100 Chronicles of Science. [Jan., 
deposited by him in the Geological Society’s Library. The princi- 
pal view advocated is, that the “ entire valley-system of the East 
of England originated in centres of arc-like or curvilinear disturb- 
ance, which immediately preceded the elevation of the bed of the sea 
from which was deposited the wide-spread deposit of Boulder-clay 
forming the latest of the Glacial beds of the South of England.” 
We are glad to see that Mr. Wood now recognizes the ambiguity 
of the terms Upper Drift, Middle Drift, &c., which we pointed out 
in noticing a former paper of his, and has substituted for them the 
terms Upper Glacial clay, Middle Glacial beds, &e. Many other 
points of interest are also discussed, especially the relations of the 
Thames valley-gravel, the Brick-earth deposits, &., for which we 
must refer our readers to the paper itself. 
On December 1st the Society published a bulky Supplement 
number, the description of which we must reserve for our next 
Chronicle. 
9. MINERALOGY, MINING, AND METALLURGY. 
MINERALOGY. 
Amone British mineralogists no one has latterly been more active, 
whether in laboratory work or in literary work, than Mr. David 
Forbes, F.R.S. Without referrmg to his writings on Chemical 
Geology, which, however, are full of interest to the mineralogist, 
it will be sufficient in this place to call attention to his purely 
mineralogical work. In introducing the first part of his “ Re- 
searches on British Mimeralogy,”* Mr. Forbes takes occasion to 
contrast the present backward state of the science in this country 
with the honourable position which it occupied in the early part of 
this century. The chemist now-a-days is attracted by the organic 
branch of his science rather than by mineral chemistry, while the 
geologist is usually allured by paleontological research ; and hence 
but few labourers enter the field of Mineralogy. To correct this 
state of things, and to develop a wholesome taste for the study, 
Forbes protests against the too-prevalent notion that Mineralogy is 
occupied exclusively with the dry enumeration of species, and with 
the description of their physical characters and chemical com- 
position. Taking a higher stand-point, he maintains that minerals 
should properly be studied with reference to their mode of occur- 
rence, origin, paragenesis, and especially the relations of their 
associated rocks. When thus prosecuted, the study cannot fail to 
prove a valuable aid both to the geologist in his examination of 
rock-masses in the field, and to the miner in his investigation of the 
* ©Philosophical Magazine,’ Noy., 1867, p. 529. 
