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characters, from taking a too limited view 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 Avith the subject of 

 Antiquities, as well as Natural History, it may be serviceable 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 skeletoi?, buried at 

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

 which there Avas a deposit of peat of the thickness of eighteen 

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



