40 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



These specimens have been forwarded to us ; and through the kindness of 

 Mr. H. Woodward have been submitted to the examination of Mr. F. Smith, 

 of the British Museum, whose opinion is expressed in Mr. Woodward's letter. 



Dear Sir, — Mr. Fredk. Smith has looked at the Peckham specimens with me, 

 and the result arrived at is as follows : — Three specimens are not determinable ; 

 two other perhaps are not insect at all; one is the elytron of a species of 

 Curculionida, genus Strophosomus ? or Cucorhinus ? and another an elytron 

 of a species of Elater. — Yours truly, Henry Woodward. 



Drift in the Southern Hemisphere. — Dear Sir, — In the course of my 

 geological readings, I do not gather much knowledge regarding the prevalent 

 direction of Drift in the southern hemisphere, If you could kindly give me 

 any information respecting it, through the medium of that interesting depart- 

 ment, the " Notes and Queries" of the Geologist Magazine, you would much 

 oblige, your very obedient servant. — J. Curry, Boltsburn, Eastgate. 



New Species of Uaia from Monte Bolca. — From Count Mars eh all, w^ 

 learn that Professor Molin has lately discovered three new species of the genus 

 Raia among the fossil fishes of Monte Bolca ; and that this Tertiary fish-fauna, 

 generally supposed to be analogous with that of the Mediterranean, exhibits 

 on close examination a somewhat tropical character. 



REVIEWS. 



A Handbook for Travellers in South Wales and its Borders, inchiding the River 

 Wye; with a Traveller 's Map. London: John Murray, Albermarle-street. 

 1860. 



Murray's handbooks are known everywhere. Wherever the traveller or 

 tourist intends visiting a district or a country, he is sure in the first place to 

 seek for one of Murray's Guides. It is fortunate for South Wales that, pos- 

 sessing so much geological interest, the authorship of Murray's handbook for 

 that region has fallen into the hands of so good a geologist as our friend and 

 correspondent, Dr. Bevan, who from his long residence there possesses also 

 peculiar advantages for the task. The enormous development during the last 

 twenty years of mining enterprise and the opening of new railways have made 

 such material alterations in those parts that no one but a resident could never 

 have accomplished a successful guide for the wanderer in search of the com- 

 mercial, the useful, and the antique or the picturesque. 



In the first three chapters on the physical features, geology, and manufac- 

 tures, the student of our science has an admirably succinct account of all the 

 principal matters of interest to him ; while at page 29 all the " points of 

 interest for the geologist" are specially picked out — like plums from the pud- 

 ding — of the work, and handed to him in one luxurious dish. 



Such perpetual and indefatigable ramblers as geologists invariably are — 

 whenever they can be induced to look beyond their own dear dusty quarries 

 at the social scenes and antiquarian relics that are everywhere to be met on the 

 long, long roads which they with heavy loads so lightly travel,- — they oughc to be 

 1 lie " righl men" for tourists' guides ; and Dr. Bevan, who has undoubtedly kept 

 his eyes open to all worth seeing, seems as much at home in the rest of his 

 bo >k as i he traveller's companion as he undoubtedly is in the geological and 

 physical descriptions of his district. 



