301 



In the cave earth at Ant Elias there are numerous and well-made flint 

 knives (PI. II., Figs. 2, 3). Some of these are very thin and delicate. There 

 are also scrapers rounded and chipped at the edges, and many cores and 

 Tuinute flakes. A few of the fragments of bone are distinctly charred. 

 Some of the knives and bones are encrusted with stalagmitic matter, but 

 not in sufficient quantity to cement them together ; and at the sides 

 and front of the cave there are knives and fragments of bone enclosed 

 in stalagmite, which is of a diiferent colour and texture from that 

 of Nahr-el-Kelb, and contains shells of a small Helix. Several specimens 

 of the large edible lldix were found in the cave earth, and one shell of a 

 small Turbo. No implements other than knives and scrapers were found, 

 except a pointed instrument about four inches in length, and an inch thick 

 at the butt, which had been roughly fashioned out of limestone. 



According to Lartet (Comptes liendus, 1864), Dr. Hedenborg was the 

 first to direct attention to the Ant Elias caves, but he does not seem to have 

 examined their contents. M. Botta was the first to notice the rock shelters 

 near the Nahr-el-Kelb Eiver, which Lartet himself afterwards explored, 

 and which are obviously more modern in their contents than the breccias 

 of the Nahr-el-Kelb Pass. 



The Chairman (Sir H. Barkly, G.O.M.G., K.O.B., F.R.S.) — I have 

 before me a list of gentlemen who may ofi'er some remarks on the very able 

 paper just read, and in asking them to do so I will preface my invitation by 

 saying that I trust they will keep, as far as possible, to the subject of the 

 paper which is a very wide one. I now call upon Professor Wiltshire. 



Professor Wiltshire, F.L.S., F.R.A.S., F.G.S. — I did not expect to 

 be called upon to make any remarks, and therefore have not come pre- 

 pared to speak upon the subject so ably dealt with by Dr. Dawson. I 

 have consequently, only to express my great satisfaction at having been 

 enabled to listen to the important lecture in which the learned Professor 

 has so eloquently brought before us the facts bearing upon this subject. 

 Whei'ever we go over Europe we find some traces of our remote ancestors. 

 I was very much struck, while on a visit to Iceland last autumn, to find 

 in the Museum at Reykjavik implements identical in character with those 

 that are found in difl'e rent parts of Europe ; but beyond saying this, I have 

 only to express the gratification I have derived from the interesting remarks 

 we have all listened to, and to thank Dr. Dawson for the information he 

 has afforded us. 



Mr. S. R. Pattison, F.G.S. — I have nothing to add to the important par- 

 ticulars laid before us this evening by Dr. Dawson. I think, however, it is 

 extremely fortunate for us that one who is acquainted with both hemispheres 

 and who is also well versed in all the sciences cognate with this subject, should 

 have chosen as a field for his latest researches a portion of the globe which is 



