1824.] Analyses of Books. 371 



Article XII. 



Analyses of Books. 



A Selection of the Geological Memoirs contained in the Annates 

 des Mines, together with, a Synoptical Table of Equivalent 

 Formations, and M. Brongniart's Table of the Classification of 

 Mixed Rocks. Translated, with Notes, by H. T. de la Beche, 

 Esq. FRS. FLS. MGS. &c. London, 1824. 8vo. pp. 335, 

 and 11 Plates. 



When we compare the small space of time during which 

 geology has been pursued as a science of induction, with the 

 quantity of information that we now possess of the structure of 

 the globe, or at least of that portion of it which is open to the 

 cognizance of man, we cannot fail to perceive, that the progress 

 of geology in the mighty march of knowledge witnessed by the 

 present century and the latter part of the preceding one, has 

 been fully commensurate with that of the kindred sciences of 

 Mineralogy and Chemistry. The principles of geological 

 science have been, to a great extent, distinctly established, and 

 are now applying to the examination of the physical structure of 

 almost every part of the earth. The geological features of south- 

 ern Europe, and of the British Isles, have been most diligently 

 investigated, — though with respect to these alone much yet 

 remains to be accomplished — and the knowledge thus gained 

 has been employed with the greatest advantage, in the compa- 

 rison of them with those of other countries. The results have 

 been given to the world in a numerous series of memoirs, in 

 almost every language of Europe, but principally in French and 

 in German. From those in the former language, published in 

 the Annales des Mines, a work conducted by the General 

 Council of Mines at Paris, Mr. de la Beche has in this volume 

 performed an acceptable service to British geologists, by select- 

 ing, with some abbreviation, a series of the more important 

 papers. His own eminence as a geologist is a sufficient gua- 

 rantee for the quality of the work: and we shall therefore confine 

 ourselves to a brief analysis of its contents ; appending to this, 

 however, his translation of M. Brongniart's " Notice on the 

 Magnesite of the Paris Basin," or which we purposed to have 

 given an abstract in the Annals, some time since.* The work 

 commences with Mr. de la Beche's very useful " Synoptical 

 Table of Equivalent Formations," giving the names of the 

 various rocks in English, French, and German, and to which 

 are subjoined the synonymes of certain individual geologists 



" See Annalt, N. s. vi.l.iv. |>. 88!». 

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