568 Reviews — Professor tSc/iwarz — S. African Geology. 



many determinations of fossil Angiosperms are of little value as 

 botanical records, and thinks that critical revision of existing lists is 

 highly desirable. 



The second paper in this part is by Captain Griulinton, and consists 

 of "Notes on the Poting Glacier, Kumaon Himalaya, June 1911". 

 This glacier was visited in October, 19u6, by Messrs. Cotter and 

 Brown, of the Survey, who at tliat time noted the position of the 

 snout. The main object of the recent examination was to collect 

 any evidence that might be available as to secular change. Results 

 show the snout to be in much the same position as in 1906, and the 

 most striking features observed were in the left lateral moraine, 

 which exhibits signs of great activity. The paper furnishes 

 interesting details as to the condition of the ice, and is illustrated 

 by eight plates, cliiefly of diagi'ams. 



V. — South African- Gkology. By E. H. L. Schwarz, Professor of 

 Geology at the Rhodes University College, Grahamstown, South 

 Africa. 8vo ; pp. vi, 200, with 54 figures. London : Blackie and 

 Son, 1912. Price 3s. &d. net. 



PROFESSOR SCHWARZ tells us in the preface to this little book 

 how in one of his lectures a roar of laughter greeted a remark 

 to the effect that in the desert springs have no brooks. The 

 humorous aspect is apparent after the explanation that " tlie only 

 brooks that the South African student knows of are the Dutch 

 equivalent for trousers". The Professor was well acquainted with 

 the difficulties with geological nomenclature experienced by the 

 South African student, but this episode decided that there should be 

 no further delay in tlie production of a small volume dealing with 

 geology from the South African standpoint. We can quite 

 comprehend that what not to include would be a troublesome 

 consideration in the preparation of a work of this kind, but another, 

 the author tells us, was tluit the book had to be orthodox ! We do 

 not think, however, that he errs very much in including an account 

 of the planetismal hypothesis. 



The book is divided into four sections, dealing with descriptive, 

 dynamic, tectonic, and stratigraphical geology, the last occupying- 

 nearly one-half of the book. Tlie account of volcanoes is good, and 

 we are glad to see reference to the results of Brun's investigations. 

 Throughout the book Professor Schwarz considers facts in relation to 

 their causes, and aims at giving "some insight into the processes of 

 geological reasoning ", but in some places his diction is loose. Thus, 

 the statement (p. 82) that "the cause of volcanic action is undergoing 

 revision" evidently is not expressive of the author's true meaning. 

 Seven pages of woodcuts (of Bokkeveld, Karroo, Uitenhage, 

 Stormberg, and Pondoland fossils) and two restorations of reptiles 

 illustrate the palaeontology of the various areas described in the 

 stratigraphical section. The legends of some of the woodcuts, we 

 note, require revision, Tancredia for Meyeria and Exoyya for 

 Exogyra (both on p. 168) being obvious misprints. It would have 

 been better, moreover, to append in every case to the i;ames of the 



