Reviews—Prof. Prestwich’s Geology, Vol. IT. 159 
Two years have elapsed since the publication of the first volume 
of Prof. Prestwich’s work (see notice in Grou. Maa. for 1886, p. 81), 
but the delay is amply explained by the amount of labour involved 
in the preparation of this second and larger volume—indeed the 
illustrations alone must have cost the author a very great deal of 
thought and attention. With regard to the aspect of the volume 
itself, we can only repeat what was said before, and speak in the 
highest terms of the clearness of the type, the excellence of the 
paper, and the beauty of the woodcuts and lithographic plates. In 
the matter of illustrations this second volume is even more profusely 
adorned than its predecessor. ‘The large map of Hurope, printed in 
colours and mounted on linen, which acts as a folding frontispiece, 
will in itself be a treasure to geologists. It is the work of Mr. W. 
Topley and Mr. J. G. Goodchild, and shows very clearly the distri- 
bution of the principal geological formations. Besides 256 woodcuts, 
a large number of which have been expressly engraved for this work, 
there are 16 lithographic plates showing characteristic fossils of 
different formations ; they have been drawn on stone by Miss Ger- 
trude Woodward, and we may observe that we have seldom seen in 
any geological work illustrations which for beauty and accuracy are 
equal to these. The woodcuts include pictorial views of scenery as 
well as groups of fossils, and sections to show the structure of various 
districts; and there is also a map showing the probable extent of 
land covered by ice and snow during the Glacial Period. It is no 
exaggeration then to state that this is the best printed and best illus- 
trated geological text-book that has been produced in this country. 
The former volume dealt with rocks, sedimentary and eruptive, 
and their method of formation ; it treated of ice and ice-action, coral- 
islands, earthquakes and volcanoes, underground water and springs, 
metalliferous deposits, and metamorphism. 
The present work is mainly devoted to the geological history of 
the stratified rocks. Commencing with a brief account of the early 
conditions of the earth’s crust, the author gives a condensed account 
of the various formations in ascending order, pointing out their chief 
physical features, the forms of life represented at each great period, 
and the distribution of the rocks over the surface of the globe. 
In such a comprehensive survey it is impossible to enter into 
much detail respecting the minor divisions of the rocks, and their 
varying lithological characters, but strict impartiality so to speak in 
dealing with different formations is apt to detract from originality, 
and may well be pardoned. Nevertheless we feel that some forma- 
tions have received but scant courtesy, and this remark refers 
especially to the Devonian rocks and Old Red Sandstone, and to the 
Carboniferous Limestone Series. On the other hand, the Corallian 
rocks and some of the Tertiary strata are treated in considerable 
detail. But while the stratigraphical features of the rocks are for 
the most part dealt with in a broad and general way, their palon- 
tology is very fully discussed. The leading genera and many of 
the species are enumerated, while paleontological summaries are 
given of the life of the larger divisions of the strata, showing the 
