32 A Recent Discovery of Worked Flints. 



rated by himself (Mr. Tate). The second proposal was made 

 by Professor Petrie, its object being to provide a federal staff 

 for local museums. He alleged that the main difficulty in the 

 management of local museums was the securing of sufficient 

 work for and means of paying for services of highly- trained and 

 competent men as curators, and he considered that this would 

 be obviated if there was co-operation. The opinion of speakers 

 who took part in the discussion was generally favourable to the 

 scheme. It appeared that a somewhat similar idea had been 

 mooted some years previously, and had been reported on by a 

 sub-committee of the Museums Association, without, however, 

 leading to any definite result. A strong protest was made by 

 Professor Johnston, of Dublin, against the suggestion that the 

 curators of the local museums should be converted into mere 

 caretakers, and referred in terms of high commendation to the 

 abilities of a curator in the North of Ireland. 



The President was sure they were all very much indebted 

 to Mr. Tate for the manner in which he had represented their 

 Society at the conference. 



Mr. W. H. Patterson, m.r.i.a., read a Paper entitled — 



A RECENT DISCOVERY OF WORKED FLINTS IN 

 SUBMERGED PEAT AT PORTRUSH." 



Mr. W. H. Patterson, m.r.i.a., then read the following 

 account of a recent discovery of worked flints in submerged 

 peat at Portrush. He explained that the West Bay at Portrush 

 had long been known as the site of an exposure of submerged 

 peat. The winter storms of the last two years had, by washing 

 away great quantities of sand, caused a much larger section of 

 peat to be visible. The thickest masses of peat were at high- 

 water mark, in one place forming a perpendicular face of nearly 

 six feet high. In other places the peat showed an exposed face 

 of three or four feet, and from that down to one foot or less, 



