Notes and Comments. 265 



The pre-glacial valley of the Dee is traceable beyond Chirk 

 in a south-easterly direction to near St. Martin's Moor. The 

 drift-filled valley shown by Dr. Strachan to exist below the 

 estuary of the Dee and as far south as Pulford, extends to 

 Rodens Hall, near Bangor-on-Dee, where it is still 30 feet 

 below sea level. This indicated a much steeper pre-glacial 

 ' thalweg ' than the present one. An attempt is made to prove 

 that these two valleys are continuous, although the inter- 

 mediate portion is obliterated by Drift. The question is raised 

 whether the uplift during which the erosion of this deep buried 

 valley took place was pre-glacial, or whether it occurred during 

 the Glacial Period. The evidence is far from conclusive, but, 

 in the opinion of the author, appears to point to the latter view. 



GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL READING ROOM.* 



Many of our readers have doubtless found it necessary to 

 consult the world's greatest library at the British Museum, 

 in connection with their researches. And doubtless many have 

 wasted a day or more through not knowing the proper way to 

 go about. In Mr. Peddie's handbook, all this is clearly ex- 

 plained, and many useful hints are given as to the best and 

 simplest way of making the most of the library while there. The 

 author also has serviceable chapters on the various catalogues, 

 bibliographies, etc. The ' one outstanding special collection 

 of books ' in the museum is the library of Sir Joseph Banks. 

 Information is given in reference to all the departments in the 

 museum reading room, from maps and newspapers to Hindi, 

 Panjabi, Sindh, and Pushtu. Oddly enough, the one book 

 selected from ,the four million volumes for a sample entry in 

 the general catalogue, is before the present writer at the 

 moment, having been sent ' with the kind regards ' of the 

 author. Possibly Mr. Peddie has been similarly regarded. 

 We suppose the author had an object in producing his hand- 

 book the size and shape of a prayer-book, but it would surely 

 have been more useful and less liable to get lost had it been 

 octavo size, and then the ' Table of Subjects ' need not have 

 been folded into eight, with the result that it is sure to get 

 torn ; in fact, ours was on arrival, possibly through some 

 inquisitive person examining the book before it reached us. 



In the Journal of the Linnean Society, No. 277, Prof. Herdman des- 

 cribes Aniphidinimn operculatum, a new British record. The species dis- 

 coloured the ripple-marked sand in the Isle of ]\Iaft. 



Among the articles in the well-illustrated Nature Book now being 

 issued by Messrs. Cassell & Co., are the Cliffs and their Story, The Life 

 History of a ]\Iountain, Rock Garden, and Summer Insects. 



* The British Museum Reading Room : A Handbook for Students, by 

 R. A. Peddie. London ; Clrafton & Co., 61 pp., i/-. 



1912 Sept. I. 



