to see ! 



Horned Reptiles in Scotland. 

 On Some New Reptiles from the Elgin Sandstones. By E. T. Newton. 



Phil. Trans., vol. clxxxiv., B., pp. 431-503, pis. xxvi-xli. (1893). 

 For some years past, palaeontologists have been tantalised with reports 

 of the occurrence of remains of reptiles allied to the Dicynodonts of 

 Africa and India in the Triassic sandstones of Elgin ; but with the 

 dilatoriness of most Government departments — whether it be in 

 deciding to build ships or to describe fossils — the Geological Survey 

 of Scotland, to whom the specimens belonged or were confided, 

 maintained a strange reserve on the subject. After a protracted 

 period of patient (or shall we say impatient ?) suspense, those inte- 

 rested in the subject have, however, been rewarded with the appearance 

 of a memoir on the remains in question, which leaves little to be 

 desired in point of completeness or in wealth of illustration ; and we 

 here beg to offer our congratulations to the Council of the Royal 

 Society in having displayed such a wise liberality to the author in the 

 way of plates. 



Not only does the memoir before us fully endorse the aforesaid 

 reports as to the occurrence of Anomodont reptiles in the Elgin 

 sandstones, but it likewise shows that these animals were repre- 

 sented by numerous and diversified types, all of which were, however, 

 more or less closely allied to South African forms. Unlike the African 

 representatives of the group, which for the most part occur in the 

 form of well-preserved skulls and limb-bones, the Elgin specimens 

 when placed in the hands of the author of the memoir before us were 

 in the shape of most unpromising impressions. Fortunately, he hit 

 upon the plan of taking gutta-percha casts from these natural moulds, 

 with the result that, after much patient labour, he succeeded in 

 restoring the skulls of these ancient reptiles in a manner which 

 makes their characters fully apparent ; and it is from such casts 

 that most of the figures in the memoir have been drawn. 



The first remains that the author takes in hand are certain skulls 



X 



