90 Reviews— E. Dale*s Peak of Derhyshire. 



process of reproduction. The plates, as is stated in the preface^ 

 are very largely borrowed from previous works ; but why are they not 

 numbered in direct sequence, and why does the map include only 

 the southern escarpment of Kinder Scout, 'the Peak'? In the 

 preface the authoress states that her object has been to make the 

 book serve as an introduction to the study of the science of geology ; 

 consequently the book treats of a much wider subject than one 

 might judge from the title, and we are dealing with a work on 

 elementary theoretical geology, with illustrations drawn from a 

 certain district. But even so, the authoress has not stuck to her 

 text, for the country illustrated and described is larger than the 

 Peak, and takes in other parts of Derbyshire and North Stafford- 

 ahire. It had been better, we think, to have given the book its 

 proper title, in the interests of the possible purchaser, who, misled 

 by the title, finds himself let in for a pof poiirri of bygone and 

 current geological views and speculations, rather than a description 

 of the glorious scenery of the Peak and its geology. 



Chap, i (pp. 1-15) starts, ah initio, with the nebular hypothesis, and 

 then proceeds to explain vs^hat is meant by the order of superposition, 

 dutifully reproducing the time-honoured illustration of the pile of 

 books. Of course there follow tables of sequence of strata, and a short 

 account of the greater subdivisions of stratified rocks and their 

 contents ; and the last two pages conclude with a brief account of 

 the 1 inch geological map of the rocks round Buxton, as seen in 

 a bird's-eye view of the country from Grinlow. This is not perhaps 

 the best way of commencing the study of geology. Miss Dale is 

 eminently conservative, and while mentioning recent views, prefers^ 

 to take the 1 inch map of the Geological Survey and the corresponding 

 memoir as the basis of her work, many of the illustrations and 

 several quotations from the latter publication being given. 



Chap, ii (pp. 16-39) treats of the Carboniferous Limestone, and 

 includes a long account of the swallows and underground streams- 

 so common in limestone districts. Many observations are open to 

 criticism ; for example, we are told (p. 17) that "it is unlikely that 

 such a pure limestone could have been formed near a land area of 

 any size." The word ' near ' is not exact ; but limestones are being 

 laid down within distances of Continental coasts, which cannot b& 

 said to be far. Again, we learn that above Odin Fissure the shales- 

 are seen resting on the limestone with a junction which is called by 

 geologists ' unconformable.' "We have always regarded this section, 

 as evidence of a small landslip, for the shales are certainly not in 

 place. At p. 19 we are told that carbonate of lime is soluble in water 

 containing carbon dioxide or any acid. This is not chemically 

 correct, for most acids^decompose CaCog, and do not effect a simple 

 solution. We look in vain for any account of the stratification of 

 the limestone or the succession of its beds ; indeed, the amount of 

 stratigraphical geology in this chapter is very small, and palgeontology 

 suffers no less. 1'he whole subject of the fossils is scamped ; the few 

 representations given had been better omitted. But we are informed 

 that figures have been given "that the collector may have some idea 



