Reviews — ISymonds' Records of the Rocks. 87 



of the Old Eed Sandstone, especially Scotland, has been the theme 

 of Miller, Agassiz, Mnrchison, and others, and we now subdivide 

 the group into Lower, Middle, and Upper, according to the genera of 

 fishes raost abundant in these subdivisions. These various points 

 are well discussed in the "Eecords." Few or no fossils occur in 

 the Old Eed proper, save the fishes, and Meristomatous Crustacea, 

 no Mollusca, and few plants. Space forbids more notice of the 

 interesting chapters upon the Old Eed Sandstone. Chapter viii., how- 

 ever, contains M pages upon the Devonian Eocks of Devon and 

 Cornwall. On p. 260 is given a table of the whole series and 

 its subdivisions in N. Devon, S. Devon, and Cornwall, and the 

 views of various authors are discussed in the fairest manner through 

 the well-written pages of the Devonian History. We are able 

 to appreciate both the original work of the author and his 

 criticisms upon the labours of others — it being our good fortune to 

 have laboured to unravel the intricate physical structure of the 

 grand area under consideration. The author properly places, 

 we think, the unfossiliferous Eed grits and sandstone of Pickwell 

 Down or Woolcombe Bay at the base of the Upper Devonian. They 

 form a natural base, and were slowly deposited as the sea-bed became 

 upheaved at the close of the Mid-Devonian deposits. We ask the 

 reader to visit Woolcombe Bay, Baggy Head, Croyde Bay, etc., and 

 he will never doubt the value of the Upper Devonian rocks in 

 stratigraphical geology; more so still, if he will honestly examine 

 the Barnstable, Ven and Coddon Hill Carboniferous rocks above 

 them. The Middle Devonian rocks of South Devon and Cornwall 

 receive their share of comment and discussion. The former are so 

 completely the counterpart of the Eifel District of the Ehenish 

 provinces in every particular that their correlation is absolute, strati- 

 graphically and palasontologically. W e must again refer the student 

 and reader to the matter and views of the author upon the Devonian 

 question in his " Eecords." 



Ninety-five pages of most valuable matter are given to the 

 Carboniferous rocks of the West of England and Wales. The 

 author, in his "loves," says, "The niountain limestone is 

 beloved by the Geologist for its picturesque scenery, its caves 

 with their stores of old bones and the number and variety 

 of its fossils; by the Botanist for the rare and beautiful 

 plants nourished in its fissures and on its slopes; 'by the Archae- 

 ologist for its cromlechs, old camps, and ancient dykes ; and by 

 the Historian for its memories of many a hard battle and many 

 a struggle for independence fought out to the death among its 

 ravines and dingles." Anglesea, the Menai Straits, Great Oi'm's 

 Head, Denbigh, Clwyd, Chirk, Llangollen, etc., in the north ; 

 with Cefn, Tenby, the Cerrigs, the border or rim of the great 

 Welsh Coal-field, Cowbridge, etc., in the south ; with numerous 

 well-defined and characteristic areas, receive ample notice of 

 geological interest, geographical distribution, and typical fossil 

 contents of the rocks under notice. The author's description of the 

 limestone of St. Gowan's Head, " Eligug Stacks," etc., its birds, 



