3 oo 
Analyses of Books. (.May, 
live on the spot. Every quarry, brick pit, railway cutting, or 
opening of whatever kind into the earth, should be diligently 
examined, carefully measured and drawn, and continually 
examined for fossils ; in this way the broad outlines we now 
possess must be filled up, and if only one person in each parish 
could be induced to undertake such work, the gain to geological 
inquiry would be of real and great value.” This is obvious, yet 
such close and constant examination can only be undertaken by 
local observers, and it is hence very important that such should 
have every facility given them. The work before us will, we 
think, assist no little. 
The remarks on the characteristic scenery of the counties as 
resulting from their geological features are interesting and 
corredt. The figure showing the cliffs of lower keuper con- 
glomerate on Alderley Edge, Cheshire, will be at once recognised 
by all who knew that locality before it was invaded by building 
speculators. By the way, the author, speaking of the copper 
ores of Alderley Edge, makes no mention of the accompanying 
ores of cobalt, nickel, and vanadium. 
The description of Kinderscout, the culminating point or 
rather ridge of Derbyshire, is strikingly correCt. The view of 
the terraced lower escarpment of the chalk east of Chalgrave 
(Beds) is very characteristic. Concerning a similar set of terraces 
to be seen between Cheddingtonand MarstonGate Station on the 
Aylesbury Railway, we had once an argument with a local 
gentleman who persisted in declaring them to be artificial. 
Another important feature of the work is the list of local 
natural history societies and museums, prefixed to the descrip- 
tion of each county, along with a catalogue of important works 
or papers on the local geology. The list of societies and 
museums is unfortunately very limited, though not from any 
shortcoming of the author’s. In addition, there is a list of the 
more important books treating generally of the geology of 
England and Wales. There is also under each county a notice 
of the maps and publications of the geological survey which may 
be usefully consulted. 
Concerning local museums it may here be remarked, that 
much remains to be done before they will give the visitor a 
tolerably fair idea either of the stratigraphy, the palaeontology, 
or, what might seem to appeal more directly to popular demands, 
the economic geology of the district. This is not as it should 
be, but we fear that in some influential minds the efficiency of a 
museum, a society, or a school of science, is less aimed at than 
’its being brought under departmental control and centralisation. 
Concerning the body of the book we can say but little, especi- 
ally as the author does not profess to put forward either new 
fadts or novel theories. In speaking of the Isle of Wight, how- 
ever, he says : — “ In these deposits of Wealden age we have 
evidence of a mighty river which flowed from west to east 
