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conscious of deserving. I think I could point out move than one 

 Essay, in which, during the past year, the geologists of the Con- 

 tinent have injured their descriptions of secondary formations, and 

 impeded their own inductive powers, by fixing their eyes too stea- 

 dily on the types of the English series. 



I congratulate you on the completion of the geological map of 

 Germany by an illustrious naturalist, who for many years has de- 

 voted, and continues still to devote, the best efforts of his life to the 

 promotion of our science. He has not affixed his name to this 

 great work, and he perhaps still regards some parts of it but as an 

 approximation. The elaborate and accurate maps of north-western 

 Germany by Professor Hoffmann, and of the Odenwald and the 

 neighbouring districts by Dr. Klipstein, belong also to the produc- 

 tions of the past year *. Professor Hoffmann's map is to us of pe- 

 culiar interest ; not merely from the extent and intricacy of the 

 country it delineates ; but also from the number of secondary for- 

 mations which it represents, in perfect conformity with the subdi- 

 visions adopted in our own geological maps. Works of this kind 

 are of inestimable value: they are the embodied results of observa- 

 tions without number, directed to one object ; and, when well per- 

 formed, may be regarded as the last generalizations from facts ex- 

 hibited in their clearest and simplest form. But more than this, — 

 they guide us to the fountain-head of information, and lead us to 

 still more general conclusions, by giving us at every step of our 

 way the means of comparison with the structure of other regions f. 



To some admirable works on natural history, now in progress, 

 which bear more or less directly on our subject, I have no time 

 to allude. But I may point, with peculiar satisfaction, to the ad- 

 vancement of the work of M. Adolphe Brongniart on fossil plants, 

 and to the appearance of a new number of the work of Goldfuss 

 on organic remains. By the continued labours of these excellent 

 naturalists, we are supplied with new terms of geological compari- 

 son, and new means of legitimate induction. I am happy also to 

 announce the approaching publication of a general index to the 

 volumes of Mr. Sowerby's " Mineral Conchology," in which the 

 errors incidental to such a work will be corrected, and all the fos- 

 sils arranged according to their position in the successive groups 

 of the British strata. Such an Index has long been wanted ; and 

 its execution will be an advantage above all price to the student of 

 secondary geology. 



* Dr. Klipstein has also executed a geological map (not, I believe, yet 

 published) of the districts north of the Main ; on the same scale, and of 

 the same extent, with the Odenwald map. 



t The geological maps of Germany are sold by Simon Schropp and Co. 

 of Berlin. I take this opportunity of observing, that the difficulty of pro- 

 curing copies of works like these has long been a matter of complaint. 

 Of the excellent geological map, by MM. Oeynhausen, von Dechen, and 

 De la Roche, though published in 1825, not a single copy has, I believe, 

 yet found its way into the shops of any of our geographers. I only pro- 

 cured it myself at Berlin. 



