xxxiv Journal of Proceedings. 



head from a deep cutting on the west bank of the Mississippi, dug up 

 in his presence from an excavation for the foundation of an iron fur- 

 nace. This weapon was " rifled," so to speak ; that is, its outline 

 formed part of a screw, and the spear or arrow to which it was attached 

 would in its flight produce a rotary motion, and so tend to keep in a 

 straight line when thrown through the air. Another very remarkable 

 specimen was a polished Flint Celt, found at Barking Side, Essex, in 

 1868, in five feet of gravel ; this was the only Essex specimen Sir 

 Antonio possessed. Some of the flint hand daggers exhibited, from 

 the Peat of Denmark, were highly wrought, and the handles were 

 ornamented to give a more perfect grip. In the collection shown us 

 were also other curious and highly-finished flint tools — saws, chisels, 

 &c., and one implement of very remarkable construction, highly 

 polished, and so formed as to constitute a very perfect Gouge, with an 

 edge wrought to form an "ogee" curve, best adapted for cutting into 

 wood. This specimen was from America. 



Sir Antonio entered into detailed particulars as to the nature and 

 teachings of the specimens exhibited, and recapitulated the results of 

 Mr. Croll's and Col. Drayson's observations on the causes of the 

 glacial epochs, which had been so fully stated by him at the meeting 

 of the Club on May 29th. He was very glad to see his friend Mr. 

 Wallace present, and hoped that veteran naturalist w^ould give them 

 the benefit of his opinion, although Sir Antonio feared that Mr. Wallace 

 differed from him, toto ccelo, with regard to this difficult problem. 



Mr. Walker congratulated the Club on the success of the meeting, 

 and said that in his opinion it would be an honour to any society to 

 enlist the aid and co-operation of the gentlemen whose names had been 

 announced by the Secretary and of those eminent men of science he 

 saw around him in that room. They had had so much from him that 

 he would only make a few remarks on the stratigraphical conditions of 

 the district they had visited that afternoon. Mr. Walker then briefly 

 discussed the nature and history of the gravel deposits in the London 

 district, and referred to the possibly marine origin of the older Thames 

 Valley gravels. In reply to Mr. Wallace, who inquired on what grounds 

 Mr. Walker founded his conclusion that these deposits were marine, 

 Mr. Walker stated that no remains of land animals had been found in 

 them. The speaker made some humorous remarks with respect to 

 his fondness for the study of the gravels, which were to him a great 

 institution, and he could lie down any day beside a barrow of flints and 

 enjoy himself very much. (Laughter.) 



Mr. A. R. Wallace, after some prefatory remarks, said that there 

 were one or two points in the discussion that afternoon about which he 

 should like to say a few words. First of all he must refer to the inte- 

 resting and most remarkable specimens of ancient implements and art 

 which Sir Antonio Brady had been good enough to show them. He 



