244 Editorial Notes. 



a matter of some interest to the geologist that the University of 

 Cambridge has recently established a Tripos in Geography. Hitherto 

 geography has not been recognized by any British University as 

 a subject for a degree in honours, and the highest distinction 

 awarded was a Diploma, such as that of Cambridge or Oxford. The 

 Diploma in Geography has proved a very valuable and useful quali- 

 fication to teachers, but it did not carry with it an honours degree. 



The new Tripos is divided into two parts. Part I corresponds 

 very closely with the old examination for the Diploma, and will 

 probably still remain the most useful qualification for teaching 

 purposes. It covers a wide ground, and no candidate can pass it 

 creditably without showing a sound and broad knowledge of all the 

 different branches of geography. Part II is designed more for the 

 specialist, and the man who intends to undertake original research 

 . takes up one or two sections only, but is required to study these 

 more deeply and to be acquainted with the other branches of know- 

 ledge which bear upon the section which he selects. There is, for 

 instance, a section " Geomorphology ", and the student who chooses 

 this must be a geologist. There is, however, a geographical side 

 to geology, and it is to this, and its influence on surface features, 

 rather than to details of stratigraphy, palaeontology, and petrology, 

 that he will devote most attention. 



The other subjects in Part II are Geodetic and Trigonometrical 

 Surveying, Oceanography and Climatology, Historical and Political 

 Geography, and Economic and Commercial Geography. 



* * * * * 



"We referred recently in our Editorial Notes to the question of the 

 existence of workable quantities of petroleum in England; since 

 that date another important contribution to the subject has come to 

 hand in the shape of a paper read to the Manchester Geological and 

 Mining Society by Mr. T. Sington on " The Search for Petroleum in 

 Derbyshire now in Progress". This paper describes the exact 

 situation of the seven boreholes now being put down to the south- 

 east of Chesterfield and their relations to the geological structure of 

 the district. The author points out in the clearest terms that if any 

 considerable amounts of oil or gas now exist in the rocks to be 

 penetrated by these bores they have had every opportunity to show 

 themselves, owing to the abundance of colliery workings in the 

 neighbourhood, and he feels confident that none will be found. In 

 the discussion that followed this view received the support of 

 every speaker, including the weighty authority of Professor Boyd 

 Dawkins, who pointed out that Avhile petroleum is often found in 

 the Coal-measures, it is always in quantities to be measured by 

 a tea-spoon rather than a bucket, and that it is extremely improbable 

 that at lower levels it will occur in any larger proportion. This 

 entirely agrees with the views of the authorities already quoted. 

 In this connexion the Editors are pleased to be able to say that they 

 have in hand a valuable paper by Mr. V. C. Illing, which will be 

 published in an early issue of the Magazine, after the conclusion of 

 the paper on Potash by Dr. Holmes begun in the present number. 

 ***** 



