PREHISTORIC KITCHEN-MIDDENS. 125 
“The greatest depth of the deposit is about eight feet, 
but in most portions it will probably not average more 
than five feet. A lime-kiln has been constructed in the 
south-western angle, and, as a result, nearly the entire 
southern extremity of the mound has been opened, which 
greatly facilitates an examination of the contents. The 
lower portion is composed almost exclusively of the shells 
of the common oyster (0. virginiana), intermixed with which 
the shells of the quahang or hard clam (Venus mercenaria) 
and the carapace of the tortoise are occasionally found. 
Bones of beasts, birds, and fish are also sparingly found.” 
The relics, which were also sparingly found, consisted of 
stone axes, hammer stones, fragments of rude pottery; 
drilled gorgets, tobacco-pipes, scrapers, knives, and broken 
arrow-points. 
These remarks will suffice to give you some general 
ideas of the social and economic circumstances which led 
to the formation and distribution of kitchen-middens along 
the highways and byways frequented by mankind during 
their long career on the globe. Judging from the position 
of those already discovered, we have every reason to 
believe that many more of these temporary halting-places 
still remain concealed from the eyes of present-day investi- 
gators by various kinds of deposits due to organic growth, 
rock-weathering, blown sands, etc. On the other hand, 
some may have disappeared altogether, by the encroachment 
of the sea on the coast and other denuding agencies. This 
kind of research has therefore a promising future before it: 
- and hence it is desirable that students of Natural History 
should be conversant with its objects and methods, so as 
to be in a position to utilise their knowledge should they 
happen in their country rambles to come across any such 
trail of our prehistoric forefathers. I shall therefore devote 
the remaining portion of my lecture to short descriptions 
of the characteristic features of a few typical examples of 
kitechen-middens, with lantern illustrations of some of the 
relics found on them. The following are the stations 
selected :— 
(1) The Kjékkenméddings of Denmark. 
(2) The Neolithic Station of Butmir, Bosnia. 
