336 EevleWs an J Notices of Bool- 9. 



REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



1. — Die Kreidebilduncfen Westphalens. Von Dr Ferp, 



Roemer. 1854. 

 2. — Coupe Geologique des Environs des Bams de Rennet 



Par A. d t Archiac. 1854. 



The nature of the change which the cretaceous formation, as a 

 whole, undergoes in its extension from Belgium across Rhenish 

 Prussia into Westphalia and Northern Germany, or southwards 

 across France to the Mediterranean basin, is such, that the Eng- 

 lish geologist, however well versed in the elementary knowledge 

 of its divisions in his own country, the mineral character and as- 

 pect of each, and of the included animal remains, must inevitably 

 find himself at fault when he enlarges his inquiries in these di- 

 rections. Beds identical in composition, and in the faeies of their 

 fossil contents with such as occur in this country at the bottom 

 of the cretaceous series, are just such as in Westphalia may be 

 met with at the top. Mineral character loses its value, and only 

 leads into error, whilst the distribution of fossil forms will be 

 found to be altogether at variance with these laws of sequence 

 and limited duration, which are still reverenced by so many of 

 our palasontological naturalists. 



It will not be necessary to borrow much from the descriptive 

 detail of Mr Roemer T s work, which recommends itself as much by 

 its fulness as its cheapness to whoever may wish to explore per- 

 sonally a district over which, as he remarks, the cretaceous for- 

 mation occupies a larger superficial area, and presents a more 

 favourable condition for examination than does any other in Ger- 

 many. 



The divisions and subdivisions of the cretaceous strata of 

 Westphalia, taken in descending order, are as follows : — 



A. 1. Upper Sandstone group, consisting of yellow sands, with 

 bands of sandstone, forming the hill group of the Haard, of the 

 Hohe Mark, near Hattern, and of the hills between Klein-Reken 

 and Borken : the gray calcareous sandstone of Dulmen, and the 

 clay marl with siliceous beds of the hills of Cappenberg. Taking 

 the Haard as a type, it presents just such a group of strata as is 

 to be met with in the south-east of England, within the area of 

 the lower greensand, presenting barren hills with tabular sum- 

 mits covered with heath and broom, and composed of alternations 

 of sands and sandstones, with flat and tubular concretions of iron- 

 stone ; there are also occasional lines of chert. This upper sub- 

 division is said to be not less than 1000 feet thick. With sucli 



