Book Notices. 7 5 



If, however, rocks are merely disintegrated and carried away 

 without undergoing any profound decomposition, if the iron is re- 

 moved from red sediments by the agencies above mentioned or if 

 the original rock does not contain any considerable amount of 

 iron, the resulting rocks will not be red, but will have the subdued 

 tints more often presented by the same rocks. After a brief state- 

 ment of the views of some former writers as to the cause of the 

 red color in question, Mr. Russell concludes his pamphlet with a 

 good bibliography of the subject which will be of much value to 

 any one wishing to continue his study of this most interesting 

 problem . 



F. D. A. 



Metamorphosis op Rocks. 1 — This book is a thesis written for the 

 Doctorate in Science in the University of London and is an attempt 

 to consider more fully the Chemical and Physical side of Professor 

 Bonney's Presidential address to the Geological Society of London 

 in 1886. 



The author considers that a greatly exaggerated importance has 

 been attributed to " Regional Metamorphism " and endeavours to 

 show that the theory which occounts for the genesis of the Archsen 

 Rocks by the reactions which took place in a cooling globe, is the 

 only true and valid one. 



After a few general and introductory remarks, the subject of 

 metamorphism is taken up and treated under the five following 

 heads : — Paramorphism, Metatropy, Metataxis, Hyperphoric 

 Change, and Contact- nietarnorphism, with the introduction of a 

 somewhat depressing number of new, terms. Two appendices con- 

 tain notes on various points connected with the subject. 



The book contains little or nothing new being merely a redis- 

 cussion of facts already discussed, but the author has a good know- 

 ledge of the literature of his subject and the frequent references 

 which he gives to important papers, will make it of value to 

 students. 



The book is unfortunately written in a very self-satisfied spirit, 

 and the frequent more or less contemptuous personal references 

 which it contains are, especially in a work of this kind, to be de- 

 plored. 



In order to make any sound progress toward a final solution of 

 the problem of the origin of the Archaen Rocks and Crystalline 

 Schists, what is really needed is a great deal more good, careful and 



1 Chemical and Physical Studies in the Metamorphism of Rocks. A- Irving, D. 

 ScB.A., F.G.S. London, Longmans, Green and Co., 1889, (pp. 137.) 



