SPITIT OF GOOD BOOKS. 



315 



hard sandstone and quartzite, mica-slate, diorite, porphyry, and granite (see 

 Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc, vol. xvi., p. 442). 



Of the Permian strata Mr. Lamont found but little evidence (one rolled 

 fossiliferous boulder), though M. Robert some years ago brought to France 

 many fossils determined by M. de Koninck to be of Permian age. On the 

 other hand, M. Robert's collection seems to have been very poor in Carboni- 

 ferous specimens. 



We observe in the list of errata belonging to vol. xvi. of the Geological 

 Society's Journal that, in the list of specimens brought by M. Lamont from 

 Spitzbergen, "Ammonite (?)" should be substituted for " Aviculopeeten (?)" 

 in one instance. This specimen, though doubtfully determined, appears to 

 indicate the existence of strata of Secondary age in this arctic island. 



M. Lamont's interesting and instructive book is dedicated to Sir C. Lyell, 

 with a warm acknowledgement of the pleasure derived from the " delightful 



'Principles of Geology' my unvarying and instructive companion during 



ten years of adventurous wonderings," — and with a modestly expressed hope 

 that the author's abservations may in some way add to the strength of the 

 arguments and demonstrations of that masterly work. That they do so, we 

 think can be readily shown, and Mr. Lamont has our thanks for what he has 

 already done, and our best wishes for the success of his future journey ings 

 among the wildernesses of nature where his love of sport may lead him. To 

 his friend, the author of the 'Principles,' also, M. Lamont's work must be one 

 of many agreeable evidences of the goodly harvest of facts gathered by well- 

 educated amateurs in all parts of the world, that come in from time to time as 

 the result of geological knowledge obtained by a careful study of the ' Princi- 

 ples of Geology.' 



SPIRIT OF GOOD BOOKS. 



Private copies have been sent us of two very important papers by Mr. Evans 

 and Mr. Prestwich, printed in the Transactions of the Antiquaries and of the 

 Royal Societies. Mr. Prestwich's paper was read in May, 1859, and our private 

 copy from the author reached us about a month ago. To say that it had not 

 lost some of its interest by the long delay would not be true ; for these valuable 

 papers, instead of coming fresh in subject before the world, fall comparatively 

 dead and flat upon the public ear, and are sought for only by the learned, who 

 are anxious to see what emendations the authors have made in their passage 

 through the press — what additional materials they have gathered and added 

 between their reading and their publication. Mr. Evans was somewhat more for- 

 tunate than Mr. Prestwich, his paper being read somewhat later, and printed 

 somewhat sooner. 



We do not make these remarks to detract from the value of what these 



fentlemen have done, or the real worth their papers possess at this moment, 

 ut it is well to observe the misfortune to the authors themselves that by the 

 common and general discussing of the subject during the long interval of two 

 years, their labours originally the first and the most reliable should have thus 

 lost the attraction they justly merit, and should be fated to be put amongst 

 the heavy quartos on the library shelves, instead of being sought for and read 

 in the family circles and homes of the inquiring and educated classes. 



