72 



separating in search of food, have left their carcases, wasted hy 

 famine, variously scattered at a distance from each other. 



The following questions are thus suggested for inquiry : 



Are the bones of young and of old animals mixed indiscriminately 

 throughout the whole of these bone-beds ? 



Is it possible to distinguish the bones of females from those of 

 males ? 



Do the bones of the larger and stronger individuals occur in 

 greater abundance near the top of the bone-beds, and those of the 

 smaller and feebler animals nearer the bottom of those beds ? 



If the sea followed these animals quickly, the young and the 

 feeblest would perish before they reached the great deposits of bones, 



Although not at all confident that either of these explanations is 

 the true one, I look upon them as open to less objection than any 

 other of which I have yet heard, and therefore give them a tem- 

 porary assent. 



The conclusion to which these remarks lead, is that whilst we 

 ought to be quite prepared to examine any evidence which tends to 

 prove the great antiquity of our race, yet that if the facts adduced 

 can be explained and accounted for by the operation of a few simple 

 and natural causes, it is unphilosophical to infer the coexistence of 

 man with those races of extinct animals. 



The interest and importance of the subject are such, that new and 

 still more extensive researches cannot fail to be made ; and if these 

 remarks shall in any way contribute to lighten the labour of future 

 inquirers, or to promote the true explanation of the facts, they will 

 have fully attained the object of their publication. 



XL "Remarks on Colour-Blindness/' By Sir JOHN F. W. 

 HERSCHEL, Bart., F.R.S. 



[Extracted from a Report by Sir J. F. W. H. on Mr. Pole's paper 

 on the same subject*, and communicated at the request of Jhe Pre- 

 sident and Council.] 



I consider this paper as in many respects an exceedingly valuable 

 contribution to our knowledge of the curious subject of colour-blind- 



* " Proceedings," vol. viii. p. 172 ; and vol. ix. p. 716. 



