382 Reviews — SaWs Mineralogist's Directory 



old copper kettle (no longer available to its owners at the Diggings 

 for boiling water in on account of its leakiness) which one of the 

 ingenious party industriously filed up into " gold-dust" and sold to 

 a new-comer at a " ruinous sacrifice" just enabling himself and 

 friends to "clear out." 



The Explorer's Test-case has been designed with a view to pre- 

 vent such mistakes, and to enable an ordinarily intelligent emigrant 

 or traveller without any previous knowledge of mineralogy to ascer- 

 tain, by a few characteristic and simple tests, the nature of the 

 mineral products he may meet with, or be possibly surrounded by. 

 It is not intended for the practical mineralogist or geologist, though 

 doubtless to many of the latter it would be found to be an exceed- 

 Lugly useful travelling companion ; but is adapted to guide the 

 amateur and novice. The case and accompanying key are evidently 

 designed by an experienced hand, one who has felt the want of such 

 appliances whilst travelling in strange countries. It contains amongst 

 other items, blowpipe, tools, and reagents, test-tubes, acids, am- 

 monia, forceps, pliers, file, anvil, hammer, small balance with grain 

 weights for finding specific gravity, materials for determining hard- 

 ness, horse-shoe magnet, and pocket lens ; and includes an explana- 

 tory key to the use of the whole. It is contained in a light, neat, but 

 strong leather case and occupies only a small space (about the size of 

 an ordinary octavo volmne), a great recommendation to travellers of 

 all classes. 



We can have no hesitation in saying that with this test-case and 

 key used intelligently, no settler need be without a fair knowledge 

 of the minerals found on his property or within his district, and 

 travellers would be able to tell us something more than they now do 

 of the surface mineralogy of a new country, and save themselves the 

 encumbrance of rock and mineral specimens which often turn out to 

 be useless to themselves and every one else. 



II. — The Mineralogist's Directory ; or, a Guide to the Principal 

 Mineral Localities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. By Townshend M. Hall, F.G. S. 8vo., pp. 168. 

 London, 1868 : E. Stanford. 



THIS work is the first attempt to produce a list of all the minerals 

 found at any given locality in the United Kingdom, and will 

 be welcomed by all searchers after mineral specimens, whether pro- 

 fessional or amateur. It is necessarily, to a very great extent, a 

 compilation from lists published in the Transactions and Journals 

 of various societies, papers in scientific periodicals, catalogues of 

 museums, etc., involving an immense amount of labour, which only 

 those who have endeavoured to ascertain the productions of one 

 locality will appreciate. A list of the principal books used in this 

 work will be found at the commencement of the volume. We are 

 glad to find evidence of a careful scrutiny into some alleged localities 

 tor rare species, resulting sometimes in their exclusion. 



Unlike its continental forerunners, the Mineralogical Lexicon for 



