366 AECH^OLOGY. 



the time of the first invasion of the Romans, when probably this sin- 

 gular mode of habitation was abandoned. 



We also received by Dr. H. Christ an account of the flora of the 

 palisade age, which presents some noteworthy phytographical results. 

 There were found changed into a hard shining coal with a metallic 

 lustre on the surface well-developed unwrinkled remains of wheat, 

 resembling our Triticum vidgare, but much smaller. The grains of 

 our modern wheat measure from seven to eight millimetres, while those 

 of the ancient wheat are only from four to seven millimetres in maxi- 

 mum length. The spike of the ancient wheat is much more full and 

 crowded, whereby the spicula3 are forced into an almost horizontal 

 position. 



Hordeum hexastrilmus is also found, but Triticum spelta^ oats and 

 rye, have not been noticed. Thus it appears that wheat, even in our 

 more northern regions, was the oldest cereal in cultivation. One 

 species of Linum has also been found with the seeds and capsules 

 most perfectly preserved. It approaches L. montanum and also L. 

 perenne^ but is unlike our usitatissimum, the native land of Avhich has 

 not yet been discovered. 



Of hemp [Camiabis) no traces have been discovered, and therefore 

 the ancient Swiss could not have immigrated from a region where 

 this plant is indigenous. 



Apples- cut in halves, and probably prepared for preservation, show 

 by their kernels, capsules, and general outlines, a size surpassing that 

 of the modern form of Pyrus malus, as represented in the Swiss 

 mountains. 



Of pears but one doubtful piece was obtained. A species of Prunus 

 (spmos«s,)perhaps the plum(P.^ws^7^7^a,) and sweet cherry, were present. 

 Among the forest trees the presence of the dwarf pine (P. maghus) 

 in the lowlands is remarkable because this species has since retired 

 to more elevated alpine and sub-alpine regions. It seems generally 

 that since the palisade era the flora has undergone no material 

 changes, which is contrary to the observations made in Denmark, 

 where the remains of turf exclusively contain but pine and afterwards 

 oak, where now the beech constitutes unbroken forests. This proves 

 some kind of natural rotation, but it is erroneous to suppose that the 

 growth of leafy trees of necessity must be preceded by the lower or- 

 ganized conifers. 



Since the palisade age various aquatic plants have receded to the 

 mountains; for instance, Nupliar pumilum and Trapa nafoms, which 

 latter now only occurs at Langenthal and Elgy. This change of habitat 

 deserves the more consideration as there is no ground for the belief 

 that the migration of these plants has been influenced by man. 



It is as yet impossible to fix the time of the lacustrine habitations 

 chronologically. The last period of it, when the turf hog in its wild 

 state had ceased to exist, and the older bovine races (Bos troclioceros 

 and B. primigenius) had been replaced by the northern spotted cattle, 

 (Bos frontosus,) which announce the period of domesticated races, per- 

 tains to historical times. The chronological space backward towards 

 the oldest remains of the palisade age cannot be estimated; it ought 

 not to be measured even with the unlimited scale of geological periods. 



