







expounded the views of that author according to the principles 
aid down by Mr. Darwin. We argued that man’s intellectual 
and moral nature, as well as his body, were derived by natural 
causes, from the lower animals ; and he maintained that Auguste 
Comte’s worship of humanity would be the great doctrine of the 
future. He stated also that there were evidences of man’s de- 
velopment furnished by the low condition of the human skulls of 
the palzolithic age.—Canon Tristram, in the discussion on this 
paper, granted what Comte/and his followers had to say about 
the physical organism of man being like that of the lower 
avimals, but was there not a metaphysical side to this question 
‘which ought to be heard.—Mr. Boyd Dawkins considered that 
Mr. Haines confounded two different propositions together in 
his essay. It was assumed, that because man’s body was 
probably derived from that of the lower animals, his mind was 
equally thus derived, All naturalists were agreed, that man, 
so far ashis body went, was descended from the lower animals ; 
that he was the crown and front of the animal kingdom, But as 
regards man’s mind, and his moral and intellectual faculties, he 
denied that any evidence whatever had been brought forward to 
show that their rudiments were to be found in any of the lower 
animals. The very least that can be done is to wait for more 
_ evidence, and the very worst to confound body with mind. He 
also denied that the paleolithic skulls afforded any trace of a 
lower state of intellect than at present. The skull of man found 
d in the Dordogne was rather Jarger than usual; and that of Ne- 
anderthal, according to Prof. Huxley, might have enclosed the 
brain of a philosopher. We had no right to ascribe the actions 
of the lower animals to the same motives as our own, or to judge 
of their intellectual faculties by our own standard. On the evi- 
dence at present before us we must be content to confess our own 
ignozance, 
On Wednesday, August 9, the following papers were read in 
the Anthropological department :—W. J. W. Flower commenced 
On the Succession of the several Stone Implement Periods in Eng- 
land, We argued that the two eras, Paleolithic and Neolithic, 
_ which had been given to these implements, were not now enough 
for England, the drift-period being separated from that of the 
cave, and that again from the tumuli and barrows.—Mr., Pengelly 
objected to the difference in time being made between the rough 
and polished flint implements, suggesting that it was probable 
that men who wished implements for rough and ready purposes, 
would break them off and form them, and would not go to the 
trouble of polishing them. He thought the fourfold arrangement 
of flint implements suggested by Mr. Flower might be convenient, 
_ but that at the same time the different kinds might be of contem- 
porary formation.—Col. Lane Fox was inclined to think many of 
the types were accidental, arising from want of time for the worker 
to employ his talent. There were two great designs, however ; 
one in which an end is rounded off so that the implement can be 
used in the hand, the other design being pointed at both ends, 
so that the implement might be inserted ina haft. As to the 
duration of the stone period, he thought we required a great deal 
more investigation and information.—Mr. Prestwich, assuming 
that the rivers of the flint period were frozen five months of the 
year, as they were now in Siberia, said some of the rough imple- 
ments would have been used for cutiing holes in the ice, while 
others would be used for digging roots. Another form, common 
to a later period, were the scrapers, used for scraping the skins 
of animals. 
A paper was read from the Rey. W. Webster, On certain Points 
concerning the Origin and Relations of the Basque Race, It was 
in contravention of some ethnological theories propounded by 
Professor Huxley at a former meeting of the Association. A 
brief discussion took place, in which it was shown that the Basque 
language had similar inflections to those of the eastern languages. 
Prof. Struthers gave a paper On Sagittal Synostosis, which 
was almost entirely anatomical. A controversy between design 
and eyolution was introduced in the discussion of it. 
Prof. McCann read a paper in opposition to Mr. Darwin's 
Views on the Moral Sense in the Lower Animals, maintaining that 
the moral sense was only implanted in man, and was the result 
of Divine intuition. A discussion took place on this, in which 
Prof. Struthers and Mr. W. Goodsir addressed the section. 
The business was concluded by the President recapitulating 
generally the transactions of this department during the meeting. 
A cordial yote of thanks was passed to Prof. Turner for his ser- 
vices in the chair. 5 
_ The sub-section was very well attended throughout the meet- 

NATURE 


379 
ings, in spite of the desultory nature of the discussions, and the 
heterogeneous character of the papers, and of the absence of the 
usual debates, 





SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Tue fifth number for the present year of the Bu//etin del’ Acadés 
mie Royale des Sciences de Belgique (May 1871) contains seyeral 
important papers, among which we may particularly notice a 
Synopsis of the Cordulinz, by M. E. de Selys Longchamps, and 
some investigations on the Evolution of the Gregarinze, by M. 
E, Van Beneden, The former is a monographic revision of the 
extensive sub-family of Dragonflies, of which the genius Cordulia 
is the type ; it contains a general sketch of the group and its sub- 
divisions, and descriptions of all the known genera and species, 
with indications of the chief synonymy. This fresh instalment of 
the author’s synopsis of the Dragonflies will be welcomed by en- 
tomologists. M. van Beneden’s paper is a most valuable contri- 
bution to the history of those obscure parasites, the Gregarinze ; 
his observations were made on an unusually large species, measur- 
ing as much as 16 millim. in Jength, and found in the intestine of 
the lobster. This species, named by the author Gregarina gigan- 
tea, is figured in various stages in the plate accompanying the 
paper.—From M. J. J. d’Omalius d’Halloy we find a short note 
on the natural forces, in which he argues for the existence of a 
distinct vital force, and expresses the opinion that the vital force 
of man differs from that of other living beings—M. F. Duprez 
discusses the observations on atmospheric electricity made at 
Ghent, and compares them with those made at other places ; 
and M. de Koninck gives a tabular list of the fossil corals of the 
Carboniferous formation, showing their distribution in various 
parts of the world. 
TuE first publication of the Anthropological Institute has just 
appeared in the form of a double number of the journal, to 
which is attached an appendix extending over 160 pages, and 
containing the proceedings of the Anthropological and Ethno- 
logical Societies prior to the date of their union. Amongst the 
most important papers in the appendix we may mention those on 
“«Some of the Racial Aspects*of Music,” by Mr. Kaines ; on 
‘“‘The Kinnerian and Atlantean Races,” by Mr. M‘Lean; on 
“The Concord and Origin of Pronouns, and the Formation of 
Classes or Genders of Nouns,” by Dr. Bleek ; on ‘‘ Some Stone 
Implements from Africa and Syria,” by Sir J. Lubbock ; on 
‘‘The Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor,” by Mr. Spence 
Bate; and on ‘‘ East African Tribes and Languages,” by Dr. 
Steere. The journal itself contains eight papers, all of con- 
siderable value, but amongst which we may especially refer to 
those by Sir J. Lubbock ‘*On the Development of Relationships ;” 
by Mr. C. Stanisland Wake on ‘‘ The Mental Characteristics of 
Primative Man, as exemplified by the Australian Aborigines ;” 
by Dr. Bleek on ‘‘ The Position of the Australian Languages ;” 
and by Mr. Boyd Dawkins on “ The Results obtained by the 
Settle Cave Exploration Committee out of Victoria Cave in 
1870. 
No. 3, Vol. i Ser. 2, of the Proceedings of the Royal Irish 
Academy las just been published. It contains, Science :— 
J. W. Dawson, LL.D., Addendum to paper on Eozoon; Pro- 
fessors King and Rowney on the Geological Age and Micro- 
scopic Structure of the Serpentine Marble or Ophite of Skye, 
| Plate xiv.; also on the Mineral origin of the so-called Eozoon 
Canadense; Prof. Hennessy, I’.R.S., on the Flotation of Sand 
by the rising tide in a tidal estuary; Dr. J. Purser, Report on 
the Researches of Prof.Cohnheim on Inflammation and Suppura- 
tion; C. R. C. Tichbore, report on the Molecular Dissociation 
by Heat of Compounds in Solution (abstract). Polite Literature 
and Antiquities:—H. Stokes, a List of the existing National 
Monuments of Ireland in the County of Kerry; A. G. More, 
F.L.S., on an Ancient Bronze Implement found near the Hill 
of Tara; R.R. Brash on an Ogham Stone at Kelbonane, 
County of Kerry, Plate x111.; and an Appendix contains minutes 
of the proceedings of the Academy, 


SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LoNDON 
Hackney Scientific Association, June 6.—From the report 
read by the hon. secretary, Mr. H. W. Emons, it appeared that 
the society had made good progress during the past session, the 
number of members haying more than doubled, and the papers 
