352 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



A second example of the same argument is afforded by 

 Prof. Engerrand, 1 who writes: "One of the most striking 

 confirmations of the theory advocated by M. Rutot is the dis- 

 covery of primitive tribes which are still in the stage of simply 

 using stone. Such are the Seris Indians, inhabitants of the 

 islands of Tiburon and Sonora, described by McGee. 



" The arms of the Seris are stones collected from the beach, 

 and serve without preparation as the hammers which they use 

 in everyday life. They carry these stones in their fights and 

 employ them in combats man to man." 



Without questioning the completeness of this story, we may 

 yet feel some doubt as to whether the Seris Indian would be 

 able to recognise to-morrow the pebble he fought with to-day, 

 and still more whether an observer coming on the scene some 

 thousands of years after would succeed in discovering in such 

 missiles the marks by which they could be distinguished from 

 those lying on the beach. 



Another argument, frequently employed by the advocates of 

 the theory of intelligent design, is that we know of no other 

 way of accounting for the form of these flints ; but this is always 

 a very dangerous logic : we are not yet so intimately familiar 

 with all the processes of nature as to be able to proceed by a 

 method of exclusion. Indeed, it may be alleged that forms very 

 similar to those in dispute are almost certainly produced by 

 river and torrent action, as well as by pressure beneath the soil 

 or by the action of the frost. It is possible to pick out of almost 

 any gravel pit containing angular material any number of 

 chipped forms, and among them some which are difficult to 

 distinguish from supposed " eoliths " : but these make very 

 little impression on the true believer, for he has always two 

 resources open to him — either the natural form may be dis- 

 tinguished from the artificial by some slight difference in detail, 

 which is only perceptible to a gifted eye, or it may be boldly 

 claimed as a true artefact. 



In this connection some observations made within the last 

 few years at Guerville possess a certain importance. At this 

 spot, some two kilometres south-east of Mantes, on the right 

 bank of the Seine, is a cement works from which every form of 

 " eolith " is said to be produced in great numbers daily as a 



1 Tom. cit., p. 97, and W. J. MacGee, "Germe d'une Industrie de la Pierre 

 en Amerque," Bull. Soc. cfAnl/ir., Paris, 1902, p. 82. 



