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NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



CHARLES DARWIN AS GEOLOGIST. 



Under the above title the Cambridge University Press has 

 pubHshed the Rede Lecture, dehvered by Sir Archibald Geikie, 

 at the recent Darwin Centenary Celebrations at Cambridge.* 

 We can cordially recommend this little volume to our readers. 

 In it Sir Archibald points out that hitherto sufficient importance 

 does not appear to have been attached to Darwin's geological 

 work. It was the science of geology that first commanded 

 Darwin's attention, and doubtless its study had much to do - 

 with the line of research he followed, with such brilliant results. 

 Sir x\rchibald, in his familiar masterly manner, deals with 

 Darwin's geological work ; his South American, etc., researches 

 whilst on the ' Beagle ' ; his brilliant discoveries with regard 

 to coral islands ; his work on the formation of soils, etc. 



A USEFUL HAMMER. 



As illustrating the fact that Darwin was a true field 

 geologist and always provided with a hammer, the story is 

 told that whilst some officers were surveying in the island of 

 San Pedro, a fox (Canis fulvipes), a new species, was sitting on 

 the rocks. He was so intensely absorbed in watching the Work 

 •of the officers that Darwin was able, by quietly walking up 

 behind, to knock him on the head with his geological hammer. 

 ' This fox, more curious or more scientific, but less wise than 

 the generality of his brethren,' is now in the Natural History 

 Museum, South Kensington„ 



INTERESTING FIND AT HUDDERSFIELD. 



Forty years ago a description of a fossil cone from the Coal 

 Measures was given by Carruthers, and he named it Volk- 

 mannia hinneyana — now known as Colamostachys hinneyana. 

 Although many specimens are known, in not a single instance 

 has the cone been found in connection with vegetative organs 

 •of any kind. In the July ' New Phytologist ' Mr. H. Hamshaw 

 Thomas describes and figures a specimen shewing the cone 

 with four whorls of Catamite leaves attached at the base. 

 From the size, shape, and arrangement of these, it may be con- 

 cluded that they are of the type known as Colamocladus 

 (= Aster ophyllites) grandis Sternb, and thus an important 

 advance has been made in this particular branch of palseo- 

 botany. The specimen upon which Mr. Thomas's notes are 

 based was found in a calcareous nodule from the Halifax Hard 

 Bed of the Lower Coal Measures of Huddersfield. 



1909 Sep. I. 



*9i pp., cloth, 2/. net. 



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