THE BELGIAN CAVES. 257 



remains of which have been found in doubtful association 

 with them, then, indeed, they must be referred to an even 

 more remote period.* 



That some of the European caves were inhabited by man 

 during the time of these extinct mammalia seems to be well 

 established. 



Already in the year 1828 MM. Tournal and Christol, in 

 the south of France, had found fragments of pottery and 

 human bones and teeth, intermingled with remains of extinct 

 animals; and M. Tournal expressly pointed out that these 

 had certainly not been washed in by any diluvial catastrophe, 

 but must have been introduced gradually. The presence of 

 pottery, however, throws much doubt on the supposed an- 

 tiquity of these remains. 



A few years later, in 1833 and 1834, Dr. Schmerling f 

 published an account of his researches in some caves near 

 Lie'ge in Belgium. In four or five of these he found human 

 bones, and in all of them rude implements, principally flint 

 flakes, were discovered, scattered in such a manner among 

 the remains of the mammoth, Rhinoceros tichorhinm, cave- 

 hyaena, and cave-bear, that Dr. Schmerling referred them to 

 the same period. One feels a natural surprise that such 

 animals as these should ever have been natives of England 

 and France, ever have wandered about among our woods or 

 along our streams ; but when it was suggested that they were 

 contemporaries with man, surprise was succeeded by in- 

 credulity. Yet these cave-researches appear to have been 

 conducted with care, and the principal results- have been 

 confirmed by more recent discoveries. 



* From another bone cave in the description, of this collection, I will say 



south of France that of Bruniquel nothing about it here. 

 M. le Vicomte de Lastic has made a f Kecherches sur les ossements fos- 



large collection, the greater part of siles decouvertes dans les cavernes de 



which is now in the British Museum. la province de Liege. Par le Dr. P. C- 



As Professor Owen has undertaken the Schmerling. 



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