292 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. — ^1916. 



Gaseous Explosions. — Interim Report of the Committee, con- 

 sisting of Dr. DuGALD Clerk (Ghairmayi) , Professors Dalby 

 (Secretary), W. A. Bone, F. W. Burstall, H. L. 

 Callendar, E. Gr. CoKER, and H. B. Dixon, Drs. 

 E. T. Glazebrook and J. A. Harker, Colonel H. C. L. 

 HoLDEN, Professors B. Hopkinson and J. E. Petavel, 

 Captain H. Eiall Sankey, Professors A. Smithells and 

 W. Watson, Mr. D. L. Chapman, and Mr. H. E. Wimperis. 



During the session most of the membei-s of the Committee were engaged 

 on work in connection with the war, and no Notes were submitted for 

 consideration. Only one meeting to deal with routine business and to 

 consider as to future arrangements was therefore held. Consequently 

 the grant of 50L made to the Committee at the Manchester meeting 

 of the Association in 1915 was not drawn upon by the Chairman. 



The Committee recommend that they be reappointed, and that a 

 sum of 50Z. be granted to them for the ensuing session, sO' that should 

 the war come to an end during that time the work of the Committee 

 could be resumed without delay. 



Exploration of the Palceolithic Site known as La Cotte de 

 St. Brelade, Jerserj. — Report of the Committee, consisting of 

 Dr. E. E. Marett (Chairman), Mr. G. F. B. de Gruchy 

 (Secretary), Dr. A. Keith, Dr. C. Andrews, the late Dr. A. 

 Dunlop, Colonel E. Gardner Warton, and Mr. H. Balfour. 



Report of Worlc done in 1916. 



Scheme of Operations. — The collapse of the cave roof in September 

 1915 caused the workings to be encumbered by some 500 tons of rock 

 rubbish, to which the winter rains added another 200. These accumu- 

 lations were cleared away in February and March 1916, the work 

 occupying eight weeks and three days. To save expense, the heavier 

 stuff was dumped into the part of the cave already dug out, so as only 

 to leave a sufficient fairway some 15 feet broad. In July and August 

 for seven weeks excavation of the implementiferous bed was resumed. 

 This bed now lay 30 feet from the entrance in the middle of the cave and 

 8 feet further in along the western wall. The superincumbent debris had 

 been removed down to 15-20 feet above floor-level, as far back as a 

 line 50 feet from, and parallel with, the entrance. Behind this line 

 . the debris rose sheer for 50-70 feet above floor-level, being especially 

 dangerous at the N.E. corner. It was decided to limit exploration to 

 the western side of the cave, corresponding to the Working A of former 

 years, as being the easier and safer task. In the meantime it was 

 found possible to attack the debris of the N.E. corner from the back — 

 viz., from the cliff face tO' the north, and so eventually to break 

 right through into the cave, after removing everything loose down to 

 the level of the top of the human deposit. Thus this year's programme 

 entailed a relatively large amount of labour spent on the sterile portions 



