54 
NATURE 
[ov. 16, 1882 
As Iam a mere tyro myself, and therefore unbiassed in the 
matter, I beg leave to state, for the benefit of any whoce 
acquaintance with the subject is of only a rudimentary nature— 
or less—what appears to be a reasonable explanation of the 
case, 
1, The implements of foremost scientific interest are probably 
those which are found in the various well-known caves, in that 
they retain in the highest degree all the oriyinal sharpness of 
edge possible only under the slow and undisturbed circumstances 
of the formation of the stalagmitic rock, or silt deposit, in which 
they have become embedded above the surface of the ancient 
floor, All such specimens bear clear and unmistakable testimony 
to their nature and use as weapons. 
2. The alternative hu iting-grounds for flint implements are 
the wide-spread gravels which formed the beds and older banks 
of the ancient rivers, and which have been of late so thoroughly 
explored by Mr. Worthington Smith, as recorded by him in this 
journal, in so many interesting and valuable communications. 
Respecting these it is only natural that in some cases the speci- 
mens have been subjected to much detrition ; but then a special 
value attaches to them on that very account, Of the river 
gravels as localities from which such evidences are obtainable it 
is quite unnecessary for me to use space in emphasising the 
importance of river-sides as a habitat of primitive man. 
3. ‘‘The entire absence of the bones of man,” is simply due 
to the rapid decomposition of the osseous frames of small-boned 
animals, and the speedy annihilation of which in the case of 
man—cremation and other means of disposal apart—is parti- 
cularly noticeable. 
Perhaps the position will be best understood by suggesting the 
question, ‘Do youimagine it at all probable that you could un- 
earth any trace of a single bone of one of your pedigree an- 
cestors, say only your great-great-grandfather?” Ifany of you 
should doubt the impossibility of such a thing, let proof be given 
by employing the first grave-digger—out of ‘‘ Hamlet ”—to bring 
the treasures to the light of day, and let the facts of the case be 
placed on careful record. 
4. Any connoisseur can at once tell by the touch of a flint 
flake whether it has been worked or not, and the fracture always 
bears certain signs by which the operation may be known to 
have been performed. 
It is somewhat remarkable that there should be any so faith- 
less as to seek after signs so easily to be discerned, in opposition 
to the testimony of reliable authorities ; and 7¢ zs surely time that 
surrounded as we are with national museums and libraries full of 
patent facts appealing to all who cannot work for themselves, 
we should cease to throw discredit upon the evidence of many 
careful observers and honourable truth-seekers. 
Highbury Wo. WHITE 
Your correspondent, Mr. C. Evans, raises the question, in 
your issue of November 2, whether the peculiarly-cbipped flint 
found in the palzolithic gravels, and accepted as the work of 
man, may not be the result of natural causes. 
Mr. Evans mentions ‘‘ the presence of bones of recent and ex- 
tinct Mammalia.” If your correspondent has clear evidence of 
the presence of bones of vecez¢ mammalia with the chipped flints 
that evidence would prove that the flints in question have not 
been so chipped by Paleolithic man, but are either nature’s work, 
or the product of man of more recent times, and the gravels in 
such case should not be called Palzolithic gravels. 
St. John’s Wood, November 7 T. KARR CALLARD 
Aurora 
A MAGNIFICENT aurora was observed here last night. I first 
detected quivering sheaves on the northern horizon about 5.40 
G.M.T. About 5.47 a dull indigo base, on or against which 
**sheaves” and ‘‘streamers”’ were playing with great beauty, 
was noted, surmounted by an arch of light. Soon afterwards, 
sharply-defined ‘‘ spines” and ‘‘spikes” of great brilliancy and 
in patches became developed, followed by five great tongues of 
light stretching towards the zenith. I especially noted streamers 
reaching towards Vega, and passing over Mizar in Ursa Major, 
and some of exceptional brilliancy to north-north-east. At 6.50 
irregular horizontal belts of a dull indigo tint, alternated with 
horizontal tongues of light, the streamers having generally dis- 
appeared, except to north-north-east. At 8.6 p.m. a low indigo 
belt, surmounted by a bright golden band, fringed the horizon, 
o’ertopped again by belts of paler tints respectively, while 32- 
tached brilliant streamers shot up fitfully towards Cassiopeia. 
