216 FOSSIL MEN. 



out weapons, and supply neighbouring tribes in the 

 way of trade. A remarkable illustration of this is 

 afforded by the fact that the numerous flint flakes 

 found by Dupont in some caves of the Reindeer age in 

 Belgium, are believed to have been imported from 

 Pressigny, in France, where a variety of flint, known 

 from the most ancient times for its excellence, exists, 

 and where vast numbers of cores, or " nuclei," from 

 which flakes have been struck off are found. We may 

 imagine in the Reindeer age makers of nuclei and 

 flakes at Pressigny, and itinerant traders carrying 

 their productions into Belgium, or distant tribes mak- 

 ing long journeys to reach the locality of such precious 

 stone. We know from American examples that in 

 this way the produce of the flint-beds might be con- 

 veyed for hundreds of miles into districts not naturally 

 provided with so good material. Thirdly, another 

 consideration comes in here, which has been strangely 

 overlooked by some writers on the subject. The 

 objects known as flakes, knives, scrapers, and cores, 

 are unquestionably of natural or accidental origin far 

 more frequently than artificial in the proper sense. 

 My own limited experience in the chalk districts con- 

 vinced me of this many years ago. I picked up in 

 the flint-heaps by the roadside near Amiens and at 

 Dover many broken flints of this kind, and some that 

 even approached in perfection the implements of the 

 gravel-beds, and Mr. Whitley fully establishes this 

 view for large districts in England and France.* 

 * " Transactions of Victoria Institute." 



