Reviews — The Mineral Survey of Ceylon. 475 



The consideration of the Pleistocene leads us to the Human 

 epoch. At present no evidence has been obtained of man's 

 existence during the Glacial period in America. It is true that 

 implements of 'palaeolithic' type have been found, but the term 

 can only be held to indicate a stage of early art ; no implements 

 have been discovered in undisturbed deposits of Glacial age. 



The sections, maps, the photographic and other illustrations of 

 fossils, and lastly the photographic views of scenery and of rock 

 features, are excellent and most instructive. Vol. ii is accompanied 

 by a small but useful colour-printed geological map of the United 

 States and part of Canada. 



Geologists will be grateful for the full and carefully prepared 

 index that accompanies each volume ; these indexes will be in- 

 valuable aids for reference to the many new and unfamiliar names^ 

 of local geological formations, rocks, and fossils, as well as to th& 

 many topics of interest so lucidly discussed in these volumes. 



II. — Ceylon Administration Eeports, 1904 : Part IV, Education, 

 Science, and Art. Mineralogical Survey : Report of Mr. A. K. 

 CooMARASwlMT, B.Sc, F.L.S., F.G.S., Director, Mineralogical 

 Survey. 



SOME indication of the excellent work which has been carried 

 out in Ceylon by the Director, Mr. Coomaraswamy, and the 

 Assistant Director, Mr. J. Parsons, under the auspices of the 

 Imperial Institute, is aiforded by this interesting report. Thie extra- 

 ordinary richness of the island in interesting minerals, including 

 most of the gem varieties, has been long known, but has hitherto 

 not been officially recognised. We hope we may see in a few years 

 the establishment of a permanent Geological Survey. Perhaps the 

 most generally interesting part of the report is that dealing with 

 the minerals containing rare elements. The discovery of Thorianite, 

 which is 80 rich in thoria, is likely to be of immense commercial 

 importance. We must also allude to the general account of 

 gemming. The richness of the island in gem-stones is evidenced 

 by the fact that upwards of £300,000 worth are exported annually. 



The value of the report is increased by the admirable repro- 

 ductions of photographs with which it is illustrated. 



III. — Geological Survey of Western Australia. Annual 

 Progress Report for the year 1905. With two figures. 

 Folio. (Perth, 1906.) Bulletin No. 21 : The Geology and 

 Mineral Resources of the Norseman District; Dundas Goldfield. 

 By W. D. Campbell, Assistant Geologist. 8vo; pp. 1-140, 

 with a two-sheet geological map, 5 plates, and 19 figures. 

 (Perth, 1906.) 



THE Report, for which Mr. A. Gibb Maitland is responsible, 

 begins with an account of the administrative work of the 



