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5th December ipoj. 



Professor Johnson Symington, M.D., F.R.S. F.R.S.E. 

 President, in the Chair. 



ON PREHISTORIC MAN IN SOUTHERN FRANCE 

 By W. P. De Vismes Kane, M.A., D.L., M.R.I.A 



(Abstract. ) 



The lecturer first described the great limestone plateaux of 

 Aquitaine, which are broken up by great canons into separate 

 units called Les Causses. He then showed a series of lantern 

 slides representing the wonderful cliff scenery of the canon of the 

 river Tarn, down which he voyaged for 30 miles. The Causse of 

 Gramat was then referred to, which is very similar in its appear- 

 ance to the limestone plains of Galway or Clare, and likewise full 

 of subterranean rivers and streams, but running at vast depths 

 below the surface, and excavating caverns of enormous size and 

 extent, the roofs of which in many cases have fallen in, and so 

 have opened great chasms and gulfs in the flat levels, many of 

 which have been explored by Monsr. Martel. Views of several 

 of these abysses were given, some of them photographed by 

 magnesium light. The barrenness of the plateaux of the higher 

 levels abutting on the Cevennes was traced largely to the destitute 

 condition of the peasantry, in consequence of the equal division 

 among the children of the property of the father at his death, and 

 the cutting of all timber to pay the debts, so that the whole country 

 now lies bare to the sun in summer, and to the rain in winter, 

 which washes away gradually the fertile soil into the fissures. 

 The chalk plateaux were then described, which are the lowest in 

 elevation, and most westerly, and the lecturer proceeded to 



