34 Reviews — Prof. Gosselet’s Cours EMmentaire de Geologie. 
time is divided (especially in scliool-books). Thus the Carboniferous 
System is called “ Regne des Productus,” tbe Cretaceous is beaded 
“ Regne des Budistes,” and so on. Tbis metbod will probably be of 
considerable help in reminding young students of some of tbe more 
strongly cbaracteristic fossil groups, and Prof. Gosselet Claims no 
more tban tbis in its favour. Tbere are 166 figures in tbe text, of 
tbese tliose representing fossils (mostly from d’Orbigny’s works, 
etc.) are very good, wbilst tbe otbers, altbougb well cbosen and in- 
structive, are as a rule very inferior, having probably been spoiled 
in the engraving. 
Tbe style of the Lille Professor is extremely clear, and entirely 
free as it is from any attempt at so-called “populär” writing, it is 
yet decidedly interesting. Tbere is an absence of tbeorizing wbicb 
one is not accustomed to find in foreign mannals of geology. Tbe 
book is in fact a collection of carefully selected facts, the inferences 
drawn from wbich are striking and obvious. Those parts of geo- 
logical Science wbich still belong to the region of speculation are 
omitted, and tbe Student is only told what is known and bow it is 
known. Cataclysms, Pentagonal Systems, and all the otber horrors 
of so many Frencli text-books, find no place in this one. 
In two instances only, we believe, does tbe author depart from 
the well-established views wbicb thei'e is no risk of tbe Student 
finding contradicted in larger works. One is in tbe use of tbe term 
“Paleontonique.” Under tbis unusual name are grouped the Silurian, 
Devonian, and Carboniferous rocks, tbe pre-Cambrian rocks being 
denominated “ Azoic,” notwftbstanding Eozoon, w'bicb is mentioned 
as “ ce pretendu fossile,” and tbe Cambrian being regarded merely 
as tbe base of the Silurian. The other case is tbe division of tbe 
Carboniferous into three stages, viz. : 1°. Tbe Lower or Carboniferous 
Limestone. 2°. The Middle, or Coal-Measures. 3°. The Upper, or 
Permian. Now tbere is, of course, very much to be said in favour 
of tbis grouping, and it is quite possible that a continuation of re- 
searcbes, such as those of Dawson in North America, and Ludwig in 
Kussia, may bring us some day to accept tbis as tbe normal and 
typical state of tbings, yet it seems scarcely wise or in keeping witb 
tbe admirable reserve wbicb marks tbe rest of the book, to include 
an innovation in wbicb tbere is so mucb room for criticism. 
Naturally tbe text-book refers cbiefly to Frencb Geology, and its 
value is much enhanced by tbe two coloured folding plates wbich it 
contains, one being an excellent little geological map of France in 
eigbt divisions, and tbe otber consisting of three sections illustrating 
tbe rock-structure of tbe country between tbe Vosges and Paris, 
Paris and Laon, and Brussels and Mezieres. 
On tbe whole the book will compare favourably witb tbe best of 
our geological primers and introductory text-books, and leaves most 
of tbe foreign works of tbe kind far bebind. G. A. L. 
