This singular announcement, strange to say, hardly excited any attention at the time. Men of science ridiculed the very Such treatment might perhaps

idea, and were incredulous. have cooled the ardour of any other man than M. de Perthes; but he only carried on his researches with redoubled energy, and after a lapse of eight years, the second part of his work appeared, in which he boldly re-asserted his former opinions.

In the following year, (1858,) facts of a somewhat kindred nature were elucidated at Brixham, in Devonshire. A cavern abounding in fossil remains having been discovered there, the Royal Society voted a grant for its examination, and the exploration was entrusted to Dr. Falconer and Mr. Pengelly.

From the preliminary reports it appears that the principal remains brought to light so far are those of Rhinoceros tichorrhinus, Bos, Equus, Cervus tarandus, Ursus spelæus, and Hyæna-and curiously enough,-a great number of flint knives and arrow heads, evidently of human manufacture, were discovered indiscriminately commingled with them. One in particular was found immediately beneath a fine antler of a reindeer and a bone of the cave bear, which were imbedded in the superficial stalagmite in the middle of the cave.*

This remarkable revelation naturally reminded Dr. Falconer of M. de Perthes' discoveries, and having proceeded to Abbeville to inspect that gentleman's magnificent collection of worked flints, he returned thoroughly convinced of their genuineness, and at his instigation Mr. Prestwich was persuaded to cross the channel and to examine the gravel beds in the valley of the Somme. Mr. Prestwich who informs us that he undertook the inquiry full of doubt,† went towards the end of April last year to Amiens, where he found the gravel-beds of St. Acheul capping a low chalk-hill a mile S.E.

* Abstract Proceedings Geol. Soc, 22nd June, 1859. + Proceedings of the Royal Society, 26th May, 1859.

of the city, about 100 feet above the level of the Somme, and not commanded by any higher ground.

The beds, as determined by him, consisted of

1st.-Brown brick-earth (with old tombs and coins,) 10 to 15 feet.

2nd.-White marl containing recent land and freshwater shells, 2 to 8 feet.

3rd.-Coarse sub-angular gravel in which are found bones of elephas, equus, bos and cervus, and the flint instruments, ("Langues de chats" of the workmen,) 6 to 12 feet.

Mons. Pinsard, of Amiens, with whom I have lately been in correspondence, has kindly sent me drawings of sections of these beds, and his classification, as will be seen from the annexed cuts is rather more elaborate than Mr. Prestwich's.

The irregularity in the stratification of these beds is a point on which M. Pinsard particularly dwells, and I will here state what he says respecting it in a letter addressed

to me

"La stratification du diluvium de St. Acheul est très irrégu"lière, et les coupes que je vous donne aujourd'hui ne sont "que des moyennes."

"Lorsque les ouvriers ont avancé les tranchées de quelques mètres, la hauteur de gravier varie très sensiblement; la "hauteur du banc de gravier dans lequel se trouvent les "Haches varie de 2 à 4 mètres, mais la hauteur moyenne est "de 2 mètres 90 centimètres environ."

"Les couches supèrieures indiquent plusieurs dépôts, ces "sont des argiles, des glaises, et des bancs de petits cailloux, "(aussi des bancs faibles de Sable Aigre.) les couches d'argile

"qui sont voisines des cailloux sont très marneuses et c'est "dans ces couches que se trouvent beaucoup de coquilles "décrites par Mr. Prestwich."

"Ou trouve tous les jours de Haches, très souvent des "dents de cheval et rarement des dents d'elephants; ces "objets sont dans les couches de gravier posée sur la craie.

"Les dépôts de St. Acheul, sont curieux à cause de leur "irregularité. Si on mettait le gravier à peu on n' aurait pas 'une surface ondulée mais une surface composée de petits "cones à peu près semblables aux dunes de la Yeu près St. "Valery-en-Mer."

"Je n'ai pas remarqué que les couches inclinent vers la "vallée de Somme plutôt q' autrement."

