Short Notes and Queries. 



133 



NOTICES OF BOOKS.— " Geology of the Counties of England, and of 

 N. and S. Wales. W. J. Harrison, F.G-.S., &c.— London : Kelly ; Simpkin : 

 1882." — We liave every confidence in recommending this work to those of our 

 readers who desire to know something of the geology and geological features of 

 the county in which they reside, and of any county they may he intending to 

 visit or travel in. This is the avowed object for which the book has 

 been written, and, from the method of treatment, we think the author has 

 succeeded in carrying it out. It may be thought that we have already treatises 

 enough on the geology of England, and from one point of view this cannot be- 

 gainsayed. At the same time, it must be confessed that they are all general 

 treatises, which as a rule dilate on the structure, mineral constituents, position, 

 fossils, and so on, of the various strata, and then perhaps roughly indicate a few 

 of the localities in which the bed or beds may be found, and sometimes give a 

 general idea of the outlines of the area it covers on the surface. This evidently 

 leaves something to be desired — something wanting. It is like a botanist descri- 

 bing in all their details the plants composing the British flora, and then simply 

 mentioning one or two localities where they may be found. Mr. H. C. Watson's 

 work was devoted to the county distribution of these plants, thus filling in a 

 great gap ; and in a somewhat similar manner Mr. Harrison's book takes its 

 place in geology. It is the county distribution of the strata and their fossils, or 

 as he himself in one place calls it, a geographical geology — and fills a gap almost, 

 if not quite so large as Mr. Watson's book did. On this account we think it 

 advisable to place before our readers such a survey of the method of the author 

 as will enable them, in a great measure, to appreciate the position which we trust 

 the work will take. After an introduction of twenty-three pages on the general 

 principles of geology, there follows a list of the principal learned societies of 

 England connected with the study, a reference to the work of the Government 

 Geological Survey, and a list of the more important books and papers in journals 

 treating of the geology of the kingdom, — the whole preceded by a copious index. 

 Then commences the work proper of the County Geology, the counties being 

 considered in their alphabetical order. Prefixed to each chapter is a list of the 

 Natural History and Scientific Societies of the county, the museums, the pub- 

 lications of the Geological Survey relating to the county, and the most important 

 works and papers on its local geology, with full references to the journals in 

 which they may be found Then follows a short treatise on each of the geological 

 formations, and their sub-divisions to be found within its limits, naming the 

 principal towns, villages, and other well-known spots where the particular beds 

 are developed, beginning with the oldest beds therein found ; giving their thick- 

 ness, principal fossils, metallic ores, or other industrial products with their latest 

 statistics, the general physical appearance of the county, as resting on the 

 geological basis, their water-bearing qualities, and this is done for each series of 

 beds found in the county. Each chapter is concluded by a notice of whether any, 

 and if any, what, remains of pre-historic man have been found ; and the whole is 

 made more useful and interesting by numerous wood-cuts, sections, borings, 

 general views of particular places, and cuts of fossils, stone implements, uncon- 

 formability of strata, &c. 



"The British Moss Flora." by E. Braithwaite, M.D., F.L.S. Ft. v. Families 

 Leucohryacece, and pt. i. of Bicranacece.—WQ have waited long and anxiously for 

 this the next part of this great work, and are amply repaid when it has come. 



