Ohituary — Stephen Austin. 335 



T do not see how Mr. Young's theory of the origin of Cone-in- 

 cone structure by the upward escape of gases bringing up from 

 below successive layers of plastic mud can possibly apply to the 

 bulk of such concretions. E. J. Gakwood. 



FLEXIBLE SANDSTONE. 



Sir, — I have read an interesting paper by Mr. G. W. Card, 

 A.R.S.M., in the March number of the Gbological Magazine " on 

 the flexibility of rocks," and as there have of late been several 

 allusions to this subject in the press. I venture to bring the 

 following facts under your notice. 



About eleven years ago a friend presented me with a piece of 

 flexible sandstone which he had brought from India. T, in turn, 

 gave the specimen to my friend and chief, the late Mr. C. S. 

 Wilkinson, F.G.S., Government Geologist of N.S.W. 



Mr. Wilkinson was greatly interested in the peculiarities of the 

 stone, and after devoting some time to their investigation he informed 

 me that he felt convinced that the flexibility was due to the presence 

 of interstices between the grains of sand, and to the interlocking of 

 the latter. He believed the interstices to be due to the shrinking of 

 the cementing clay by loss of moisture, and in order to test his 

 theory he immersed the specimen in water, with the result that after 

 some time it became rigid. After again thoroughly drying the 

 stone he found that its flexibility was completely restored. 



Mr. Wilkinson was in the habit of showing this specimen and 

 explaining the cause of its flexibility to visitors for some years 

 before Mr. Oldham's paper on the Delhi sandstone was written, 

 and there is no doubt in my mind that to him (Mr. Wilkinson) is 

 due the credit of first recognising the cause of the flexibility of the 

 Indian sandstone. Edwaud F. Pittman, A.R.S.M. 



Geological Survey, N. S. Wales, Government Geologist. 



Department of Mines, Sydney, 9<A May, 1892. 



OBITU.A.E,"Z". 



STEPHEN AUSTIN. 



Born 1804. Died 21st May, 1892. 



By the death of Mr. Stephen Austin, in his 88th year, the Editor 

 of this Journal has been deprived of an old and much valued friend, 

 whose name must also now be familiar to all his Contributors as 

 the printer of the Geological Magazine, since December 1865. 

 The first two volumes (1864-65) were printed by Messrs. Spottis- 

 tvoode & Co. ; but the last twenty-seven volumes have been issued 

 from the printing press of the well known firm of Messi's. S. Austin 

 & Sons, Printers, Hertford, the excellence of whose work has largely 

 contributed to maintain the reputation of this Journal during more 

 than a quarter of a century that it has been in their hands. 



This noted firm has been established in Hertford since 1768, 

 having in that period passed through the hands of four generations 

 of " Stephen Austins." 



