Notices of Memoirs — Geological Survey of England. 551 



fathoms, so as to constitute the essential condition by which Animal life is limited to 

 these depths, it would obviously be premature to assert. The Author ventures to 

 think, however, that he has shown that the Physical conditions of any Inland sea, 

 which, like the Mediterranean, is cut off from the general Oceanic circulation, must 

 be such as greatly to modify its relation to Animal life ; and that it is a matter of 

 great scientific importance, especially in relation to Geological inquiry, that these 

 conditions should be carefully inquired into. 



The Red Sea would probably be found to present in many particulars a striking 

 contrast both to the Mediterranean and to the open Ocean. Its Thermal condition, as 

 has been already shown, is altogether peculiar; for while its surface-temperature 

 rises as high as that of any Intertropical portion of the Ocean, that temperature 

 seems to be maintained with very little reduction, even to its greatest depths. But 

 the Eed Sea further differs essentially from the Mediterranean, in not being the 

 recipient of any great Rivers bringing -down detritus from the land. This, of course, 

 will affect the condition of the bottom, on which we should not expect to find the 

 abundant sedimentary deposit that is everywhere settling down in the abyssal depths 

 of the Mediterranean. It will also leave the bottom-water clear : and in this respect 

 the condition of the bed of the Red Sea will be more favourable to Animal life than 

 that of the Mediterranean. But the absence of Organic sediment, if the views pre- 

 viously adduced be correct, will constitute a still more important difference between 

 the conditions of the two seas in relation to Animal life ; for while its progressive 

 decomposition in the abyssal water of the Mediterranean consumes its Oxygen and 

 imparts to it Carbonic acid, at a greater rate than "diffusion" can counterbalance 

 without any vertical circulation in the water itself, and thus tends to render the 

 depths of that sea uninhabitable, the absence of the like source of impurity in the 

 water of the Red Sea may be expected to leave its abyssal water in a condition fit to 

 support a moderate amount of Animal life : since the process of diffusion, even with- 

 out vertical circulation, will maintain a certain amount of interchange of gases 

 between the superficial and the deep strata. 



These views are suggested merely as fair inferences from our present very limited 

 knowledge, to be confirmed or set aside by the result of future inquiries. 



n^OTiciES o:f ^v^:B:M:oII^s. 



Gkological Survey of England. 

 I. — Explanation of Quakter- sheet 98 S.E. ; Illustrating the 

 Geology of the Neighbourhood of Kirkby Lonsdale and 

 Kendal. By W. T. Aveline, E.G-S. ; T. McK. Hughes, M.A., 

 F.G.S. ; and K. H. Tiddeman, B.A., F.G.S. 



THIS is a description of part of the Lake District, tlie greatest 

 portion of the area being in Westmoreland, the remaining parts 

 being in Lancashire and the West Eiding of Yorkshire. The rocks 

 described include the Lower Silurian, Coniston Limestone = Caradoc 

 or Bala Beds ; Upper Silurian, Coniston Flags and Grits, Bannisdale 

 Slates, and Kirkby Moor Flags =Wenlock and Ludlow Kocks ; the 

 Upper Old Eed Conglomerate, the Carboniferous series, and the 

 Permian beds. The physical geography of the area is described, 

 and Mr. Hughes points out that all the great valleys in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Kirkby Lonsdale coincide with lines of fault : these he 

 describes in some detail ; he makes a few remarks also on the form- 

 ation of swallow-holes. The Silurian rocks and their fossils are 

 described by Messrs. Aveline and Hughes, chiefly by the latter. Mr. 

 Hughes gives the account of the Old Eed Conglomerate, which is 

 regarded as the basement bed of the Carboniferous series. The 

 Carboniferous rocks are described by Messrs. Aveline, Hughes, and 

 Tiddeman. and the Permian rocks by Mr. Hughes. 



