REVIEWS. 



333 



We are glad to find Mr. Page himself entertains an opinion of this kind, for 

 he says that it has been his aim " to improve rather than to enlarge — to keep 

 the volume abreast with the latest discoveries and advancing views of our 

 leading geologists, and yet to prevent it from exceeduig the limits of a com- 

 pendious Text Book." We hope Mr. Page mil rigidly adhere to these views, 

 for we should be sorry indeed to see so good and useful a book run to seed. 



Amongst the new matter introduced of miportance are the remarks upon the 

 characters and structui'e of the Himantopterus, the Pterygotus, and Eurypterus, 

 illustrated by some very fairly executed woodcuts, and a fuller notice of the 

 ooHtic mammals than appeared in the first edition. 



A woodcut of the seal discovered by Mr. Page in the Pleistocene clays of the 

 Clyde is another new addition. Mr. Page has also given us the unproved 

 classification of the members of the Old Red Sandstone, in accordance with the 

 late observations which Sir Roderick Murcliison has brought together with so 

 much labour and acumen, and has grooped with his usual skillfuhiess of general- 

 ization. We have also the results of Dr. Bigsby's laborious revision of the 

 classification of the North American Paleozoic rocks ; and two more definite 

 and comprehensive lists of plants and animals, instead of the mere outline-notes 

 of the former edition. 



It would, however, be supererogatory of us to extend our notice or criticisms 

 of a book which, from its usefulness and its moderate price, is sure of extensive 

 circulation, and wdl probably also very generally replace and supplant the 

 former edition m the hands of its former readers ; and for tliis very reason will 

 have its merits and demerits (however few these last may be) so fully criticised 

 and exposed by others, that neither will escape observation and comment. 

 Hence we may fairly be content to close our notice with the advice to the 

 teacher, the scholar, and the student, that they can not spend their money, nor 

 their thne upon a better book. 



A Week's Walk hi Gower, from the pen of Dr. Bevan, who is known to our 

 readers from his contributions to this journal, is written in a fanciful style, and 

 tells us what the author saw, and what we should see if we spent tlie same 

 amount of time in the peregrination of that smaU peninsula of South Wales. 



The reviewer's task may generally be similized to that of Tom Moore's " child 

 at a feast," who but " sips of a sweet, then flies ofi^ to the rest." And true to 

 the simile we have selected, and in this case leaving aU those other attrac- 

 tions of " iron-bound coasts with glorious sea-views, picturesque little vaUeys 

 and inland dells, old churches, stUl older castles and camps, and di'uidical 

 remains," so pleasing and attractive to other tastes, we fly at once to the 

 geological nectar of the mellifluous sweets of Gower, and take our readers to the 

 famous Bacon and Mitchiu Holes — two caves which have made Gower famous. 



Dr. Bevan teUs us to get a guide to them if we can, and, next to that, 

 considers the most important thing " to get good bearings ; for what with 

 devious lanes and sand-drifts, it is by no means an easy place to find, for the 

 caves themselves, though large, all face the sea, and are so overhung by the 

 cliffs that it is altogether hnpossible to see them from the land. I have found 

 one of the best landmarks to the Bacon Hole to be Pennard Church tower, 

 which is almost in a straight line with it. The Bacon Hole, more particularly, 

 is an extremely interesting place, as bones are stiU to be procured ; but a pick- 

 axe is required, the ordinary geological hammer being of little avail agamst the 

 hard breccia in which they are enveloped. The interior has been systematically 

 quarried and blasted to obtain the bones, most of which are to be seen in the 

 Swansea Museum; but the details of the operation, and of the successive 

 layers that were exposed, are so very instructive, that I cannot help borrowing 

 VOL. II. C C 



