610 3Ieeting of the British Association. [Oct., 



"Walter James, Messrs. Evans, Boyd Dawkins, and others also took 

 part in the debate. 



Dr. P. M. Duncan read a paper " On the Age of the Human 

 Eemains in the Cave of Cro-Magnon, in the Valley of the Vezere." 

 In this cave four distinct layers of charcoal or ancient hearths had 

 been found, containing bones of the mammoth and reindeer mixed 

 with human bones ; and Dr. Duncan argued that the circumstances 

 were such as to indicate that this case did not prove man to be 

 contemporary with the mammoth, since the bones might have been 

 brought to the cave by hunters at a later period. 



Col. Lane Fox then described his discovery of flint implements 

 at Acton and other places in the valley of the Thames, in gravels, 

 a hundred feet above the present river, at which level it had un- 

 doubtedly flowed when the gravel was deposited. 



A Crannoge or lake-village in South Wales was described in a 

 paper by the Eev. Mr. Dumbleton. It was situated in the Lake of 

 Llangorse, and was very similar in construction to some of the 

 Swiss lake-vilkges. Some of the piles were exhibited, as well as 

 bones of the horse, ox, sheep, and wild boar, which were found there. 



Mr. Lewis read a paper " On the Builders and Purposes of 

 Megalithic Monuments." He said there existed a practicaUy \m- 

 broken chain of megalithic monuments extending from India to 

 Great Britain. Who were their builders ? Identity of place and 

 other traces of affinity led to the conclusion that there must have 

 been at least a great common influence at work, though possibly 

 not an absolute community of race. He held that they were pro- 

 bably constructed under Celtic influences — that the single upright 

 stones were used as memorial pillars, the circles and alignments 

 primarily as places of sacrifice, and the dolmens or table-stones, of 

 which there were two well-marked varieties, in one view as places 

 of sepulture, and in the other for purposes of sacrifice or memorial. 



Many other papers were read before this department, which we 

 have only space to mention. Sir Duncan Gibb had three, — " On 

 the Paucity of Aboriginal Monuments in Canada," which he im- 

 puted chiefly to the severity of the climate ; " On an Obstacle to 

 Longevity beyond Seventy Years," which he found to be pendency 

 of the epiglottis ; and " On a Cause of Diminished Longevity among 

 the Jews," namely, eating too much fat and oil : " On the Primeval 

 Status of Man," by Mr. W. C. Dendy, was a somewhat vague 

 essay on the origin of man, opposing the views of Huxley and 

 Darwin, and leading to a long and rambling discussion ; " On 

 the Westerly Drifting of Nomades from the Fifth to the Nine- 

 teenth Century," by Mr. H. H. Howarth ; "The Origin of the 

 Tasmanians," by Mr. J, Bonwick ; " The Natives of Vancouver's 



