240 NATURAL SCIENCE. April, 



feet in the direction of the slope, i.e., measured from the edge 

 to the spot wliere the conglomerate disappeared under the newer 

 beds at the foot of the precipice. The thickness was 12 to 15 

 feet, and apparently only a very small part of the top of the conglom- 

 erate had been removed. The conglomerate was neither very hard, 

 nor very soft ; so far as I remember, quartzite- pebbles were absent or 

 very scarce, so that it consisted chiefly of a mass of irregularly shaped 

 nodules of earthy hydroxide of iron, loosely cemented together. 



As the exposure seemed a good one to search for fossils, I climbed 

 down, and the first thing I found was the molar of Hippotherium 

 antelopinum, still embedded in such a way that only the grinding 

 surface and part of the side were visible. I distinctly remember that 

 I had some difficulty in digging it out with a knife, because I was 

 afraid of using the hammer for fear of damaging it. While thus en- 

 gaged I noticed some quaint looking flint-flakes, close to the molar, 

 and I also distinctly remember that I wondered at them because of 

 the absence of other quartz pebbles. Quite close to the molar was 

 the largest of the flakes, (Fig. i, la) imbedded in such a ivay that about tivo- 

 thivds of its length ii<as still in the conglomerate, one of the ends sticking out. 

 On looking further about I found some more, all imbedded in the 

 conglomerate, but I cannot of course now remember the way in which 

 each single specimen was imbedded. Such is the history of the find. 



Mr. Oldham, however, describes the locality in quite a different 

 way. "The site," he says, "is on a spur running out into one of the 

 valleys which have been cut back into the plateau ; the crest of this 

 spur falls somewhat rapidly, and then rises slightly to the outcrop of 

 the ferruginous conglomerate, whose exposure on the crest of the spur 

 is, to the best of my recollection, about 50 ft. long by 8 to 10 wide. 

 No vestige of soil or sand is here, all having been removed by rain and 

 wind, but there is a thin coating of ferruginous gravel overlaying the 

 solid rock, and it was on this surface, as pointed out to me by 

 Dr. Noetling, that the flakes were found." Now, this description 

 conveys quite a wrong idea of the locality ; not that I would blame 

 Mr. Oldham, for his visit of a quarter of an hour can hardly have 

 impressed the situation distinctly on his mind. The statement of 

 " the thin coating of ferruginous gravel overlaying [sic] the solid rock " 

 is, however, absolutely wrong. The exposure is formed by the top 

 of the ferruginous conglomerate itself, and here there is no thin coating 

 of ferruginous gravel. 



As I have already mentioned the second locality where similar 

 flakes were found, it remains only to add a few words about the polished 

 bone. I found this specimen just at the spot where the low remnant 

 of a ridge still divides the two ravines, about a quarter of a mile to 

 the north of the place where the flints were found, and about 15 to 20 

 feet, perhaps a little more, above the zone of Hippotherium antelopinum, 

 in a small streak of conglomerate, partly imbedded in the overlying 

 sandstone. Fig. 3 will give an idea of the situation. 



