DEWL1SH AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. XXIX. 



country. This was a much older elephant, which became 

 extinct, as they believed, in pre-Glacial times. It had been 

 found in the Cromer Forest bed, beneath some 200 feet of 

 Glacial deposits, and in a few other places, but always in 

 ancient beds and without, as far as he knew, any clear evidence 

 of man. The polished flints, almost with a lapidary's polish, 

 were exactly like those found in the Sahara desert and in a 

 limestone fissure at Portland. Another point had been made 

 clear, viz., that the fissure at Dewlish ended in a series of 

 pot holes instead of a definite floor at the bottom. Until 

 these holes had been thoroughly examined they could not 

 say positively whether the opening was natural or artificial. 

 No hand-worked implement had been found in the trench, 

 but one had been picked up in the field. 



A aetailed report, with plans of the excavation, will be 

 printed in the later pages of this volume. 



Subssquently the members drove to Bingham's Melcombe, 

 where they were enabled, by the kindness of Mr. W. H. 

 LongbO;tom, to visit and explore the house and gardens, 

 the chaim of which has been so well told by the late Mr. 

 Bosworti Smith in his Bird life and bird lore. The visitors 

 having sssembled in the courtyard, the Rev. H. Pentin 

 addressed them on the history of the house, which had been 

 the home of the Bingham family during a continuous period 

 of 600 yef,rs. He reminded them that the house was first 

 built, as ms believed, during the time of Edward I., but 

 the building as they saw it on that day was for the most part 

 Tudor, a beautiful example of the domestic architecture of 

 the sixteentl century. The gatehouse, said to be the oldest 

 portion of tie structure, was particularly worthy of notice, 

 as were the lingham arms carved on the stone of the oriel. 

 Mr. Pentin alio drew attention to the table in the hall, the 

 heraldic glass, the portraits, among which were those of 

 Straff ord and laud, and the ancient bowling green with the 

 yew hedge of Tidor days. 



Mrs. Longbotom escorted the party through the hall and 

 the principal roons, pointing out the chief objects of interest, 



