Bibliographical Notice. 437 
mena. Just, however, as geology is a combination of all other natural- 
history sciences, so the Handbook before us gives a fair proportion 
of botanical and conchological information for the district. 
Weymouth has had its scientific observers for many years (as Mr. 
Damon’s list of authors shows), but their writings have been too 
technical for the world at large; and Mr. Damon has now brought 
together, in a neat and convenient form, pretty well all about the 
neighbourhood that is of interest to the general inquirer, and has ~ 
prepared this information in a clear, systematic, and satisfactory 
manner. Its speciality, as descriptive of the Weymouth, Portland, 
and Purbeck coast, its greater conciseness, and more definite treat- 
ment of the strata and fossils, distinguish it from the only other 
purely geological guide-book for this district, namely Mantell’s 
‘Geological Excursions around the Isle of Wight and along the 
adjacent Coast of Dorsetshire.’ Austen’s ‘Guide to the Geology of 
Purbeck,’ 1852, and Brannon’s ‘ Guide to Swanage and the Isle of 
Purbeck,’ 1559, are less elaborate aids for geologists visiting some 
parts of the district in question. 
The ‘ Handbook’ commences with remarks on the physical fea- 
tures of the Dorsetshire Coast, and on the place in the series of 
rock-formations that the strata of Dorsetshire hold. These strata 
(from the Fuller’s-earth of the Oolite to the superficial gravel) and 
their characteristic fossils are then concisely described ; the places 
where the latter can best be got at are noted ; the most important of 
the fossils are well portrayed in good-sized woodcuts, as well as sections 
and views ; and considerable information is given respecting the iron, 
coal, gypsum, alum, clays, cement-stone, building-stone, &c., occur- 
ring in the strata. Illustrative notes and explanations of technical 
words are not wanting. 
Special information on some points interesting to the geological 
observer is given—relating to the faults or cracks whereby the strata 
have been shifted along extensive lines across the country, also as 
to the foldings or bendings of the beds of rock, the land-slips, the 
waste of the coast, Chesil Beach, &c. Popular Notes on Fossils 
are added; and a short summary or retrospective survey of the Pre- 
adamitic history of the district (somewhat after the style of Dr. 
Mantell’s eloquent “ Retrospect,” in the work above alluded to) is 
offered at page 149. Some previously unpublished species of fossil 
shells (partly figured in woodcuts in this work) are carefully described, 
with the aid of Messrs. Morris and Lycett, at pages 172 to 174, and 
are also figured in lithograph and described in the ‘Supplement.’ 
Lists of the sea-, river-, and land-shells of the neighbourhood, the 
marine crustaceans, the sea-weeds, the rarer land-plants, and of the 
ferns, complete the ‘ Handbook.’ 
Mention of the much-talked-of stone tools of the old Flint-folk of 
the Valley of the Somme is not omitted (p. 134): and here we may 
correct Mr. Damon in his referring the ‘‘ Stone-beads”’ to “ Lunu- 
lites,” by directing his attention to No. 31 of these ‘ Annals’ (July 
1860), p. 35, where their true relationship, as Orbitoline, amongst 
the Foraminifera, has been shown by Messrs. Parker and Jones. 