At If p.m. auroral lights were still seen. 
To-day I intend to examine the sun’s disc, and expect to see 
signs of disturbance, 
Fort William, November 14 CLEMENT L. WRAGGE 
A Dredging Implement 
I wAs much interested in reading, in the last number of 
Nature, Prof. Milnes Marshall’s account of his successful trial 
of a new dredging implement. 
A few summers ago I constructed and used in Lamlash Bay, 
Arran, a somewhat similar machine, suggested, like Prof. 
Marshall’s, by the Philippine Islander’s dredge used in the 
Euplectella fishery. My implement was a rough copy of one 
brought from Cebu which I had seen at the Challenger office in 
Edinburgh, It had two slight wooden bars, 5 or 6 feet each in 
length, meeting at about a right angle to form the front of the 
apparatus, and having several cross-pieces connecting them 
further back. I attached large fish-hooks, not to cords hanging 
from the frame, as in Prof. Marshall’s instrument, but to the 
long bars themselves (as in the Philippine Islanders’ machine), 
and al-o to the cross-pieces. One weight was tied to a cross- 
piece near the centre of the frame-work, and a second was 
attached to the rope a few feet from the front of the instrument, 
so as to make the pull more horizontal, and so prevent the front 
end from tilting upwards. 
The apparatus worked well and brought up quantities of 
Hydroids and Polyzoa; but as I was not dredging for Giant 
Pennatulids, afrer a few trials I gave it up and returned to the 
ordinary naturalist’s dredge. In one case, however, I found my 
fish-hook apparatus serviceable. I wished to search a remarkably 
sea-weedy region, in a few fathoms of water, chiefly for Ascidians 
attached to the sea-weeds. The ordinary dredge I found almost 
invariably soon after reaching the bottom, got foul of a large 
Laminaria or some other Algz, which stretched across the 
mouth and prevented anything entering. The frame-work with 
hooks, on the other hand, always brought up encrmous masses 
of stuff, in many cases dragging the Laminaria up by the 
“roots,” and hoisting also sometimes stones and shells to which 
the Algze were attached; and on which were very frequently the 
Ascidians I was in quest of. 
I should think this kind of apparatus would be most useful for 
obtaining Algz on rocky ground, and its value in dredging 
Pennatulids is sufficiently shown by Prof, Marshall’s experience 
at Oban. W. A. HERDMAN 
University College, Liverpool 
Forged Irish Antiquities 
Up to the present we have had little reason to complain of 
forgeries among Irish antiquities. Shams have frequently been 
offered for sale, but they could scarcely be called forgeries, as 
they were so unlike genuine articles that persons of ordinary 
experience could scarcely be deceived by them, Lately, however, 
some very clever imitations have come under my notice. The 
objects imitated are those known as oval tool-stones, which were 
formerly very rare but are now offered in lots of two or three 
together. I believe the fabricated articles are produced some- 
where about the Giant’s Causeway, the ordinary black shore 
pebbles being used for the purpose. W. J. KNOWLES 
Flixton Place, Ballymena, November 11 
THE NEW NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM 
Saye our previous notice of the great building which 
has been erected at South Kensington for the recep- 
tion of the Natural History Collections of the British 
Museum (NATURE, vol. xxiii. p. 549, April 14, 1881), 
eighteen months have elapsed, and during that period 
great progress has been made in the transfer and arrange- 
ment of specimens. It may not be uninteresting to the 
| readers of NATURE to receive some information con- 
cerning the present condition of affairs and the prospec- 
tive arrangements in connection with the housing and 
exhibition of the priceless treasures of the national 
collections. 
The first point which strikes a visitor at the present 
time is that a serious mistake has been made in the erec- 
