110 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 52 



this debris there are whole or nearly whole carapaces of Glypto- 

 dontidse and articulated skeletons, the affirmation of this author 

 resolves itself into one of those errors for which there is no excuse. 

 Besides this, in these localities, the beds of the ancient cliif are com- 

 pletely sterile. And, moreover, this debris of mammals from the 

 eolo-marine deposits is formed by species characteristic of the Ense- 

 nadean, without any vestige of a recent species. His complete igno- 

 rance of all these geologic and paleontologic questions is thus dis- 

 played in a very decided manner. Briefly, liis malevolence, which 

 perforce leads him to criticize everything, has resulted in filling his 

 memoir on this ancient industry with errors so gross that they do 

 not serve to honor him. To dwell more in detail on these errors, 

 which one would say are the product of an infantile brain, would be 

 a waste of time. 



' ' There is, however, one point which prompts the following brief 

 note on my part: 



' ' The author in question criticises severely my statement that this 

 industry is distinct from those existing to this daj^, and that to a 

 certain degree it is more primitive than that of the eoUths. To 

 demonstrate that what I have said is inexact, he enters into long 

 considerations, with a large number of quotations which have no 

 relation to the subject. Finally, he describes and photographs 

 several of the implements to show their relation with others found in 

 difi'erent regions, which he believes to be similar to those of Mar del 

 Plata. 



' 'According to these descriptions and the photographs with which 

 they are accompanied, I perceive that the author has not appreciated 

 the true character of this industry nor the technique of the fabrica- 

 tion, which is precisely that which distinguishes it from all other 

 stone industries heretofore known, and as I have not said in what the 

 novelty of this industry consisted, the result is that he has repeated 

 the immortal combat of Don Quixote against the windmills." 



So much for the pubhshed data relating to the "ancient stone 

 industries" of the Argentine coast. The following pages contain 

 the observations and views of the present writers on this highly 

 interesting subject. In their work they have not been influenced 

 materially by the pubHcations cited, reliance being placed especially 

 on personal observations in the field and on their own collections 

 brought to Washington. 



