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81 



framinpf a sentence is such as, at times, to convey to his 

 readers a meaning totally different from the one he 

 intended, and also that he is not always acquainted with 

 the signification of the terms he employs. As an example 

 of the former kind of error we may refer our readers to 

 p. 17, where it is stated that antelopes and snow-leopards 

 are "denizens of the deep" ; while as a sample of the 

 second we may adduce the misapplication of the term 

 "antlers" to the cranial appendages of sheep (p. 26). 



Admitting that Mr. Westell displays a strong love of 

 nature, the best we can say of the text in general is that, 

 for the most part, it consists of descriptions of what may 

 be seen during a country walk at different seasons of the 

 year, interspersed with platitudes and reflections, and 

 extracts from poems. We have, however, failed to 

 detect anything strikingly original either in the proper 

 subject of the book or in the articles devoted to the 

 discussion of the beaks, tails and feet of birds. The 

 article on the Rothschild museum and menagerie seems 

 chiefly intended to display the author's profound ignorance 

 of natural history in general. 



The one redeeming feature of the book is to be found 

 in the illustrations, which are exquisite examples of 

 photogravure ; and if it consisted of these alone (which, 

 by the way, have been photographed by friends of the 

 author), it would certainly form a pretty picture-book for 

 the drawing-room table. But, as the author is once 

 again candid enough to admit, the illustrations, for the 

 most part, have no sort of connection with the text, and 

 are, so to speak, thrown in at haphazard. 



A few of the articles, it seems, have previously appeared 

 in magazines ; while the majority or all of the rest were 

 first published in the columns of certain local newspapers 

 circulating in the home counties. In our own opinion, 

 the author would have been better advised had he been 

 content with the credit to be derived from such ephemeral 

 publication. R. L. 



The Geology of Sydney and the Blue Mountains : a 

 Popular Introduction to the Study of Geology. By 

 the Rev. J. Milne Curran. Second edition. Pp. 391. 

 (Sydney : Angus and Robertson, 1899. London : 

 Australian Book Co., 38, W^est Smithfield.) 



This is, strictly speaking, an elementary manual of 

 geology, written and illustrated with especial reference to 

 the geology of Sydney. The general plan of the work 

 is good ; the book is well printed and illustrated with 

 maps, photographic pictures of rock structure and 

 scenery, figures of fossils and rock sections ; and it is 

 satisfactory to learn that the labours of the author have 

 been appreciated, as the first edition, published in 1898, 

 was sold out in a few months. This speaks well for the 

 interest taken in the study of geology in New South 

 Wales. The colony is fortunate in having representatives 

 of all the great geological systems from the Silurian 

 upwards, but it is sufficient for the Australian student to 

 learn the forms of life which characterise these main 

 divisions all the world over, while he supplements the 

 knowledge with particulars of the strata and organic 

 remains in his own country. To him information about 

 the Hawkesbury-Wianamatta series or the Mount 

 Lambie sandstones is more important than a descrip- 

 tion of the Wenlock Limestone, the Lower Greensand or 

 the London Clay. 



The author gives general accounts of fossils, minerals, 

 and rocks, but he sometimes becomes too popular in 

 style, as, for instance, when he remarks of the Labyrin- 

 thodon, that "This ungainly creature was a shovel- 

 headed Salamander, which pottered about like Falstaff 

 in his old age, ' with much belly and little legs.'" To be 

 very popular and also exact is difficult, and in this 

 respect the author is not wholly successful. 



Information is tabulated and repeated almost to 

 excess ; there is a table of the stratified rocks of New 



NO. 1621, VOL. 63] 



South Wales, another of the principal Australian sedi- 

 mentary formations, and a third of the general succession 

 of Australasian strata, to say nothing of minor tables. 

 The characteristic fossils of the Australian formations are 

 enumerated (pp. 84, 85), but in so erratic a fashion that 

 .saurians, fishes, echinoderms and mollusca are hopelessly 

 mixed. 



The author observes in his preface (p. 8) that "some 

 friendly critics have found fault with the disposition of 

 the illustrations.'' These critics were quite right. There 

 is no excuse for placing a figure of the Triassic Trema- 

 notus in a page dealing with Pleistocene, nor a figure of 

 remarkable weathering of sandstone in a page treating 

 of basalt ! 



The sketch map which serves as frontispiece has no 

 scale attached to it, while the coloured geological map of 

 Mount Victoria, Blackheath and Hartley takes in a part 

 of the Blue Mountains, though the fact is not made 

 manifest. It is desirable that references be given in all 

 cases where quotations on scientific subjects are made, 

 and it would be well to add the initials of authors in the 

 list of works given in the appendix. 



The author concludes his work with a glossary. We 

 doubt the utility of giving the derivations of many 

 biological names; some of these appear ludicrous, as, 

 for instance, Agnostus (I know not), Athyris (without a 

 door), Avicula (a little bird). Phanerogams (visible 

 marriage), &c. These, however, are trifling matters. 

 The, book is one on which further pains may advan- 

 tageously be bestowed, as it is sure soon to reach a third 

 edition. 



Light Railways at Horns and Abroad. By. W. H. Cole, 

 M.I.C.E. Pp. X -t- 339. (London : C. Griffin and Co., 

 Ltd., 1899.) 



Whii,e it is too soon to say that the Light Railways Act 

 of 1896 has in any degree failed in its object, it must be 

 admitted that as yet there are no signs of that revolution 

 in the transport service of country districts for which the 

 more enthusiastic promoters of the Act had hoped. Of 

 the many schemes that have been brought forward but 

 few have emerged from the successive ordeals of the 

 Light RailwayCommissionersand the Board of Trade, and 

 of these several have failed to secure the necessary sup- 

 port of capital. This is hardly to be wondered at, for 

 the districts in which the need of improved facilities for 

 transport is most urgent are precisely those in which the 

 spirit of enterprise and the power of raising capital are 

 weakest. The British agriculturist, too, whether landlord 

 or tenant, has been so long unaccustomed to take joint 

 action for a common end, that many hopeful schemes 

 have failed to obtain the support of those who might be 

 expected to reap the chief benefit from them. It may be 

 that the provisions of the Act require modification, that 

 the Board of Trade must become less exacting in its 

 conditions, that greater encouragement must be given to 

 local authorities, or easier access afforded to Treasury 

 grants. These are questions which a few years working 

 of the Act will answer. 



Meantime, to all who are interested in the subject of 

 light railways, whether as promoter, engineer, or possible 

 user, Mr. Cole's book is indispensable. His object has 

 been to collect all available information from many 

 scattered sources, and to condense and present it in 

 compact and accessible form, and he has succeeded in 

 producing a very useful book of reference. Something 

 more than a hundred pages are devoted to light railways 

 abroad, special attention being given to their development 

 in Belgium, France, Italy and India. In each case full 

 details are given as to the provision of capital, whether 

 by the State, by local authorities or by private enter- 

 prise ; as to gauge, weight of rolling stock, use of high- 

 ways and other details of construction ; as to various 

 economies of working, limits of speed and precautions 



