Notices respecting New Boohs. 385 



have been about 1,000,000 years ago, and that it may have lasted 

 about 2,000,000 years ; afterwards he approximately fixed the 

 incoming of that Period at 240,000 years ago, and its termiuation 

 about 160,000 years afterwards (80,000 years ago). Prof. Prest- 

 wich considers that Palaeolithic Man, that is, the man of the Valley- 

 drifts, appeared in Western Europe probably not longer ago than 

 about 20,000 or 30,000 years, and disappeared about 10,000 or 

 more years ago. He was probably preceded by the Plateau or 

 Eolithic Man (referred to in the footnote at page 640), before 

 the time of extreme glaciation ; and he was certainly succeeded, 

 with some intervening lapse of time (page 619), by the Neolithic 

 Man. 



Before taking up the subject of glacial phenomena in Asia, 

 Australia, and North and South America, in Chapters XL. to XLIL, 

 Prof. Geikie gives two interesting chapters on Cave-deposits, 

 Valley-drifts, and the Loess of Central Europe. The last of these 

 has been already referred to. The first involves a consideration of 

 the two Stone Periods (old and new), and evidences of human work 

 and occupation in England and France. Eor the Valley-drifts 

 M. Ladriere's results are given in detail, in preference to Prof. 

 Prestwich's work; and, though the latter is not lost sight of, the 

 treatment is one-sided (pp. 629-637), brief references being made 

 to Prestwich's elaborate memoirs explanatory of river -gravels, and 

 a full account given of M. Ladriere's paper illustrative of views 

 which appear somewhat artificial. So also we should like to have 

 seen further references to Prestwich's work and views on the 

 Pliocene Crags and the associated Pleistocene Beds of the Eastern 

 Counties, besides the useful notes derived from Mr. Clement 

 Eeid's excellent memoir (pp. 329-336) ; and, with reference (in 

 the footnote at p. 603) to the " rubble-drift," we may observe 

 that the Author should have remembered that Prestvvich limited 

 its range to 1000 feet in England only, and gave several cases 

 where it exceeds 1500 and 2000 feet on the Continent. His 

 name also might with advantage have been given (at p. 392) at 

 the same time as Mr. A. Collinette's. Prof. Bonney's researches 

 on ice-w T ork and its results seem to have altogether escaped notice. 

 It may be that, with the multiplicity of facts and inferences 

 athered for assimilation whilst preparing a voluminous work, an 

 Author can scarcely avoid handling some subjects and some 

 writers less carefully and judiciously than others. Prof. Geikie 

 seems to be aware of this ; and apologises in his Preface for any 

 such inadvertencies and shortcomings. 



Professor Chamberlin's two Chapters on the Glacial phenomena 

 of North America (pages 724-775) give a concise and clear account 

 of the enormously extensive glacial drifts covering nearly one half 

 of the country. The great ice-field of Greenland, as now, lay 

 formerly to the north-east ; and on the mainland glaciers were 

 formed on the high grounds of Canada and Labrador, spreading 

 and coalescing into the great so-called Laurentide ice-sheet. On 



