PEIMITIVE MAN : II. NEOLITHIC MAN. 303 



REPLY BY THE AUTHOR. 



Novemhe7', 1897. 



In reply to Sii' J. W. Dawson's communication, I may say that 

 the reason that has led me to adhere to the term Pleistocene, in 

 connection with PalfBolithic man, is because, even in Post-Glacial 

 times, we find the great Pleistocene mammalia, such as the mam- 

 moth, tichorhiue rhinoceros, and others, still in existence ; whilst 

 also it is yet a question whether man did not appear in these 

 northern regions before the Glacial period set in ; and it seems 

 reasonable that we should class the earlier race amongst that 

 Pleistocene fauna, with part of which, at any rate, he was con- 

 temporary. Those great physical changes which brought about 

 the great alteration of conditions, both geographical and climatal, 

 which preceded the appearance of the ISTeolithic race, seem to give 

 us a convenient line of demarcation between the Pleistocene and 

 the Recent age. 



As to the complaint that I have not referred to those changes 

 which closed the Palanthropic age, it will be seen by reference to 

 page 272 of my paper, that I have briefly alluded to them, and I 

 fully recognise their importance, since I look upon these as 

 having brought the Pleistocene age to its close. 



As to the Neolithic races, the many, and often conflicting 

 opinions regarding them, render any very definite conclusion 

 impossible as yet. I have only ventured to give an outline of 

 some of the views that have been expressed, and the difiiculties 

 which these have suggested ; endeavouring, as far as I could, to 

 arrive at some sort of a general conclusion, as to the probable 

 sequence of the different races, which inhabited Europe in pre- 

 historic times ; although I am deeply conscious that to do this 

 satisfactorily requires far greater knowledge of racial distinctions 

 and ethnology than I possess. 



