Two papers in the July Number of this Magazine one by Mr. J. H. Blake, and the other by Mr. C. Reid, impugn certain representations given by us of beds on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts, and demand from us some remark.

Perm is known to the Russians like Woolwich is to the English, as being a great cannon manufactory. It is said to employ 4000 workmen, and is the largest establishment of the kind in Russia. To see it one must go about three miles farther up the river. In driving there I passed a section of a whitish fissile rock, which was apparently a local representative of the Permian strata. The most noticeable thing at the works was a large steam hammer, said to be the largest in the world. The weight of the head of this instrument is 50 tons, but when steam is employed the energy is equivalent to three times this amount. The anvil on which this falls is a solid block of cast iron, weighing 667 tons. Up till quite recently all the coal used at these works was brought from England, which naturally involved considerable expense. Now they use their own coal, which is found on both sides of the neighbouring Urals in great abundance, coke only being brought from England.

The Ironstone Beds of Oolitic age in Lincolnshire have, during the last four years, yielded not only large quantities of brown hæmatite iron-ore, but some very interesting sections and borings, comprising thirty-one of the latter between four and seven miles to the south of Lincoln, and several extensive openings showing that the beds are much richer at this distance from Lincoln, but that they become very siliceous and pass into a ferruginous sand above Normanton about eighteen miles to the south.

In a recent visit to the Isle of Man, I spent three long days in examining the deposits of the very interesting district in the south of the island, and I wish to draw the attention of your readers to some facts which are, I think, important. Not being an experienced geologist, I hope I shall do so with becoming modesty, and I should feel very gratified if some more practised geologist would verify my statements, which are, however, not rashly made, as I have sifted the question with care and patience.