144 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly May 



district is flat and — on the surface — sandy, protected by the 

 abruptly rising ridge of hills already referred to. Below the 

 sand is a deposit of peat from 3 to 4 feet deep, and under 

 the peat a bed of ironstone reaching a depth in some places 

 of over 15 feet. This ironstone, of great commercial value, 

 is notable for its curious local distribution, and is the cause 

 of the half-dozen or so blast-furnaces which disfigure the 

 otherwise fair face of this corner of Lincolnshire — mines 

 having been exploited with great success during the past 

 couple of decades. It is not, however, the ironstone, nor 

 yet its covering of peat, to which we particularly wish to 

 refer here. Our attention is directed to the loose sand on 

 the surface, or rather to the remarkable prehistoric remains 

 which it contains. The sand itself is somewhat puzzling. 

 No marine remains are found in it, and as it is not lacus- 

 trine in character, it must be iEolian, or wind-blown. But 

 whence it came at the bidding of y£olus, remains a mystery. 

 There, at all events, it lies, heaped here and there into 

 small mounds or barrows, to which further reference will 

 be made presently. It is in this sand that the " pigmy 

 flints" are found, of which the Rev. R. A. Gatty, who 

 first discovered them in this locality, has perhaps the largest 

 and most varied collection. So far, these tiny relics of the 

 Stone Age have proved a stumbling - block to scientists. 

 Doubtless by them there hangs a tale. The question is, 

 What story of prehistoric marvels do they unfold, or can 

 they be made to unfold ? 



Some twenty years ago, it appears, Mr Gatty — always an 

 ardent geologist — picked up in the fields at Bradfield, near 

 Penistone, a number of what he claimed to be minute, yet 

 complete, flint implements, but which eminent authorities 

 at first set down as mere chips from larger specimens. 

 Subsequently a collection of pigmy flints found on the 

 floors of caves in the Vindhya Hills were brought over 

 from India by Mr Carlyle. Comparison showed that they 

 were identical in every respect with Mr Gatty's specimens 

 save that chalcedony was the component substance instead 

 of flint. Further confirmation of Mr Gatty's contention 

 was afforded by the discovery of similar remains at Rochdale 

 by Dr Calley March. News of a geological "find" at 



