848 Transactions of section h. 



2. A Sequ&nee of Egyptian Stone Inqjlements. By C. T. CukrellV. 



The rousrh early pieces are found in the cemented quaternary gravels of thd 

 Tliebaid. The regular palfeolithic forms are found lying exposed on the rocks of 

 the upper plateau and on the side-hills bordering the Nile valley. The develop- 

 ment of the palteolith may he seen from the depth of the patina and alec the 

 scratchings ; fourteen distinct shades of colour may be seen. 



The flint of the Thebaid is of a uniform kind and colour, and except for the 

 oldest forms the implements have been lying on the plateau under the same con- 

 ditions for different periods of time. In addition to the depth of colour many 

 pieces are reworked and show more than one patination. Several thousand pieces 

 were examined, and form and patination were found to go together. Each type 

 of implement has definite limits of patination, e.g.: — 



Old points . . 1-3 



Round butted lanceolate 2— t 



Sharp ,, „ ...... 3 



Round „ ,, ovates .... 3-6 



Sharp „ „ „ .... 3-5 



Thick ovates 3-5 



Flat „ 3-7 



(So-called cou^ depoin//.) 



Moustier point 7 



Thick discs 2-14 



Flat 2-10 



Lance-points 4-12 



Hollow scrapers 4-12 



(Majority 9-] 2.) 



Triangular implements 4-14 



The neolithic implements of the Thebaid show little patination ; a few are 

 found on the top desert and these show a slight patination. The Faj-oum neoliths 

 show a considerable amount of patination and also reworking. In these the 

 patination is different from those of the Thebaid, as the flint is of a different kind. 



The enormous duration of the neolithic period is shown by the number 

 of totally unpatinated implements that are made by reworking deeply patinated 

 neoliths. The forms s'milar to those obtained from the predjnastic tombs show 

 little or no patination. 



The catalogue of the collection in the Cairo Museum (with about sixty plates 

 of illustrations) will be published shortly, and the question of patination and 

 development will be dealt with. 



3. The Veddas. By C. G. Seligman>7, M.D. 



The Veddas may most conveniently be considered under three heading?, 

 Veddas, Village Veddas, and Coast Veddas, for it seems that at the present day 

 the Veddas fall into three groups characterised by different sociological features. 

 The coast Veddas fish and have borrowed largely from their Tamil neighbours, 

 while the village Veddas have, to a considerable extent, intermarried with the 

 Sinhalese. But in spite of these lapses both groups retain the remains of their 

 old clan organisation in the majority of their settlements, showing their connection 

 with those less contaminated and wilder folk who have commonly been spoken of 

 as 'rock' or 'jungle' Veddas. On the psychical side, the life of all Veddas is 

 unusually limited in every aspect except one, namely, their regard for the dead, 

 and even this regard, which attains the intensity of a cult, has given rise to no 

 decorative art ; indeed a number of crude drawings, for the most part of animals 

 and men, executed on the walls of certain caves, Were the only examples of 

 decorative art seen, and personal adornment is at the lowest ebb. But although 



