Reviews — Brief Notices. 39 



to the essentials of a modern microscope, however, it should prove of 

 distinct use. The various parts of the instrument and their uses are 

 described, and the subject of illumination is well dealt with. The 

 hints given regarding the choice of a microscope are likely to be of 

 value to the class of readers for whom the book is intended, and 

 the same may be said with respect to the instruction given on the 

 mounting of objects. To readers taking up the study of petrology, 

 however, the book could scarcely be recommended as comprehensive. 

 An account of the camera lucida would not have been out of place. 



2. — The Origin and Evolution of Primitive Man. By Albert 

 Churchward, M.D., F.G.S. Crown 8vo ; pp. 88, pis. 46. London : 

 George Allen & Co., Ltd., 1912. Price bs. 



rilHIS is a discursive little book specially devoted to pointing out 

 JL the so-called mistakes of ' authorities'. The Avriter asserts that 

 " it was in Africa that the little pygmy was first evolved from the 

 Pithecanthropus erectus or an Anthropoid Ape", and then gives some 

 account of the African pygmies as the survivors of the earliest type 

 of man. He thinks that the skeleton lately discovered near Ipswich 

 is probably that of a Nilotic negro, though he " cannot positively say 

 if this was a man of late exodus of the Miotic negro, or one of an 

 earty exodus of Stellar Mythos". Notwithstanding the beautiful 

 photographs of implements and primitive peoples with which the 

 book is illustrated, we fear it will scarcely commend itself to 

 geologists. 



3. Geologt op Egypt. — Attention was called (Geol. Mag., 1910, 

 p. 571) to the issue of two colour-printed geological maps of Egypt, 

 by the Survey Department, Cairo ; one on a fairly large scale in six 

 sheets and the other in one sheet. The Department has now (1912) 

 issued Explanatory Notes to accompany the Geological Map of Egypt., 

 with tahles showing distrilution of geological formations and economic 

 products. The work is written by the Director of the Geological 

 Survey, Dr. "W. E. Hume, and it contains a concise account of the 

 geological features and history of the formations, illustrated by two 

 plates of longitudinal and vertical sections. As a guide in the field, 

 and for reference, this thin volume will be of great utility. 



4. Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society. — The 

 Proceedings and Transactions of this Society for the session 1911-12 

 contain the Address of the (now past) President, Mr. W. 

 Whitaker, F.E..S., entitled " Surrey Geology in the past Eleven 

 Years". In this is given an exceedingly useful record of the works 

 published (with comments), thus continuing the record of subjects 

 dealt with in the previous geological addresses (1900-1 ) by the same 

 President. Dr. H. Franklin Parsons, F.G.S., was elected President 

 for the session 1912-13. He has contributed to the volume an 

 important paper on "The Flora of the Commons near Croydon", 

 with notes on the physical features and geology of the several areas. 



