558 Revieics — Life of William Pengelly. 



the want of a diary. His own familiar letters to his wife and 

 children will be read with pleasure by many who care little or 

 nothing for cave-earth, or bone-beds, or the sabre-toothed tiger. 

 Of his numerous contributions to scientific literature Professor 

 Bonney has given a clear and appreciative notice, which forms 

 a valuable addition to this excellent volume. The unremitting and 

 gratuitous labour which Pengelly for many years devoted to the 

 exploration of Kent's Cavern met with a reward of a rather unusual 

 kind. As a poor fisher-lad he was perforce content to exchange 

 ideas with retired smugglers and other good honest folk of that 

 description. In mature life he was positively courted by all ranks 

 of society, from queens and emperors down to ordinary tourists and 

 literary men. His extremely clear, and at the same time humorous, 

 style of lecturing won him the public ear, and the controversial 

 interest attaching to the Cavern exploration made him for many 

 years the man of most mark among the residents at Torquay. Of 

 his methods of exposition one charming instance may be quoted 

 (see pp. 231-3). Accompanied by a rustic as guide to a particular 

 locality in Cornwall, Pengelly was searching for the Devonian fossil 

 Steganodictyum, now known to be a fish. Having found a specimen, 

 he imnaediately set to work with hammer and chisel, on his knees, 

 endeavouring to extract it; whilst John exclaimed : 



" ' Why, what be about ? ' 



" ' Do you see this black patch ? ' 



" ' Ees, I zee it plain enough.' 



" ' Well, that 's a fossil, and I 'm trying to get it out.' 



" ' Oh, that 's a fossil, is it ? What is a fossil ? ' 



" ' Sit down, John, and I '11 try to explain. Do you suppose there 

 are any dead shells, or fish-bones, lying on the bottom of the sea 

 yonder ? ' 



" ' Of course there is.' 



" ' What is the state of the river, in yonder beautiful valley, after 

 heavy rain ? ' 



" ' Why, very muddy.' 



" ' When there is a very heavy gale, throwing violent waves on 

 this cliff, does the cliff ever give way ? ' 



" ' Oh yes, there 's always some part or other wasting.' 



" * Very well. Now, the mud which the river brings down from 

 the country, as well as that which the waves tear from the cliffs, 

 finds its way to the sea, as you know, and sooner or later it settles 

 on the bottom of the sea, and buries up such remains of dead animals 

 or vegetables as may be lying there, and forms a new sea-bottom ; 

 on which, by-and-by, other' shells, and things of that nature, will 

 find their way ; and these will be buried in their turn. Now, if this 

 work goes on for a very long time, the mud and sand carried into 

 the sea will form a very thick mass ; and if you can suppose it to 

 become more or less hai'd, it will be a rock, with remains of animals 

 in it. And if it should from any cause get raised above the sea, the 

 waves would begin to break it up, little by little, just as you break 

 up the rock on which you are sitting ; and after a while any person 



