6o2 REPORT — 1891. 



form a flat top to it, 1^7 acres in extent. Its isolation and commanding position 

 caused it to be chosen for the site of an encampment, lirst by the Britons and 

 subsequently by the Romans. For the same reasons, it had attracted at an earlier 

 date palaeolithic man to the district, and he left a considerable number of liis flint 

 implements scattered around and on the slopes of the hill. This led Mr. Harrison 

 and myself to suppose that the capping of rock, which was underlaid by loose 

 friable sands, and overhung in places, might Iiave afforded facilities for rock 

 skelters ; and for the purpose of inquiry Mr. Harrison undertook to direct the 

 necessary search, aided by a grant from the British Association. The summit 

 of the hill and much of the slopes are, however, so thickly wooded that it 

 was with difficulty that a proper site could be fixed upon. The one that seemed 

 to us and others most likely was on the north-east side of the hill, where a large 

 mass of rock formed a low clift' with a small cavity beneath it. Excavations were 

 accordingly commenced here, but the fallen blocks and the large roots of the 

 adjacent trees so interfered with the work that, after digging to the depth of 2 to 

 3 feet without making any discovery, the spot had to be abandoned. It next 

 occurred to Mr. Harrison that the talus, which extended for some distance on the 

 slope in front of this ledge of rocks, might have carried with it some of the inhabited 

 ground, or might have covered some of the original sites. He therefore proceeded 

 to dig lower down the hill where the ground was undisturbed and free from large 

 trees. 



Here he was successful in finding, at a depth of about 3 feet, a considerable 

 number of flint implements and a large quantity of chips and flakes, which look as 

 though the implements had been made on the spot. 



There is little to distinguish these implements from the ordinary valley- 

 implements that are so common in the Ightham district, except that, on the whole, 

 they are more carefully finished and of fewer forms. The prevailing forms at 

 Oldbury are the small pointed lance-shaped implements worked on both sides, and 

 the thin, neatly-worked, long, triangular, spear-shaped, of which there are some 

 highly finished specimens. These are forms which occur at Le Moustier, as do 

 likewise some of the ruder Oldbury forms. As also at Le Moustier, there is an 

 absence so far of bone implements, so common in the other Dordogne shelters. 

 Again, at Oldbury the more ordinary valley-types are wanting ; and so also are 

 rolled and worn specimens so frequent in other localities. The explorations, 

 however, have been at present on too limited a scale to allow of any general 

 conclusions being drawn. But as there are still other spots at Oldbury which are 

 likely to have been used for rock-shelters, it is to be hoped that the work may be 

 continued, and further information obtained, ilr. Harrison's Report, which givep 

 the result of the work up to the present time, is both satisfactory and encouraging. 



11. Uejyort of the Committee on Slbolton Cave, near SJcipton. 

 See Reports, p. 351. 



TUESDAY, AUG I SI 2.J. 



The following Papers and Report were read : — 



1. On the Occurrence of Fachytheca and a Species of Nematophijcus in the 

 Silurian Beds at Tymawr Quarry, Bumney. By J. Stoerie. 



For a long number of years I have been interested in the fossils known by these 

 names, and for that purpose have collected and sectioned wherever practical all 

 specimens likely to show structure, and the collection now submitted are the results. 



In the Silurian beds exposed near Cardiflf, which are over 900 feet in thickness, 

 I have found Fachytheca in nearly every individual bed, from the very top of the 



