578 report — 1878. 



and what their relation is to our known historical epochs, I don't think anybody 

 is in a position to say. But it is beyond all question that man, and not only man, 

 but what is more to the purpose, intelligent man, existed at times when the whole 

 physical conformation of the country was totally different from that which 

 characterises it now. Whether the evidence we now possess justifies us in going 

 back further or not, that we can get back as far as the epoch of the drift is, I 

 think, beyond any rational doubt ; that may be regarded as something settled. 

 But when it comes to a question as to the evidence of tracing back man further 

 than that — and recollect the drift is only the scum of the earth's surface — I must 

 confess that, to my mind, the evidence is of a very dubious character. 



Finally, we come to the very interesting question — as to whether, with such 

 evidence of the existence of man in those times as we have before us, it is possible 

 to trace in that brief history any evidence of the gradual modification from a 

 human type somewhat different from that which now exists to that which is met 

 with at present. I must confess that uiy opinion remains exactly what it was 

 some eighteen years ago, when I published a little book which I was very sorry to 

 hear my friend, Professor Flower, allude to yesterday, because I had hoped that it 

 would have been forgotten amongst the greater scandals of subsequent times. I 

 did there put forward the opinion that what is known as the Neanderthal skull 

 is, of human remains, that which presents the most marked and definite charac- 

 teristics of a lower type — using the language iD the same sense as we would use 

 it in other branches of zoology. I believe it to belong to the lowest form of 

 human being of which we have any knowledge, and we know from the remains 

 accompanying that human being, that as far as all fundamental points of structure 

 were concerned, he was as much a man — could wear boots just as easily — as any 

 of us, so that I think the question remains pretty much where it was. I don't 

 know that there is any reason for doubting that the men who existed at that day 

 were in all essential respects similar to the men who exist now. But I must point 

 out to you that this conviction is by no means inconsistent with the doctrine of 

 evolution. The horse, which existed at that time, was in all essential respects 

 identical with the horse which exists now. But we happen to know that going 

 back further in time the horse presents us with a series of modifications by which 

 it can be traced back from an earlier type. Therefore it must be deemed possible 

 that man is in the same position, although the facts we have before us with respect 

 to him tell in neither one way nor the other. I have now nothing more to do than 

 to thank you for the great kindness and attention with which you have listened to 

 these informal remarks. 



The following Papers were read : — 



1. Notes on the Prehistoric Monuments of Cornwall as compared vrith those 

 in Ireland. By Miss A. W. Buckland. 



The prehistoric monuments of Cornwall, believed by archaeologists to be the 

 work of the same race as those of Ireland, present, in the midst of strong resemblance, 

 certain points of difference, which deserve the attention not only of archaeologists 

 but of ethnologists. In both countries they consist of tumuli, including chambered 

 barrows and giants' graves — monoliths or menhirs, circles, cromlechs or dolmens, 

 and holed-stones, all probably sepulchral j and hut-circles, cliff-castles, curious caves 

 and crosses, whilst in Ireland we find in addition earthworks called raths and 

 round towers. Long barrows, which are looked upon as the most ancient of burial 

 places, belonging to the stone age, are wanting in both countries, hence we may 

 infer that the people who erected them in England and Scotland never inhabited 

 Cornwall and Ireland, where the earliest barrows seem to belong to the Bronze age, 

 the mode of interment in Cornwall being chiefly by cremation; but these tumuli may 

 not represent the earliest tombs in these countries. Sir William Wilde believes 

 that the earliest premetallic Irish were the erectors of gigantic cromlechs covered 

 with earth, whilst the menhirs in both countries are very ancient memorials of 

 the dead, although not always covering a grave, the " Pipers " in Cornwall being of 

 the latter class. Some of these menhirs were afterwards converted to Christian 

 uses, whilst some in Ireland bear Ogham inscriptions. The circles in Cornwall are 



