E E P II T S 



ON 



THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



Twelfth Report of the Committee for Exploring Kent's Cavern, 

 Devonshire, the Committee consisting of John Evans, F.R.S., Sir 

 John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., Edward Vivian, M.A., George 

 Busk, F.R.S., William Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., William Aysh- 

 FORD Sanford, F.G.S., John Edward Lee, F.G.S., and William 

 Pengelly, F.R.S. (Reporter). 



The Eleventh Eeport, presented by the Committee to the Association during 

 the Meeting at Bristol in 1875, and read to the Geological Section *, brought 

 up the narrative of the exploration to the end of July of that year. From 

 that date the work, which is still in progress, has been carried on uninter- 

 ruptedly, in all respects as in previous years ; and it is intended in the 

 present Report to describe the researches made during the thirteen months 

 ending 31st of August of the present year. 



Though the Committee have still the satisfaction of stating that they retain 

 the valuable services of George Smerdon, foreman of the work, they have to add 

 that Nicholas Luscombe, who had been engaged a short time before the Eleventh 

 Report was drawn up, was obliged to leave very soon afterwards on account of 

 illness, and that there was some difficulty in supplying his place, there being 

 a great demand for labourers at Torquay. At the beginning of September, 

 however, they engaged a young man named AVilliam Matthews, who has 

 given complete satisfaction, and is still at work in the Cavern. 



The Superintendents have had the pleasure, as in former years, of con- 

 ducting a large number of persons into the Cavern, of explaining to them on 

 the spot the mode of working, and describing the facts which have been dis- 

 covered, as well as of settiug forth their bearing on Palasontology and 

 Anthropology. The following may be mentioned as amongst the visitors since 

 the Eleventh Eeport was presented : — Lord Erskine, Hon. J. C. Erskine, Sir 

 J. L. Duntze, Sir L. Palk, Sir J. Walroud, Colonel Eridges, Colonel Buckle 

 (Bangalore), Major Lang, Captain F. G. D. Watson, the Eevds. Chancellor 

 Benson, T. Hincks, W. E. Stevenson, and E. E. Wolfe, Dr. Boycott, Professors 



* See Eeport Brit. Assoc. 1875, pp. 1-13. 

 1876. B 



