86 Reviews—-The Mineral Resources of Great Britain. 
SpEcIAL REPORTS ON THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
Vol. XIII: Iron Ores (contp.), PrnE-CARBONIFEROUS AND 
CARBONIFEROUS BEDDED ORES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. By 
Sir A. Strawan, W. Gipson, T.C. Cantrity, R. L. SHERLOCK, 
and H. Dewey. Mem. Geol. Survey. pp. iv + 123, with 
plates and 10 figures. 1920. Price 7s. 6d. net. 
T has long been a cherished conviction with writers of schoo] 
geographies and similar books that the iron-mining industry of 
the British Isles is located in the coalfields. A careful study of this 
publication may perhaps help to disabuse them of that entirely 
out-of-date idea. It is here brought out clearly that the production 
of iron-ore from the Coal-measures is now of triflmg importance, 
and though much smelting is still done in the coaltfields, this is solely 
because of the presence of coal and not of iron-ore. As a matter of 
fact the output of Coal-measure ironstones is now about 8 per cent 
of the British total, and is declining yearly. 
An interesting account is given of the deposits of iron-ore still 
worked spasmodically among the Lower Paleozoic rocks of North 
Wales; most of these are oolitic, often incorrectly called pisolitic, 
and far too rich in sulphur, since they appear to be formed largely by 
oxidation of pyrites or marcasite. 
The blackoand and clayband ironstones are still worked to some 
extent in North Staffordshire, and near Bradford, where the famous 
Low Moor iron is produced. In the other coalfields the industry is 
nearly extinct, though large reserves undoubtedly exist, especially 
in South Wales, where they are conservatively estimated at 
5,000,000,000 tons. A great change in industrial conditions must 
occur before these become economically possible sources of iron on 
a large scale. 
THE Economic GEOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL COALFIELD OF SCOTLAND, 
ArEa IVY: Patsney, BAaRRHEAD, RENFREW, AND THE WESTERN 
SUBURBS Of GLascow. By L. W. Hinxman, H. M. Anprrson, 
and R.G. CarrutHers. Mem. Geol. Survey, Scotland. pp.iv-+ 
110, with vin plates and 5 text-figures. 1920. Price 6s. net. 
(ee volume contains a detailed account of the economic geology 
of the western part of the Central Coalfield; the area dealt 
with includes, south of the Clyde, the districts of Thornliebank, 
Hurlet, Barrhead, Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew, and Ibrox, while 
north of the river it extends from the suburbs of Glasgow to 
Duntocher, Milngavie, and the Kelvin valley above Balmore. The 
method of treatment is similar to that adopted in the four volumes 
of the series that have already appeared. The Coal-measures in 
the strict sense cover very little ground in this area, but the coal 
and ironstones of the Carboniferous Limestone Series have been 
extensively worked in the past and are by no means exhausted, 
especially south of the Clyde. 
