578 



NA TURE 



[April 20, 189; 



or the standing of which render complete incorporation 

 with the University undesirable, and to institute 

 " University Extension " lectures, always, however, sub- 

 ject to the condition that the teaching functions of the 

 University are to be confined to the metropolitan area. 

 The examinations of the existing University of London 

 would of course be carried on, so that in this part of its 

 work the University would maintain its connection with 

 all parts of the kingdom, and indeed of the empire. 



In all these points the suggestions of the Association 

 appear to us to be eminently practical. It is hopeless to 

 expect a solution of the problem to which every one will 

 agree. The first desideratum is to secure the establish- 

 ment of a new non-federal teaching University, and then 

 to give a statutory commission the power to make bar- 

 gains with the existing colleges, which must either assent 

 to reasonable terms or be left outside the University 

 altogether. If any Governing Body consents to a close 

 incorporation with the University it will secure repre- 

 sentation on the Court both from among its lay members 

 and its Professors. When the University is fairly started 

 the Crown will select persons who are or are not connected 

 with the Colleges as may seem desirable. The Medical 

 Schools will be free to make terms with the Statutory 

 Commission or to remain independent as they please. 

 Of course the Commission ought to be as strong as pos- 

 sible, and much will depend on it, but with the suggested 

 constitution it would be impossible to make the University 

 a federation. It would be independent of and superior 

 to the Colleges. It would be powerful and important 

 enough to bulk large even in London, and to attract 

 help both from the State and the Municipality. 



COMPARATIVE GEOLOGY. 



Text Book of Comparative Geology. By E. Kayser, 

 Ph.D., Professor of Geology in the University of Mar- 

 burg. Translated and edited by Philip Lake, M.A., 

 F.G.S., late Harkness Scholar in the University of 

 Cambridge. With 596 Illustrations {"j-i, plates and 70 

 figures in the text). (London : Swan Sonnenschein. 

 New York : Macmillan and Co., 1893.) 



A MONG works dealing with stratigraphical or his- 

 ^^ torical geology. Dr. E. Kayser's "Lehrbuch der 

 geologischen Formationskunds " holds a deservedly high 

 place. The account given in this work of the several 

 geological systems, as displayed in Germany, is very full 

 and complete ; and the comparisons of the German strata 

 with their equivalents in other parts of Europe are for 

 the most part judicious and accurate. A very striking 

 and admirable feature of the book is its wealth of illus- 

 tration ; carefully selected specimens of the character- 

 istic fossils of the several formations, are figured in such 

 a way as to be clearly recognisable, and there is probably 

 no text-book of the kind in which the number of forms 

 thus represented is anything like so great. 



We cannot but think that Mr. Lake has rendered a 

 great service to geological students in this country by 

 translating Dr. Kayser's admirable text-book ; and for the 

 general manner in which he has performed his task we 

 have nothing but praise. When a detailed examination 

 NO. 1225, VOL. 47] 



of the book is made, however, it is impossible not to be 

 struck with a certain inequality of treatment on the part 

 of the editor : and as we sincerely hope this excellent 

 book may reach a second edition, it may be well to call 

 attention to points in which it is certainly susceptible of 

 improvement. 



There are two ways in which a teacher of geology in 

 any particular country may advantageously introduce his 

 students to the comparative study of the several forma- 

 tions. He may, in the first instance, describe the for- 

 mation as displayed in an area where his students can make 

 direct acquaintance with it, and then proceed to point 

 out the resemblances and differences presented by the 

 various foreign equivalents of the formation ; and there is 

 certainly mucji to be said in favour of thus making geology 

 " begin at home." But, inasmuch as the several systems 

 of strata are very unequally developed in different areas, 

 there is often a very obvious advantage in following a 

 different plan. If the district in which the most 

 perfect exhibition of a system of strata can be studied 

 be selected as the type, and all other areas be directly 

 compared with this typical representation of the system, 

 it is evident that a more satisfactory account of a forma- 

 tion can thus be given in a limited space than is possible 

 by the other method. 



Now as regards the Palaeozoic formations, we think 

 that Mr. Lake has been very happy in the methods he 

 has adopted. In the case of the Cambrian, Ordovician, 

 Silurian, and Carboniferous systems, he has commenced 

 with an account of their development in the British 

 Islands. The Devonian and Permian are, however, 

 differently dealt with, the type of the first being sought 

 in the Eifel and of the second in Central Germany. 

 Nothing could be better for the purpose aimed at than 

 this blending of the two different methods of treatment 

 to which we have referred. 



In his preface the author acknowledges the assistance 

 received from Mr. Marr and Prof. Lebour in preparing 

 the account of the Palaeozoic rocks ; and every one must 

 be satisfied with the general accuracy and fulness of treat- 

 ment of the British strata and their equivalents, so far as 

 the great Palaeozoic systems are concerned. 



The most serious criticism which we have to offer with 

 respect to this earlier portion of the work is as regards 

 the limits adopted for the Cambrian. Mr. Lake divides 

 this system into three portions, characterised by the 

 Olenellus, the Paradoxides, and the Olenus fauna re- 

 spectively; he nevertheless takes away from the Cambrian 

 the Tremadoc beds, in which Olenus is so abundant, and 

 makes them the base of the Ordovician. We think that, 

 in a work intended for English students, it would have 

 been better to have followed the practice which has 

 hitherto prevailed in this country, and to have included 

 the Tremadoc in the Cambrian, giving a reference to Dr. 

 Kayser's views in a footnote. 



We also find in the preface an admission that "addi- 

 tions are most numerous in the first half of the work, 

 while in the latter half the greatness of the subject and 

 the limits of space have made themselves more severely 

 felt." In the account of the Jurassic and Cretaceous 

 strata there are not a few important facts with respect to 

 the British representatives of those systems that are' 

 altogether omitted ; while there is, we think, a dispropor- 



