320 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
moor, Wyre Porest (this latter place is described at p. 136 of my book), and I 
find upon the surface of the top layer of cream-coloured limestone numerous 
teeth and fin-spines of small predatory fishes, very tiny, scarcely larger than 
dots and specks till a lens is brought to bear upon them ; but upon some parts 
of this surface they are plentifully sprinkled, and have quite a pleasing appear- 
ance, tiieir shining black contrasting so decidedly with the eream-coloured rock 
on which they lie. Iron-pyrites in very small cubic crystals accompany them. 
Scales of these small fisli are also contained in the limestone, and it has 
Spirorbis in plenty. The Cypridcs are nearly confined to the coffee-coloured 
shales lying beneath tlie harder band. 
This limestone occurs at tlie Gibhouse pits and at Blakeraoor, but lacustrine 
bivalve shells (Cyelas) are there its only fossils. — Yours very truly, Geoiige 
E. Roberts, Kidderminster. 
REVIEW. 
Geological Gossip ; or, Stray Clwpfers on Earth and Ocean. By Professor 
D. T. Ansted. London : Routledge and Co., 1860. 
Very pleasant and useful geological gossip Professor Ansted has laid before 
the world in the eighteen chapters of which this popularly written little book 
consists. The chapters generally appear to us to be very concise and lucid 
epitomes of various valuable contributions to geological and physical science. 
Thus various useful geological matters which are contained in the two short 
but excellent chapters on the Atlantic seem to have been judiciously selected 
from that ponderous volume of vabiable investigations and data " Maury's 
Sailing Directions," and from the Reports of the soundings in the Atlantic for 
the electric telegraph. Dr. Livingstone's researches in Africa, Mallet and 
Perrey's Earthquake Statistics, Sir Charles Lyell's demolishing attack on the 
Crater of Elevation theory, Darwin's investigations on the Origin of Species. 
Mr. Horner's borings into the stratified deposits of the Nile, Boucher de 
Perthes' Antiquites Antediluviennes, Mr. Prestwich's Paper before the Royal 
Society on the Discoveries of Possil Works of Man, Delesse's Experiments on 
the Metamorphism of Rocks, and other similar labours condensed with 
admu-able brevity, have furnished the chief materials for the really interesting 
chapters on the Interior of Africa, the Statistics of Earthquakes, the Origui of 
Voleanos, the Battle of Life, the Antiquity of the Human Race in Egypt, 
Human Remains in Caverns and Gravel, and the Origin of Rocks and Meta- 
morphism. 
If by these remarks we should seem to be detracting from the originality of 
this work — a merit Professor Ansted, by the total absence of preface or intro- 
duction, does not himself seem desirous of claiming for it — we would in con- 
clusion express our sincere wish that the future may be rich in similar 
periodical epitomes of important scientific labours and investigations as reliably, 
readably, and usefully set forth, and as admirably adapted for giving the general 
reader a just view of their leading principles. 
