Geological Papers, 



185 



Having regard to the excellence of the illustrations, and the nature of the 

 letterpress, we can safely recommend them to our readers. The late F. E. 

 Hulme*s well-known Familiar Wild Flowers is being published in forty-five 

 fortnightly parts, at 6d. each, and several coloured plates accompany each. 

 By the same author, the firm have issued Familiar Swiss Flowers, first 

 series, with twenty-four coloured plates, at i/- net. It is uniform in size 

 with Mr. Hulme's other work, and the illustrations are even better. On 

 plate XVII. the Dark-winged Orchis is labelled ' Dusky Columbine,' and 

 vice versa, but this will doubtless be corrected in a future edition. Trees and 

 their Life Histories, by Dr. P. Groom, is also being issued in fortnightly 

 parts, at i /- each, and will be completed with No. 13. Dr. Groom's excellent 

 and trustworthy text is illustrated by photographs by Henry Irving. 



GEOLOGICAL PAPERS. 



We have recently received a number of valuable geological pamphlets, 

 which we have pleasure in bringing before the notice of our readers. The 

 Fluorspar Deposits of Derbyshire, by Messrs. C. B. Wedd and G. C. 

 Drabble ('Trans. Inst. Min. Engineers,' Vol. XXV.) deals exhaustively 

 with the occurrence, composition, and. commercial value of ' Blue John,' 

 etc. It is accompanied by a sketch-map of the Carboniferous Limestone 

 of Derbyshire, shewing Fluor-bearing Veins and Pipes. Mr. R. Bullen 

 Newton sends two pamphlets. The first. Fossil Pearl Growths (' Proc, 

 Malacological Soc.', Vol. VIII.) describes many occurrences of pearls in 

 fossil shells from various strata, chiefly of Mesozoic age. They are recorded 

 in Volcella, Inoceramus; Perna; and GryphcBa. Several excellent illustrations 

 accompany the paper. The second paper, Relics of Colouration in Fossil 

 Shells (loc. cit., Vol. VII.), deals with the traces of the original colouring 

 to be found in fossil mollusca. The list given is a very extensive one, and 

 includes examples from Cainozoic, Mesozoic and even Palaeozoic strata. 

 The plate accompanying this paper might almost be an illustration of 

 recent species, so clearly are the markings shewn. From the same journal, 

 Mr. A. J. Jukes-Browne reprints a useful paper on the Genera of Veneridae 

 in Cretaceous and Older Tertary Deposits. The author points out that 

 the family doubtless originated during Jurassic times, and he makes 

 the interesting suggestion that the V eneridce possibly developed along two 

 different lines of descent ; the possibility of the latter mode of origin being 

 suggested by the great difference which is observable among the Cretaceous 

 representatives. Mr. Jukes-Browne holds that the characters of the hinge 

 in these shells afford the best and most convenient means of distinguishing 

 the generic groups from one another. The paper is illustrated by a plate 

 shewing excellent drawings of the hinges of twelve Cretaceous and Eocene 

 Venerids. Dr. F, A. Bather kindly sends three useful papers. The first 

 entitled * Visit to the Palaeontological Exhibit in the Science Hall, Franco- 

 British Exhibition* (' Proc. Geol. Assn.,' Vol. XX., part 7), is a description 

 of the various methods employed in the study of fossils ; and deals with 

 the subject under the heads of collecting, preparation and preservation, 

 study, and presentation of results. Those who are under the impression 

 that a palseontologist's outfit consists of a hammer, chisel and hatpin, will 

 be severely ' disillusionised ' on reading this paper. His second paper The 

 Preparation and Preservation of Fossils (' Museums Journal '), deals more 

 particularly with the question of freeing specimens from the matrix ; whilst 

 the third is on similar Hues, and refers to Nathorst's Methods of Studying 

 Cutinised Portions of Fossil Plants (' Geol. Mag.', Decade V., Vol. V.). 

 The method of freeing fern spores from an apparently homogeneous mass 

 of palaeozoic rock, reads almost like a fairy-tale, and demonstrates that 

 there are many more ways of unravelling the secrets locked up in the rocks 

 than are dreamt of in most men's philosophy. From Mr. W. J. Lewis 

 Abbot, F.G.S., we have received a reprint of his exceptionally complete 

 and carefully considered account of * The Pleistocene Vertebrates of South- 

 east England.* This contains particulars of no fewer than 127 species. 



1909 May I. 



