Remeics — Bristow's Table of British Strata. 281 



induce "men and women, more especially young men and women, 

 to take an interest and to examine and searcli for themselves into the 

 many wondei-ful phenomena which we see all around," yet there is 

 in many instances a want of scientific precision which is apt to lead 

 to erroneous ideas, and the names of the fossils are often mis-spelt. 

 These are faults which we cannot but regret to see, and they pre- 

 vent our commending the book so highly as we should have liked to 

 do ; we hope however they will be carefully removed before the 

 issue of the second edition. 



III. — A Handy-Book of Eock Names, with brief Descriptions 

 OF THE KocKs. By G. Henry Kinahan. 8vo., pp. 139. 

 (London : Eobert Hardwicke, 1873.) 



WE heartily recommend this little work by Mr, Kinahan. Petro- 

 logy is far behindhand in this country, as we are constantly 

 reminded when we want a work of reference. Cotta's Lithology, as 

 translated by Lawrence, was a great boon ; but there is much to be 

 done yet. 



Mr. Kinahan's book is divided into three parts — I. A Classified 

 table of Rocks ; II. and III. Descriptions of the two orders Ingenites 

 and Derivate Eocks. Under Ingenite rocks are included all the true 

 igneous, intrusive, or irruptive rocks, whether they are still in their 

 original state or have been subsequently afi'ected by metamorphic 

 action, as also the metamorphosed sedimentary rocks : since all these 

 have been formed within or below the surface of the earth. Under 

 Derivate rocks are included all the sedimentary rocks, and those of 

 organic origin. 



The author has adopted Dana's suggestion in using the ending 

 yte for rock names, so as to distinguish the rock masses from the 

 minerals, such as Augite, Steatite, etc. Hence we have Augyte, 

 Syenyte, Dolomyte, etc., but Granite is still spelt in the old way — 

 we should like to know the reason why ! 



A very useful and important feature in this work is the number of 

 local names explained — but there is much to be done in rendering 

 this part more complete, even Page's " Hand-Book " will add some. 

 A serious omission we have to call attention to, and that is the want 

 of a complete index to the volume. This is not by any means fur- 

 nished by the classified table, without page references, and the index 

 of those names not mentioned in it. 



IV. — Table OF British Strata, showing their Order of Super- 

 position AND Eelative Thickness. For the Use of Schools. 

 By H. W. Bristow, F.E.S., F.G.S., Director of the Geological 

 Survey of England and Wales. (London : Chapman and Hall, 

 1873. 



IN our January Number this year we noticed a Table of British 

 Sedimentary and Fossiliferous Strata prepared by Mr. Bristow; 

 we have just received a second one, which is of a different character, 

 being in the form of a coloured diagram. This diagram shows in a 

 very clear and distinct manner the relative thicknesses of the rocks, 



