428 Brief Notices. 



Creek, Sioux County, and (3) a mounted skeleton of Diceratherium 

 Coohi, a form allied to Rhinoceros, from the Agate Spring Fossil 

 quarries, also in Sioux County. 



13. Underground Water Papers. — The United States Geological 

 Survey have issued (as Water Supply Paper No. 258, 1911) a series 

 of short papers relating to investigations of special underground 

 water problems. Among the subjects we may mention that of 

 Drainage by Wells, and the advantages, and possible disadvantages 

 through pollution of water-supplies, are discussed; also the Freezing 

 of Wells ; and the Occurrence and Composition of Well-waters in 

 Granites, concerning which it is stated that 87 per cent, of the wells 

 drilled in granite in New England, of which records are available, 

 were successful enough for ordinary domestic use. Most of these 

 were from 50 to 100 feet deep. Another article on Magnetic Wells 

 is of interest, as the phenomena are reported to "consist in the 

 magnetization of needles, knife blades, nails, etc., immersed in the 

 water, both at the source and at a distance, and in the deflection 

 of the magnetic needle in its vicinity ". It is well known that 

 magnetism is exhibited by well-casings, and it is concluded "that 

 the phenomena are induced by earth magnetism aided by the vibration 

 of the drill or of the casing when it is sunk by percussion, which 

 permits the readjustment of the polarized particles of the steel ". 

 Other articles deal with mineral springs, saline artesian waters, the 

 protection of shallow wells in sandy deposits, etc. Water Supply 

 Paper No. 257, 1911, consists of an essay on Well-drilling Methods, 

 by Mr. Isaiah Bowman. 



14. Geology of Melbourne. — A handy little book has been written 

 on this subject by Mr. G. B. Pritchard (Melbourne, 1910, pp. 187, with 

 44 illustrations). The author's object is to encourage interest in the 

 local geological features and to preserve records of those which are 

 being gradually obliterated by the growth of the city. After an 

 introduction, and short chapters on geological time and on fossils, 

 the author conducts his readers on a series of rambles in and around 

 Melbourne, and in the course of these he describes the local geology 

 and also explains the method of construction of geological maps and 

 sections. 



15. Cambridge County Geogkathies.— Since our former notice of 

 these publications, which are issued by the Cambridge University Press, 

 price Is. 6d. each (Geol. Mag., May, 1911, p. 232), we have received 

 the volumes on Aberdeenshire by Mr. Alexander Mackie, on 

 Huntingdonshire by the Bev. W. M. Noble, and on Worcestershire 

 by Mr. Leonard J. Wills. The volumes are full of interesting matter 

 and are well illustrated, Aberdeenshire naturally affording fine views 

 of rock and mountain scenery as well as of granite works. It should 

 be mentioned that relics of Pliocene, as well as Cretaceous and Jurassic 

 formations, occur in the Glacial Drifts of that county. The Fens and 

 their drainage receive attention in the volume on Huntingdonshire, 

 and there is a view of a cornfield on the site of Whittlesey Mere. 

 The volume on Worcestershire contains views of the Malvern scenery, 

 but in this and in the volume on Huntingdonshire space is unnecessarily 

 occupied by full tables of strata and general remarks on geology. 



