603 HUMAN JAW AND FLINT-IMPLEMENTS 



least was the view held by the English members, as set forth 

 in the proces-verbaux. 



Further, two of these Jiaches, procured by me at Moulin- 

 Quignon, on the 14th and 15th April, presented on the 

 middle of the thickest part an appearance which Mr. Evans 

 and myself interpreted as being probably the result of a 

 vertical blow applied with an iron hammer, to reduce an in- 

 convenient inequality. One got by Mr. Nicholas Brady, on 

 the 1 7th April, upon being carefully washed by me yielded 

 immediately afterwards a distinct streak of metallic iron. It 

 was observed at the time by Dr. Charles Murchison, Messrs. 

 Antonio and Nicholas Brady, and myself. It was examined 

 on the following day, under the microscope by Dr. Carpenter, 

 who confirmed the observation. It was suggested at the 

 Conference that the iron marks in this instance may have 

 been caused by the pick-axe of the pitman ; but the explana- 

 tion was insufficient, inasmuch as the covering of matrix 

 was carefully examined before washing, and it presented no 

 external marks corresponding with the streak. These haches 

 were compared with modern counterfeit haches of known 

 English origin, and so far as surface, facets, sharp edges, 

 and fresh look are concerned, they exhibited no appreciable 

 difference of material value. 



All these flint-implements, of the suspected character, 

 whether covered with ferruginous gritty sand or with ' black- 

 seam ' matrix, were coated superficially by a subjacent thin 

 dark film, which by slight washing was reduced to a bronze- 

 tint, and entirely removed by scrubbing with a brush and hot 

 water. The scrutiny of the Conference was mainly directed 

 to those which came out of the ' black seam ' that yielded 

 the jaw. The coating of matrix upon them was regarded by 

 M. de Quatrefages, resting upon the opinion of M. Delesse, 

 subsequently confirmed by Professor Delafosse, as being 

 natural, from the fact that there was an appearance of 

 minutely mammilliform aggregations of ' Limonite of iron' 

 upon the surface of the haches. But they had no firm adhe- 

 sion to the flints, and although presenting occasional points 

 of metallic brilliancy, they were removed with the utmost 

 facility by washing. The English members, throughout the 

 sittings devoted to this part of the case, saw no reason to 

 regard the matrix as other than a coating artificially laid on. 

 Mr. Evans found by experiment, that the fine dry powder of 

 the 'black seam' gravel, consisting of earthy matter charged 

 with oxides of iron and manganese, when moistened and 

 rubbed on with the finger, exactly reproduced the same 

 appearance, and also the bronze tint remaining upon the 

 suspected haches when half- washed. Where the black matter 



