268 ON PRIMITIVE MAN : HIS TIMES AND HIS COMPANIONS. 



FURTHER REPLY BY THE AUTHOR. 



November, 1897. 



In reply to Professor Rupert Jones, I must say that I have not 

 seen the account of Mr. Becker's re-examination of the supposed 

 Californian evidence of man's existence in Pliocene times, but it 

 still seems to me that it would be very difficult to prove that the 

 objects found in the gravels in question mio-ht not have been 

 introduced by Indian miners at a much later date than that of 

 the formation of the gi-avels ; the very nature of gravel beds vrould 

 tend to obliterate any traces of such late introduction. I see also 

 that in his Toronto address, Sir John Evans still adheres to his 

 verdict of "not proven," with regard to Tertiary man. I can 

 scarcely agree to the statement tliat the differences between the 

 PalfBolithic and Neolithic forms of implements are so slig^it as to 

 be of little importance as affording a mark of distinction between 

 the races who made them ; the Neolithic type of axe or celt is 

 very different to the earlier both in form and workmanship, but 

 apart from the implements there are great differences manifested 

 in connection with the habits and manner of life of these races, 

 which appear to denote a marked change, which is not apparently 

 bxndged over, as having come in with the Neolithic inhabitants of 

 these countries, and which shows that they were not the direct 

 descendants of Paleolithic forefathers in this part of the world. 

 Dr. Irving's observatiors upon the Puy-Courny flints are very 

 interesting, and I am glad that he has been able to remove the 

 difficulty that I felt respecting their origin. 



In connection with Captain Lyons' remarks as to the Egyptian 

 implements, we may note the discovery made a few years ago by 

 Professor Flinders Petrie of flint implements of Palaeolithic type 

 found in Egypt and said to belong to the time of the XVlIIth 

 Dynasty ; might not these have been the work of an earlier age, 

 found, and perhaps used, by the men of a later one ? 



