148 Geological Society. 



near Piltdown Common, in the parish of Fletching (Sussex), and 

 is described by the first Author. In the section exposed it is 

 about 4 feet thick. It consists, for the greater part, of waterworn 

 fragments of Wealden ironstone and sandstone, with occasional 

 pebbles of chert, probably from the Greensand, and a considerable 

 proportion of Chalk-flints, which are also waterworn, all deeply 

 stained with oxide of iron, and most of them tabular in shape. 

 The human skull was originally found by workmen, broken up by 

 them, and most of the pieces thrown away on the spot. As many 

 fragments as possible were recovered by the Authors, and half of 

 a human mandible was also obtained by the first Author from a 

 patch of undisturbed gravel close to the place where the skull 

 occurred. Two broken pieces of the molar of a Pliocene type of 

 elephant and a much-rolled cusp of a molar of Mastodon, were also 

 found, besides teeth of Hippopotamus, Castor, and Equus, and a 

 fragment of an antler of Cervus elaphus. Like the human skull 

 and mandible, all these fossils are well mineralized with oxide of 

 iron. Many of the waterworn iron-stained flints closely resemble 

 the 'eoliths' from the North Downs, near Ightham. Mingled 

 with them were found a few Palaeolithic implements of the 

 characteristic Chellean type. The gravel at Piltdown rests upon 

 a plateau 80 feet above the River Ouse, and at a distance of less 

 than a mile to the north of the existing stream. It appears to 

 cover several acres ; but, at the same level on the opposite (south) 

 side of the river, it is represented only by scattered flints. Numerous 

 iron-stained tabular flints, like those of the Piltdown gravel, have 

 been found in the basin of the Ouse between the Chalk escarpment 

 and Sheffield Park, and between this escarpment and Uckfield. 

 As they are identical with the flints well-known in the plateau- 

 deposits of the North and South Downs, it may be assumed that 

 they have been derived from a plane, formerly existing between 

 those two points. 



The human skull and mandible, and the associated fossils, are 

 described by the second Author. The skull (which unfortunately 

 lacks the bones of the face) exhibits all tho essential features of 

 the genus Homo, with a brain-capacity of not less than 1070 c.c, but 

 possibly a little more. It measures about 190 mm. in length from 

 the glabella to the inion, by 150 mm. in width at the widest part 

 of the parietal region ; and the bones are remarkably thick, the 

 average thickness of the frontals and parietals being 10 mm., while 

 an exceptional thickness of 12 mm. is reached at one corner. The 

 forehead is steeper than that of the Neanderthal type, with only a 

 feeble brow-ridge ; and the conformation of the occipital bone shows 

 that the tentorium over the cerebellum is on the level of the ex- 

 ternal occipital protuberance, as in modern man. Seen from behind 

 the skull is remarkably low and broad, and the mastoid processes 

 are relatively small. The right mandibular ramus is nearly 

 complete to the middle of the symphysis, lacking only the articular 

 condyle and the upper part of the bone in advance of the molars. 

 The horizontal ramus is slender, and, so far as preserved, resembles 

 in shape that of a young chimpanzee (Anthropopiihecus niger). The 



