SOME DEW-PONDS IN DORSET. 33 



drinking troughs, within the very confines of the ancient 

 earthwork itself, and not far distant from the Neolithic 

 dew-pond described by the Messrs. Hubbard. 



I fear I have not treated my subject quite as scientifically 

 as I ought, or given it the same patient study that Mr. Martin 

 and other writers on the subject seem to have done ; but 

 the result of my investigations has been to very much shake 

 my belief in the theory of the Down-land " dew-pond," and 

 I have arrived at the conclusion that unless rain, mist, and 

 fog may be comprised in the word " dew," and if we are still 

 to use the word " Dew-pond," we must do so in the widest 

 sense as including ponds filled by any form of condensation 

 out of the atmosphere. Mr. Martin, in his paper above 

 referred to, seems to hold this view and abandons the theory 

 of the " dew-filled pond " with feelings of regret. He says : 

 " The mystery surrounding the quite invisible formation of 

 dew has a fascination for me, as for most people, but the 

 result of greater knowledge must prevail, and the dew which 

 waters our down-land grass and the corn on our dry flint- 

 bestrewed down-land fields cannot longer be held to have 

 any important bearing on the ' mystery ' (which is no longer 

 a mystery) of the Dew-pond." 



The subject is an extremely interesting one, and I hope 

 the fact of my bringing it forward may lead to its being 

 further discussed and enquired into by other members of 

 the Club. 



