Reviews — JRamsay's Physical Geology. 527 



elements of geology, written in an easy and very readable style. 

 As might be expected, they come thoroughly up to the present state 

 of the science ; and as every small text-book on geology with which 

 we are acquainted is very far behind the present state of the science, 

 we should like to see these chapters printed and sold separately. 

 The tendency among elementary compilers to place granite and the 

 metamorphic rocks at the base of the stratified formations is here 

 strongly negatived ; and the ill-founded tendency still lingering 

 among many well-informed geologists to refer inclinations and con- 

 tortions of strata, and the elevation of mountain chains, to " direct 

 igneous action operating from below," is as clearly exposed. " As the 

 earth cooled and gradually shrunk in size, the hardened crust, in its 

 efforts to accommodate itself to the diminishing bulk of the cooling 

 mass within, became in places crumpled again and again .... 

 along lines more or less irregular, producing partial upheavals." 

 pp. 48, 43.1 



The greater part of the work is on the stratigraphical structure 

 of Great Britain, especially England and Wales. The glacial and 

 post-glacial epochs come in for three chapters. The author still 

 believes in the submergence of North Wales to a vertical extent of 

 at least 2,000 feet, but he assigns a greater thickness to the land-ice 

 than he formerly did. He now believes (and we do not see how any 

 one well acquainted with the subject can divest himself of the belief) 

 that the mountains of Scotland, Cumberland, etc., were "literally 

 buried in ice." The limited space allotted to the subject of drift- 

 deposits did not permit the author to enter much into detail ; but the 

 reader, nevertheless, cannot fail to be delighted with the mass of 

 varied and wonderful information concerning the Post-tertiary history 

 of our planet to be found between p. 136 and p. 194. Chapter xiii. 

 is on British Climates, Rainfall, and Areas of Eiver Drainage. 

 Chapters xiv. and xv., on the Origin and Dates of Eiver-valleys 

 and Gravels, are the most original in the book, and will afford a 

 capital exercise for the reasoning faculties of the well-informed 

 reader. Chapters xvi. and xvii. are on practical and economical 

 subjects, namely, the Qualities of River- waters and Soils. The great 

 variety of topics contained in the work is ultra- varied by a chapter 

 on the Relation of the Different Races of Men in Britain to the 

 Geology of the Country. The last chapter is on the Origin of Lodes, 

 the Origin, Extent, Form, and Duration of Coal-fields (with a beau- 

 tiful section across the Pennine Hills), the Economic Uses of Iron- 

 stones, Clays, and Chalk-flints, Building-stones, Rock Salt, Gypsum, 

 etc. 



We fear we have given the reader but a very imperfect idea of the 

 varied and important contents of Professor Ramsay's work. It must 

 be read to be fully appreciated. It will, no doubt, be in the library 

 of every true geologist, and it ought to be in the library of every 



1 The distension consequent on upheaval would cause fractures by which the direc- 

 tion of subsequent denudation would be guided ; but unless the fractures were very 

 large, or accompanied by faults, it would be unreasonable to look for traces of their 

 existence in the valleys supposed to occupy their places. Professor Eamsay is of a 

 different opinion. See p. 116. 



