August 14, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



191 



early date in France, bnt geologists on both 

 sides of the channel received them with in- 

 credulity. 



In vain did the discoverer, M. Boercher 

 de Perthes lay the evidence before them. 

 So firmly were they fixed in their traditional 

 belief in the late date of the appearance of 

 man that all his efibrts failed to move them 

 until Dr. Falconer visited the region, saw 

 and was convinced. At his suggestion, 

 Prestwich, Godwin, Austen and others went 

 to Amiens, and the former in his paper be- 

 fore the Royal Society gained over his 

 English brethren to the new faith which he 

 had himself adopted on seeing the evidence 

 presented in the valley of the Somme. 



He even extended the limit of time which 

 the French geologist had demanded by 

 proving that the gravels were of at least 

 two ages, and that the high level or older 

 beds had been deposited before the valley 

 itself had been excavated by the river. 



In the same time was the report on the 

 Brixham Cave in 1872, where new evidence 

 of the vast antiquity of the human race was 

 adduced and previous conclusions were 

 more than supported. Those who can look 

 back to the time can well recall the condi- 

 tions and realize the boldness of the few 

 who dared to stand for the new truth and 

 face the storm of ' odium theologicum,' 

 which set in at once and beat on their repu- 

 tation. Years passed by before it began to 

 blow over, and only disappointment, loss 

 and mental suffering were the reward of 

 many who read and believed and acknowl- 

 edged their faith. It is hard now to un- 

 derstand the effort it cost twenty-five or 

 thirty years ago. 



Prof. Prestwich has taken an active part 

 in the efforts to find coal in the southeast of 

 England; in the discussion relative to the 

 channel tunnel, in the investigation of deep 

 sea temperatures and in the water supply 

 of London, ''nihil tetigit quod non ornavit." 



His large work on geology, in two vol- 



umes, appeared in 1886 and 1888 with a 

 geological map of Europe, and contains the 

 matured results of his life's work. His 

 energy continued almost to the last ; papers 

 on quaternary geology and the antiquity of 

 man have been read or written as late as 

 the year 1893. 



Honors flowed in on the veteran geolo- 

 gist from all sides. He received the Wol- 

 laston medal in 1849, a royal medal from 

 the Eoyal Society in 1865; he was President 

 of the Geological Society of London from 

 1870 to 1872, Yice-President of the Eoyal 

 Society in 1870 and 1871. He received the 

 Telford medal from the Institute of Civil 

 Engineers in 1874, was President at the re- 

 union of the Geological Society of France, 

 in 1880, and was elected a corresponding 

 member of the ' Institute ' in 1885. A 

 short time only before his death he received 

 from Her Majesty the honor of knighthood. 



His later years have been spent at Darent 

 Hulme, near Sevenoaks, Kent, a home after 

 his own taste, as those who have had the 

 pleasure of visiting him well know. Geology 

 is worked into every feature and adorns 

 every corner and panel. lb stands in the 

 beautiful chalk downs, overlooking the 

 valley of the Weald, where he delighted to 

 ramble and where his life was shared by 

 Mrs. Prestwich, niece of Hugh Falconer, 

 herself attached to the pursuits of her hus- 

 band, whose latterly feeble health she 



guarded with loving care. 



^ E. AV. C. 



CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 

 RESEARCHES IN MEXICO. 



The rich soil of Mexico and Central 

 America is never scratched but it yields a 

 harvest. How much there is in that land 

 of promise for the ethnographer and anti- 

 quary is well illustrated in the brief descrip- 

 tion of his journey from Mexico City to 

 Guatemala, contributed by Prof. Starr to 

 the Chicago University Record^ for May 22, 



