232 Revieios — Taylor's Geological Stories. 



V. — Geological Stokies : A Series of Autobiogkaphies in 

 Chkonological Order, By J. E. Taylor, F.G.S. 8vo. pp. 

 301. (London: Eobert Hardwicke. 1873.) 



POPULAE books written to excite an interest in Geology are not 

 wanting, and certainly there is a great choice for the beginner. 

 If he want an elementary and purely scientific work, he can take 

 Lyell's " Student's Manual," or Phillips' " Guide," Jukes' " School 

 Manual" (the Jukes-Brown edition), or Portlock and Tate, Eamsay's 

 "Physical Geography and Geology," or Ward's "Elementary 

 Geology," Page's "Introductory Text-book," or his "Earth's Crust." 

 These and others might be cited, which would any of them serve as 

 a geological primer, although those of Lyell and Eamsay are works 

 of reference at all times. 



Of the more popularly written books, not intended as text-books, 

 there have been many, and foremost amongst them are the writings 

 of Hugh Miller, and his books will remain whilst a multitude of 

 others are lost sight of. In this class we may place Kingsley's 

 " Town Geology," which we noticed a short time ago, and also the 

 volume before us, Taylor's " Geological Stories," as all have similar 

 objects. Mr. Taylor's "Stories" originally appeared in "Science 

 Gossip," and are now published, with the addition of many illus- 

 trations, which answer their purpose, though they are of very 

 unequal merit. Each chapter contains the history of a series of 

 rocks, written in the style of an autobiography. Thus, in the first, 

 The Story of a Piece of Granite, the Granite is made to tell its history 

 and that of other metamorphic and igneous rocks. Quartz tells a 

 tale of the oldest stratified rocks, the Laurentian ; and Slate speaks 

 about the Cambrian epoch. Limestone treats of the Silurian rocks, 

 and Sandstone of the Old Eed Sandstone and Devonian rocks. A 

 Piece of Goal explains its own origin, and that of the other Car- 

 boniferous rocks. Hock-salt relates how it was formed in a sort of 

 " Dead Sea," and makes some observations on the Permian beds, as 

 well as the Trias. 



A Piece of Jet, like the others, gives a poetical prologue, and of 

 course tells about the " countless snakes " turned to stone in the 

 Lias. Purbeck Marble gives us an account of the Oolitic rocks, and 

 A Piece of Chalk of the Cretaceous period. A Lump of Clay tells 

 of Eocene times, and A Piece of Lignite of the Miocene period. 

 The Crags tell a story of Pliocene times, and A Boulder gives an 

 account of the Glacial period. A Gravel-pit discusses the last changes 

 and the appearance of man as evidenced by the flint-implements it 

 has taken care of. 



In conclusion Mr, Taylor gives a short retrospect or summary of 

 geological events and a table of strata. The familiar style in which 

 the book is written will no doubt be attractive to those who shrink 

 from a more scientific volume. Such readers will obtain in it a 

 very fair knowledge of geological history, and we only hope it may 

 stimulate them to push on their inquiries, and read one or other of 

 the elementary text-books we have before cited. 



