13 



of structure in general, — or they have given their whole 

 attention to little matters of detail which, though having a 

 certain value, if too closely followed out, prevent their 

 rising to those more general views of the relations of things 

 which should ever be the aim of the philosophical student of 

 nature. 



I have spoken of the bond of union among the sciences in 

 general, and among the natural sciences in particular. But 

 not forgetting that this Club interests itself with the subject 

 of Antiquities, as well as Natural History, it may be service- 

 able to show that even Antiquities, — though belonging more 

 properly to the domain of history than science, — are not 

 entirely disconnected from the researches of the naturalist. 

 In all at least that relates to the antiquity of man, considered 

 in himself, and in connexion with the rude dwellings and the 

 rude implements which he provided for the supply of his 

 necessary wants, sooner or later after his first appearance on 

 this earth — one of the great questions of our day — the subject 

 is closely mixed up with that of the relative ages of the beds 

 in which remains of such occur, — and it is necessary to have 

 the geologist at hand in some cases to determine the true 

 position of these beds in the geological series. It was but the 

 other day, as we are aware, that a discovery was made in the 

 immediate vicinity of this city, which might have been lost to 

 science, or its value much lessened from want of accurate 

 knowledge of the facts of the case, but for an immediate 

 inquiry into the circumstances by those whom we are 

 accustomed to look up to as the first authorities in geology 

 and antiquities in this place. I allude to the finding of a very 

 ancient kyst containing portions of a human skeleton, buried 

 at the depth of between four and five feet in the middle lias, 

 above which there was a deposit of peat of the thickness of 

 eighteen inches, and over that six feet of gravel. It is 

 difficult, perhaps, to fix the date of the interment of these 

 remains with any accuracy, but the long period of years 

 required for the slow accumulation of the peat and gravel 

 above the lias, which must have been the top soil when the 

 burial took place, throw it back to a very remote age, and give 

 it an interest that leads us to hope it may shortly be made the 

 subject of a separate communication to the Club. 



And having, now, said thus much respecting the particular 

 researches which this Club should endeavour to caiTv on, with 

 a view to collecting materials for a complete Natural History 

 of Bath and the surrounding country, — having also made 

 some remarks on the sciences in general, and the advantages 

 of association in our respective pursuits, — it is time that I 

 should pass on to the consideration of the practical working 



