302 SHEPPARD : MARTIN SIMPSON AND HIS GEOLOGICAL MEMOIRS 
By M. Simpson / lecturer on natural science, and curator of 
Museums. 
" London : / Whittaker & Co., Ava Maria Lane. / Whitby : 
Silvester Reed. / 1885." 
It contains as frontispiece a " General [vertical] section of the East 
Yorkshire Strata,'"' from the Drift to the Eed Marl ; and Sections of 
Strata on the Yorkshire Coast," from Filey to Whitby, both of which 
are used again in the author's " Guide to the Geology of the Yorkshire 
Coast." It is in two sections. The first twelve pages describe The 
Geology ot the Yorkshire Coast " ; the remainder is devoted to the 
" Fossils of the Yorkshire Lias."* 
The Preface, dated " Whitby, March, 1855," reads : — 
" Being engaged, a number of years ago, in arranging the Wliitby 
jMnseum, and finding the fossils of the Yorkshire Lias but very im- 
perfectly described, I made it a practice to note down in a book the 
characters of every species that came under my notice ; and this I 
have continued to do, as opportunity afforded, until the present time. 
As this greatly facilitated my labours in the Museum, I also found it 
to be a most improving exercise in promoting habits of minute and 
accurate observation. Twelve years ago, I published descriptions of 
more than one hundred species of Ammonites ; and these being 
favourably received by many intelligent and learned persons, I now 
venture to publish such descriptions of our Lias Fossils in general as, 
I trust, will facilitate the studies and pursuits of those who feel interested 
in the subject. In order to render the work more useful to those 
intelligent strangers who frequently visit this part of Yorkshire, I have 
given a short description of the Strata exhibited on the cliffs from Brid- 
lington to the Tees." 
In this work the following curious reference is made (p. 3) to Filey 
Brig : — Before geological investigations were much attended to in 
these parts, it was supposed that this celebrated reef was formed by 
some Typhoeus, or by some other supernatural being of a worse name, 
with the intention of continuing it to Denmark and Norway, so that 
the witches, who, braving the perils of the deep, had been accustomed 
to come over to this country in egg shells, might arrive by dry land ; 
but fortunately this evil-disposed personage lost his hammer before his 
wishes were realized, so his labours ceased." 
* In the Catalogue of Books, etc., in the British Museum (Natural 
History), Vol. IV. (p. 1929), it is recorded that " The author's original 
drawings of some of the Belemnites described in this work are in the 
Library of the Geological Department."- 