"L' irrégularité existe partout; les couches supérieures "seulement sont plaines."

"Du sol de la craie audessus de la terre végétale, on peut "toujours compter 6 à 8 dépôts et quelquefois 10. Vous le "voyez l'irrégularité est grande et les couches donnent des "époques diffèrentes.

"Les 'Haches' se trouvent exclusivement dans les couches "qui reposent sur la craie.”*

Mr. Prestwich on his first visit obtained several specimens of worked flints from the quarrymen, but could not find any himself. Revisiting the pits, however, shortly afterwards with Mr. Evans, he was shown one which had been left "in situ" for his inspection. It was 17 feet from the surface, in undisturbed ground. Photographic views of the section were taken by

And Mons. Buteux, in his memoir "La Géologie du départment de la Somme," writes thus.-"Ainsi il est bien établi, et je le répète: les objets que 'nous allons décrire ne se trouvent ni dans le limon argilo-sableux ou terre à "briques qui forme la couche supérieure, ni dans les lits intermédiaires d'argile plus ou moins pure, de sables et de petits cailloux. Mais

"ils se rencontrent exclusivement dans la véritable diluvium c' est-a-dire dans le "dépôt qui renferme les restes des espèces animales de l'époque qui a précédé 'immédiatement le cataclysme par lequel elles ont été détruites. Il ne peut y "avoir aucun doute a cet égard."

Quoted in "Antiquités Celtiques et Antediluvienne," vol ii, p. 9.

Mons. Faure of Amiens, and having obtained copies from that gentleman, I am glad to have an opportunity of exhibiting them to this society.

Later on in the year Mr. Flower obtained a very perfect specimen of a flint instrument from these beds himself*; and about the same time Mons. Gaudry (Membre de l' Institut,) examined a fresh section, with the most satisfactory results, for no fewer than nine implements were discovered associated with remains of rhinoceros, hippopotamus and mammoth.†

Besides visiting Amiens, Mr. Prestwich went to Abbeville, Moulin-Quignon, St. Gilles and Menchecourt, at all of which places he appears to have found the deposits occurring much in the same order as those of St. Acheul.

Menchecourt is especially interesting on account of the admixture of marine and freshwater shells in one of its beds, and the great quantity of Mammalian remains found along with "Haches" in the lower stratum of sub-angular gravel.‡

The bones in question are those of Elephas primigenius, Rhinoceros tichorrhinus, Cervus Somonensis, Cervus taranduspriscus, Ursus spelæus, Hyæna spelæa, Bos primigenius, Equus adamaticus and a Felis.

Mr. Prestwich examined M. Boucher de Perthes' collection

* Abstract of Proceedings Geol. Soc., No. 36, 22nd June, 1859. Nov. 1879.

+ "L'Institut," 5th Oct. 1859.

Times, 18th

A section examined by Mr. Prestwich consisted of-1. A mass of brown sandy clay with angular fragments of flints and chalk rubble. No organic remains. Base very irregular and indented into No. 2; average thickness 2 to 12 feet. 2. A light coloured sandy clay, ("sable gras" of the workmen,) analogous to the Loess, containing land shells, pupa, helix, and clausilia of recent species. Flint axes and Mammalian remains are said to occur occasionally in this bed; average thickness 8 to 25 feet. 3. White sand ("sable aigre") with 1 to 2 feet of sub-angular flint gravel at base. This bed abounds in land and freshwater shells of recent species of the genera helix, succinea, cyclas, pisidium, valvata, bithynia, and planorbis, together with the marine Buccinum undatum, Cardium edule, Tellina solidula, and Purpura lapillus. Mr. P. also found the Cyrena consobrina, and Littorina rudis. With them are associated numerous Mammalian remains and it is said flint implements; average thickness 2 to 6 feet. 4. Light coloured sandy marl, in places very hard with helix, zonites, succinea, and pipa; not traversed.