consisted of human bones and crania found in stone coffins, flint 

 implements, coins, and many fossils. Outside the building several stone 

 coffins were exposed to view. Dr. McLean exhibited a very perfect 

 specimen of the left jaw of a Lepidopterus found in the railway cutting 

 near the Portland Breakwater ; also a block of crystallized Manganese 

 dredged during the Challenger Expedition from the bottom of the sea at 

 a depth of from three to four miles. From the Verne a short walk 

 brought the party to an ancient grave, which had been opened by Mr. 

 A. M. Wallis, containing a human cranium, bones, and fragments 

 of pottery. Close by lay two fine querns and some rounded stones, 

 probably used for slinging ; or for crushing corn, as some antiquarians 

 suppose. The President here delivered a short address on the 

 geological character of the Isle of Portland. He said it represented one 

 of the most interesting districts of the Kingdom. Portland, long before 

 these kinds of graves had been made, had suffered denudation, and 

 at least a depth of 500 feet had been washed away. The raised 

 beach, near Portland Bill, was of great interest, since it bore 

 evidence to the oscillations to which the Island must have been 

 subjected. The highest point of this raised beach was 56 feet, 

 and the lowest 36 feet above the level of the sea. It is composed 

 of rolled pebbles and stones, some of which came from the East, 

 some from the West. He was of opinion that the grave before them 

 AMIS a more recent place of burial than that found by Colonel Russell 

 last year. 



A walk of a few yards brought the members to a Dene hole, or 

 prehistoric underground hut. With regard to it the President said that 

 about three years ago Mr. Wallis wrote to him stating that a Dene hole 

 had been discovered, but owing to the working of the quarries it had 

 been destroyed. He then wrote to Mr. Wallis to ask him to endeavour 

 to find another, and the Dene hole before them was the result of his 

 search ; it was unfortunately not so perfect now as when it was first 

 discovered. He invited a discussion on the part of the members as to the 

 origin of these Dene holes. Some people supposed they were reservoirs 

 or granaries for corn of the prehistoric inhabitants. Others considered 

 they were constructed as places of sepulture ; or even as memorials to 

 the dead. The late Mr. Damon figured two of these Dene holes in 

 his work on the Geology of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland ; they 

 were side by side, and there was a communication two feet broad, and one 

 foot high between them. 



Dr. McLean thought they were used as granaries, since corn in a 

 parched condition had been found in them, which pointed to this purpose. 



