THE publication of Mr. Skertchley's “Manufacture of Gun Flints,” in the Memoirs of the Geological Survey, seems to be a good opportunity for again bringing under notice the absurd price charged for some of the Survey volumes. In NATURE, vol. xviii. p. 562, Prof. Boyd Dawkins drew attention to this subject, and urged the necessity of issuing the “Memoirs” at a reasonable price; but this last publication shows that the Stationery Office does not intend to mend its ways, but will still try and put the information it issues as far as possible out of the reach of the public. The fact I should like to draw attention to as regards the price of the “Memoirs” is the absurdity of the amount charged for some of the volumes, as proved by others issued by the Survey; and a glance at the facts seems to show that the prices are fixed without any regard to the size or quality of the book. Mr. Skertchley's pamphlet consists of 80 pp. and 71 figs., and this, in a paper wrapper, is priced 17s. 6d.! Now, take Prof. Judd's “Geology of Rutland,” this contains 320 pp. (or exactly four times as many as Mr. Skertchley's) 11 plates and 19 woodcuts, and the price of this, in cloth, is 12s. 6d., or 5s. less than the one of 80 pp. Another example is Mr. De Ranee's Memoir on the “Superficial Geology of the Coasts of Southwest Lancashire,” which consists of 139 pp., and 20 woodcuts, and for which we have to pay 17s.; compare with this Mr. Woodward's “East Somerset and Bristol Coalfield,” containing 271 pp., 9 plates, and 23 woodcuts, which is only one shilling more than the last-named, and is issued in cloth. But perhaps the most curious two to take together are Mr. Skertchley's volume on the “Fenland,” and Prof. Green's “Report on the Yorkshire Coalfield.” The former of these contains 335 pp., 24 plates, and 36 woodcuts, and is published at 2l., the latter has 823 pp., 26 plates, and 125 woodcuts, and yet the price is only 2l. 2s. It is certainly hard to understand why we should be charged 2l. for Mr. Skertchley's volume, if one the size of Prof. Green's can be produced for 2l. 2s. One would imagine that books issued with the public money would be sold as cheaply as possible; and it is to be hoped that some friend to Science in Parliament will ask a question of the Government, and see if it is absolutely necessary that these Memoirs should be published at such famine prices.