For many years the breccia of Western Cumberland has been known locally as “ The Conglomerate ”, under which name it figures largely in hundreds of records of borings put down in search of haematite or coal. Since, however, its components consist in general of angular and subangular rather than rounded fragments, the term “ conglomerate ” is misleading; hence the deposit is here referred to as “ Brockram ” (broken rock), a descriptive lithological term applied to rocks of similar origin in the Vale of Eden and of definite significance to British geologists.

In my Presidential Address to the Geologists' Association I briefly referred to the flint flakings of the Weybourne Crag of the Cromer Coast, to which attention was first directed by Mr. F. N. Haward. During several recent visits I have been greatly impressed with the richness of this site in those remarkable flakings which are now so well known from the Ipswich district.

Shortly after the appearance of my paper on “ Some Cretaceous Echinoidea from Jamaica ” (Geol. Mag., Vol. LX, 1923, p. 199) Dr. C. T. Trechmann returned from a further visit to the Island, bringing with him a considerable collection of Echinoids. These he has entrusted to me for examination and report, possibly with the hope that the Cretaceous specimens might induce me to change my heretical opinions as to the horizon present! Once again I have to express regret that I can only repay his kindness by expressing views similar to those previously given, and this time with far greater precision than before.

It is hardly necessary to point out how very important it is that those on whom falls the onus of naming a rock should decide which is the most fitting name only after very careful consideration. Some there are who profess to be above the petty worries of nomenclature, and from these only a loose application of rock names can be expected. This is liable to mislead those dealing with problems of petrogenesis, who are justified in assuming that those competent to carry out geological research are also competent to apply correct names to their discoveries. That this is often not the case can be easily demonstrated from quite recent papers. The difficulty arises from two causes: the lack of a system of rock classification which in any sense approaches the ideal, and a desire for brevity. Concerning the first difficulty it is sufficient to say that little advance in placing the nomenclature of rocks upon a firm and common basis is possible until one universally recognized system of rock classification is in use. It is still open for investigators to choose, without any set standard, which of several variable characters of a rock should be the criterion upon which the systematic position of the rock depends. Thus, one writer places mode of occurrence before micro-structure, while his neighbour deems it wise completely to ignore mode of occurrence and makes micro-structure the deciding factor.

For some years past I have paid much attention to the gravels of the Bedford and Cambridge areas, and believe that my observations will be of value as bearing upon palaeolithic classification and the question of correlation.