©eologg, 349 



book on the Ferns of the Lake District,* but we cannot 

 point to any satisfactory detailed account of the Flora. 



GEOLOGY. 



Believing that the great majority of Lake tourists do not 

 wish or expect to find an elaborate treatise on Geology 

 in a volume intended chiefly to point out the beauties of the 

 scenes and the readiest way of reaching them ; but feeling 

 also that a complete Guide-book would scarcely merit the 

 title did it not afford some information upon the marvellous 

 arrangement and character of the different systems of rock 

 of which this beautiful region is framed, we propose to sup- 

 ply a moderate knowledge of the structure of our hills, f 



It were useless to speculate upon the long ages that 

 elapsed during the formation of any one of the vast rocky 

 systems of the district, and impossible to form any conception 

 of the stupendous forces which, operating from beneath on 

 the different stratifications, bestowed upon the region the 

 grand external features that render it so attractive even to 

 the most superficial observer. We, therefore, undertake 

 merely to point out the localities of the various formations 

 and to notice very shortly their nature and character. 



The Slate Rocks. — Nearly the whole area of the Lake 

 District proper consists geologically of three great groups of 



* Windermere : J. Gamett. 



t This study may be much aided by the possession of Ruthven's 

 Geological Map of the Lake District, to be had of Mr. Stanford, Lon- 

 don ; or the Publisher, Mr. Garnett, Windermere. 



