REVIEWS METEOROLOGY. 259 



graphical gi-onnds, as it is shown that there is a distinct break between 

 the two. Unfortunately, however, the new editions of the map showing 

 these additional lines and corrections have been kept back for some 

 unintelligible reason, although the work was done three years ago. 



It will startle many to find that after a careful examination of the 

 evidence as furnishal by the sections in Cheshire, Mr. Strahan comes 

 to the conclusion that the supposed break between the Bunterand the 

 Keuper, during which the English Triassic areas were believed to have 

 formed land while the Muschelkalk of the Continent was accumulating, 

 is a myth, and that " in this area the deposition of the Keuper followed 

 on that of the Bunter under a continuance of the same physical con- 

 ditions." This conclusion is based on " the close similarity of the 

 conglomeratic beds of the two ages, and the repetition of all the 

 phenomena in the one that are observable in the other." The only 

 difficulty that presents itself to our mind in accepting the conclusion 

 that there was no break between the Bunter and the Keuper in 

 Cheshire is the sudden change in the texture of the rock that marks 

 the dawn of the Keuper period, the highest beds of the Bunter con- 

 sisting mostly of very fine rounded grains, while the Keuper is 

 distinguished by the coarse and " sharp " or angular aspect of its 

 component grains. This seems to point to considerable physical 

 changes having taken place about this time. 



What it was that produced this remarkable change all over the 

 Midlands at the dawn of the Keuper period must remain, we suppose, 

 an interesting point for future research. With regard to the German 

 Muschelkalk it will probably turn out (if it is ever really known) to be 

 represented in England by the Kenper Basement Beds. 



The superficial deposits, with their numerous fossils, and the 

 associated erratics, come in for a large share of attention, and are well 

 illustrated with woodcuts ; while an important section of each work is 

 devoted to the various economical aspects of the rocks of each 

 district. Appended are very useful lists of papers relating to the areas 

 covered by the memoirs. These, it is scarcely necessary to add, are 

 the work of Mr. W. Whitaker, B.A. 



J. S. 



METEOEOLOGY OF THE MIDLANDS 



BY CLEMENT L. WK.\GGE, F.R.G.S., F.M.S., ETC. 



THE WEATHER OF SEPTEMBER, 188'2. 



During the first ten days the weather was fairly genial, but the 

 remainder of the month was generally dull and cold. Fogs were 

 frequent. Temperature was below the average ; at Strelley by 2 deg., 

 and at Orleton " the mean temperature of the month was nearly 3 deg. 

 below the average, and was lower than that of any September, except 

 that of 1877, for the last 21 years." 



