434 Einiiient Living Geologids — H. H. Uoiccll. 



then Local Director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, at 

 Llanberis, in North Wales, in order to gain some practical knowledge 

 of geological surveying. 



. 'Jlius vi^beu little more than sixteen years of age he commenced 

 the active study of geology, and it was reported by Eamsay on 

 St^ptember lltli, 1850, that at Carnedd Dafydd he "did a glorious 

 day's work with Howell up to Aber, getting all Jukes's ugly bits 

 of sandstone, etc., perfectly explained — a succession of domes cut 

 off by faults. Home at half-past seven — a long, long walk." ^ 

 A little later on young Howell spent a short time with Beete Jukes 

 on the same Survey at Llangollen. 



On the 7th October Howell was appointed an Assistant-Geologist 

 "upon the usual course in our service of a six months trial." He, 

 however, gave so much satisfaction in the field while with Professor 

 Kamsay and Mr. Beete Jukes, that the time of probation was 

 shortened to three months, and the appointment was confirmed in 

 a letter dated 1st January, 1851. This was written by Sir Henry 

 De la Beche, who was then Director-Geneial, so that the last link 

 which connected the present staff with the illustrious founder of the 

 Geological Survey is now officially severed. 



Aveline, Bristow, Selwyn, Edward Forbes, Salter, and Smyth 

 were then on the staff". Hull had also but recently joined. During 

 his three months of probation Howell was placed at Rugeley with 

 Beete Jukes, who was then engaged in mapping the northern part 

 of the South Siaff'ordshire Coalfield. No more excellent a guide 

 could he have had than Jukes, whose wide experience, ability, and 

 sound judgment made him an excellent teacher, and whose field- 

 work has been a model to all subsequent observers. It was also at 

 this time that Howell was instructed to complete the survey of the 

 one-inch quarter-sheet 72 S.E., which included the outliers of 'Lias' 

 (now known to be the Eheetic Beds) on Need wood Forest. 



For several years Mr. Howell was occupied in the survey of the 

 Midland Counties in the neighbourhood of Lichfield, Tarn worth, 

 Atherstone, Nuneaton, Coventry, Birmingham, and Droitwich. He 

 also mapped parts of North Gloucestershire, his notes being pub- 

 lished in the Geological Survey memoir on " The Geology of the 

 Country around Cheltenhatn " (1857j, by E. Hull, who states that 

 '•The districts adjoining the Severn and Avon, together with Bredon 

 Hill and the northern part of the Cotteswold Range as far south as 

 the road between Bourton-on-the-Hill and Snowshill, have been 

 surveyed and described in this memoir by Mr. Howell." 



Probably the most important work done at this period (between 

 1851 and 1854) was the survey on the one-inch scale of the 

 Coalfield of Warwickshire. Howell's memoir on "The Geology 

 of the Warwickshire Coalfield and the Permian and Trias of the 

 surrounding district" was published in 1859, and this gives a concise 

 and excellent account of the Coal-measures and overlying strata. 

 Some changes have since been made in the grouping of the older 



^ Geikie's Memoir of Eamsay, p. 167. 



