1894- CORRESPONDENCE. 397 



actual museum work was Thursday, when an excursion was arranged, not simply to 

 a waterfall (p. 320), but to the mansion and estates of one of the most enlightened of 

 Irish noblemen, Lord Powerscourt, F.R.S., whose art collection, viewed with great 

 interest by the art curators present, is, I am told, one of the finest. Two papers 

 were shortened, one was my own, taken last, and shortened at my own request, to 

 make way for the other " burked " (?) paper, which was, though contributed by an 

 able member of the Association, of an extremely discursive nature, and was at the 

 end of half-an-hour " no forrarder." Discussion on the papers was not seriously 

 curtailed. Once or twice it was invited, and was not forthcoming. 



As an Englishman engaged in science work here, I wish to protest against the 

 countenance your note gives to the too prevalent opinion that Irishmen are not 

 capable of sustained and earnest work. 



Dublin. T. Johnson. 



[We can assure Professor Johnson that, neither in our original note nor in our 

 subsequent defence, did we intend to cast any aspersions on the Irish character, or 

 to slight the labours of the Dublin local committee. Our views as to the mode of 

 conducting a meethtg of this kind may not meet with universal approval ; there is 

 room for argument. Our statements, however, were based partly on the ofificial 

 programme of the Association, which we knew was not absolutely adhered to, and 

 partly on information received from members of the Association, present through- 

 out the meeting, whose good faith we have no reason to doubt. We wish so well 

 to the Museums' Association that we should regret indeed to arouse the indignation 

 of its members against us ; but under the circumstances we can hardly say more 

 than that we hope we were wrong. — Ed.] 



The Glacial Period and Primitive Man. 



On examining the evidence for the immense antiquity often attributed to Man, 

 it is apparent that there is a great difference between the pre-Glacial and the 

 post-Glacial. The post-Glacial evidence is of a varied character, comprising not 

 only stone weapons but other implements, rude drawings, charred and split 

 bones, etc. On the other hand, the pre-Glacial evidence entirely consists of rudely- 

 worked flints. In fact, the deniers of human antiquity, when confronted with the 

 post-Glacial evidence, cannot deny its human origin, so take refuge in denying its 

 antiquity ; while, when opposed to the pre-Glacial, they admit the antiquity, but 

 deny the human character. 



Now it can hardly fail to be remarked that during the immense period for 

 which Man is often supposed to have existed before the Glacial Period, the progress 

 of the species was very small — in fact, compared with its subsequent advance, 

 almost nil ; while, during the far shorter time that has elapsed since, progress has 

 been continuous and rapid. 



Accordingly, I venture to suggest the following hypothesis. Man, that is the 

 intelligent and progressive animal known as Man, dates only from the Glacial 

 Period. Before this there was no true man, but only a very intelligent anthropoid, 

 surpassing those of the present day, being able to use properly-shaped stones as 

 weapons, and when such stones in their natural state were inconveniently formed, 

 to break off fragments, and so reduce them to a convenient size and shape. Pro- 

 bably it also knew the use of fire. Furthermore, it resembled Man, physically, 

 much more closely than any existing species does. Nevertheless, it was in all 

 essential respects only an ape. 



The severity of the climate at the commencement of the Glacial Period caused 

 a great mortality among this species ; only individuals survived who were able to 

 adapt themselves in some degree to the changed conditions. Under this pressure 

 the species changed rapidly. The development was, of course, mainly in intelligence 

 and adaptivity ; especially intelligence in dealing with fire, now becoming a vital 

 necessity. Strength and activity, being of secondary importance, were no longer 

 kept up by Natural Selection, and so retrograded, either through the accumulated 



