306 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



Prof. W. J. Sollas, F.R.S., has kindly informed us that, according to a recent re- 

 classification by the Abbe Breuil, the two uniserial harpoons found in 18C6 in the 

 first foot level of the cave-earth and in the Black Band (which is incorporated in that 

 level) belong to the final phase of the Magdalenian and are Maglemosian in type. 

 An interesting light is thus thrown on that obscure period which lies at the end of 

 the Palaeolithic Age and precedes the true Neolithic period. One of these harpoons 

 closely resembles the Maglemosian specimen from Bethune. The other and stratigra- 

 phically slightly later specimen shows some approach towards the fine, slender 

 examples found in Holderness. But the Devonshire specimens were associated with 

 remains of a late Pleistocene cave-fauna and must lie at the beginning of a series 

 which terminates at Holderness and at various localities on the Baltic. 



At the same level in Kent's Cavern we have a flint industry showing Late 

 Aurignacian survivals with an occasional tendency to geometric forms. This 

 tendency is more definitely seen at Aveline's Hole in the Mendips, where it is associated 

 with a later fauna, and with a harpoon which appears to be on a different line of 

 evolution from that of t Maglemose. A link seems to be provided by the earliest 

 known appearance in Britain of a brachycephalic folk, represented by skulls at both 

 sites, and one remembers that still farther north, at Creswell, a brachy skull was 

 found many years ago, apparently at a level where a similar mixture of Late 

 Aurignacian flints and Magdalenian bone and horn industries passed definitely into 

 an Azilio-Tardenoisian microlithic industry. It seems that at the end of the 

 Palaeolithic Age in this country, two new factors appear — a brachycephalic people 

 and a geometric tradition in flint working. Are they related as cause and effect ? 



We desire to express our thanks to Mr. E. Beynon, whose advice and leading on 

 the geological side has been of great value to us ; to Mrs. M. M. Currey, Mr. H. J. 

 Norman, and other friends who have helped in the work, and to the proprietor of 

 the cave and his son, who have assisted us in every way possible. Towards the end 

 of the season we had the pleasure of a visit from Prof. J. L. Myres, who inspected 

 the excavations in our company. Sir Arthur Keith, E.R.S., has kindly reported on 

 the human remains which have come to light, and we owe a debt of gratitude to Prof. 

 W. J. Sollas, F.R.S., for his unfading patience in dealing with the questionings of 

 inexperience. 



It is hoped to reopen the campaign next October. H. G. Dowie. 



A. H. Ogilvie. 

 Postscript. 



Since writing this report one of us has had the opportunity of seeing the flints 

 from Paviland preserved at Oxford, with the following results : (1) One or two 

 straight scrapers from Kent's Cavern resemble closely similar scrapers from the 

 Middle Aurignacian of Paviland. (2) But the blades from Kent's Cavern, both of 

 the pointed and broad truncated types, are not seen in the Paviland Collection, 

 and, on the contrary, have numerous analogies from the Upper Aurignacian of Aveline's 

 Hole and Gough's Cave. (3) Two well-made end-scrapers are the best implements 

 in our series, but they may be of almost any period of the Upper Palaeolithic. 

 (4) Two or three blades are notched, and one has been referred to the Middle 

 Aurignacian, but the notches seem to us to be probably natural. (5) One end-scraper 

 with opposed tang approaches the type of the carinated scraper. Another, with 

 straight scraping edge, is apparently identical with one illustrated from the Upper 

 Aurignacian of Aveline's Hole. 



On the whole, the general facies does not seem to be Middle Aurignacian, and 

 there is an absence of the careful, regular marginal retouch characteristic of that 

 period. 



Prof. W. J. Sollas, F.R.S., has kindly offered to submit the series for classification 

 at the hands of the Abbe Breuil. Any further remarks will naturally await his 

 conclusions. H. G. Dowie. 



