Obituary—Ur. Henry William Bristow. 385 
of these beds was studied by Edward Forbes, the strata themselves 
were measured in great detail by Mr. Bristow, partly in conjunction 
with the Rev. Osmond Fisher, and partly with the aid of Mr. 
Whitaker. In like manner sections of the Tertiary strata in the 
Isle of Wight were prepared, while the paleontology was worked 
out by Forbes. The results of this work were published by Forbes, 
while the geology of the whole island was afterwards described by 
Mr. Bristow. The task of his later years had been to prepare a 
new edition of his Geology of the Isle of Wight; and this is now 
nearly ready for publication, having been revised and considerably 
augmented by Messrs. C. Reid and A. Strahan, who have lately 
re-surveyed the island on the scale of six inches to a mile. 
In later years other areas surveyed by Mr. Bristow were illus- 
trated by Memoirs. In conjunction with Mr. Whitaker, parts of 
Berkshire and Hampshire were described, and Mr. Bristow also 
contributed notes to the Memoirs on the Geology of the London 
Basin, the Weald, and East Somerset. 
Considerable attention was given to the Rhetic Beds by Mr. 
Bristow, and in company with Mr. Etheridge, he visited the 
principal sections in the south of England and Wales, measuring 
the beds in detail, and eventually publishing the records. At the 
suggestion of Sir Roderick Murchison, in 1864, Mr. Bristow 
recommended that the name Penarth Beds be applied to the British 
representatives of the Rheetic Beds. He subsequently was occupied 
for several years in mapping these strata in parts of Glamorgan- 
shire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, at the same time revising the 
geological maps over the regions visited. 
Notwithstanding his arduous out-door occupation Mr. Bristow 
utilized his leisure hours in the preparation of a ‘Glossary of 
Mineralogy,” which was published in 1861. This book was at once 
well received, proving to be an exceedingly useful work of reference, 
from its convenient arrangement, and the accurate and concise 
information given. The author had made considerable progress 
towards a new edition of the work. 
Other works of a more popular nature likewise engaged his 
attention. In 1869 a translation by him of L. Simonin’s “ La Vie 
Souterraine”’ was published, under the title of ‘“ Underground Life ; 
or Mines and Miners,” a work which was adapted to the then 
present state of British mining. Three years later (1872), he 
produced a translation of Louis Figuier’s ‘“‘ World before the 
Deluge,” contributing a fresh chapter on the Rhetic or Penarth 
Beds. In previous years Mr. Bristow had also written mineral- 
ogical articles for Brande’s Dictionary of Science, and Ure’s 
Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines. He also largely 
assisted the late Mr. Damon in his Geology of Weymouth, con- 
tributing much general information and some sections of the strata. 
It only remains to be mentioned that after five years’ service on 
the Geological Survey, Mr. Bristow was in 1847 promoted to the 
rank of Geologist. Twenty years later (1867) he was appointed 
District Surveyor, taking charge of the southern counties. In 1872 
he was made Director for England and Wales, during the tenure 
