1899] CULTIVATION OF THE VINE IN ESSEX 169 



Cultivation of the Vine for Wine in Essex. 



A question relative to the above heading was asked in the Essex 

 County Chronicle for Dec. 9, 1898, and has produced a paper on the 

 subject in the Essex Naturalist (Jan.-March 1899) from the pen of 

 Mr. Miller Christy. This paper, which is of considerable interest, 

 deals with the matter historically, and collects together a great deal of 

 valuable information. For instance, no fewer than eight records of 

 vineyards in Essex occur in Domesday Book, and other records occur 

 for 1130, 1252, 1303, 1380, 1540, 16(37, etc. AVine was produced, 

 according to these records, in 1086, 1130, and 1667, the produce of 

 the latter year being mentioned by Pepys as grown at Walthamstow. 

 Reference is made to the place names, and to hop-growing, and to the 

 fact that the vine is largely grown at the present day for the sale of 

 the grapes themselves, rather than for the wine the grapes might yield. 



Did Palaeolithic Man Inhabit Scotland ? 



In a brochure by the Rev. Frederick Smith of Cromlix, entitled " Some 

 Investigations into Palaeolithic Remains in Scotland " (a reprint from 

 the Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow, read 30th 

 November 1898), the author claims to have discovered palaeolithic 

 implements in many localities throughout Scotland, including the 

 valleys of the Forth, Tay, Earn, Allan, Dee, and Don (Aberdeen), as 

 well as the Clyde estuary. 



That such implements have not been hitherto recognised in Scot- 

 land is, according to Mr. Smith, due to the fact that " the searchers 

 were looking for the wrong thing. The accepted forms being of flint, 

 flint specimens were sought in Scotland ; or, on the supposition that 

 other materials than flint might have been used, specimens of equally 

 fine form and elaboration were expected. But no flint exists in Scot- 

 land ; hence flint specimens could not have been anticipated." No 

 objection can be taken to the logic of the above statement, but it is 

 equally certain that if palaeolithic man did not inhabit Scotland, as 

 has hitherto been assumed, the products of his hands need not be 

 looked for. With regard to Mr. Smith's reported discoveries, the main 

 question which has to be determined is, whether the objects are, or are 

 not, of human workmanship. Should this be decided in the affirma- 

 ■tive the next step would be to ascertain if they were actually found 

 in circumstances which would lead us to regard them as the handiwork 

 of Palaeolithic Man ? On both these points the author is very con- 

 fident of a favourable verdict. He tabulates his results as follows : — 



(1) "Angular — i.e. unrolled — stones, in shape similar to the flints 



