322 Review* — Watson's Building Stones. 



IV. — British and Foreign Building Stones. A Descriptive 

 Catalogue of the Specimens in the Sedgwick Museum, 

 Cambridge. By John Watson. 8vo ; pp. viii, 483. Cambridge: 

 at the University Press, 1911. Price 8s. net. 



rpHAT the practical applications of Science are receiving more and 

 J_ more attention at our Universities is a matter well known and of 

 supreme importance. Nevertheless, the work before us comes to 

 a certain extent as a surprise in showing what a very fine collection 

 of building-stones has been gathered together from all parts of the 

 world and arranged in the Sedgwick Museum. Great credit is thus 

 due to Professor Hughes and those who are associated with him in 

 teaching stratigraphical geology and petrology, as well as to Mr. John 

 "Watson, who has written the account of the specimens with evident 

 care and after much painstaking research. 



In his Introduction the author gives a general account of building-. 

 stones, with remarks on the value of different tests, on the qualities 

 of stone adapted for various purposes, and in different regions and 

 situations, on seasoning, and on the causes of decay. Then follow 

 descriptions of the Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary rocks of 

 all parts of the world, accounts of the quarries and the working of 

 stone, historic and practical, with references to ancient monuments 

 and to buildings of different ages where particular stones have been 

 used. This portion of the work occupies about one-half of the volume, 

 and it contains a large amount of interesting as well as useful 

 information. 



The remaining portion of the volume consists of the particular 

 description of the rock-specimens, which number 1,126. They are 

 arranged under (1) British, and (2) Colonial and Foreign, in each case 

 under the headings of Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary. The 

 following particulars are given so far as possible, but there are 

 naturally many omissions, and the ages of Igneous rocks are not 

 noted : Name (commercial or otherwise) of stone ; Geological age 

 (of Sedimentary rocks) ; Characters of rock -specimen, and if admitting 

 of polish ; Locality ; Donor or Collector ; Chemical composition ; 

 Weight per cubic foot ; Specific gravity ; Patio of Absorption or 

 Porosity ; and Crushing strain. 



The specimens are mostly 4£ inch cubes, with one face polished 

 when suitable, one left rough, and the others dressed in the style 

 generally adopted in the locality where the stone is worked. 



It is to be noted that the petrological designations on the labels of 

 the igneous rocks have been contributed by Mr. A. Harker, who lias 

 thus imparted a special value to this part of the book. 



Poofing-slates, paving-stone, road-metal, and marble, examples of 

 which are arranged in the Sedgwick Museum, do not come within the 

 province of the work ; but some flags and ornamental stones arc 

 naturally described under the building materials, such as Caithness 

 Flagstone, Torquay Limestone, Hopton Wood Stone, and Larvikite 

 (one of the Norwegian granites). 



Although Mr. Watson remarks that the collection is "very far 

 from being exhaustive", it is a capital representative series. No 



