1867.] Archaeology and Ethnology. 219 



pike Trusts, with the maintenance of roads otherwise than by the 

 outrageously expensive toll system, is the topic selected for their 

 first attempts to move the government of the country. There are 

 several other agricultural topics being urged in Parliament, which 

 are equally deserving of attention with this ; and they are being 

 taken up by individual members in the House of Commons with 

 great ability. Thus, Professor Fawcett urges the more general 

 enforcement of the Factory Laws, which limit the hours of labour 

 in the case of children under a certain age, and require them to attend 

 school during certain hours of the day. Certainly the application 

 of these laws to the case of children employed in the field would 

 be very difficult, chiefly owing to the immense labour of inspection 

 which would be necessary to see that they were duly carried out ; 

 but it cannot be doubted that compulsory education would ulti- 

 mately be most beneficial in the agricultural districts, as elsewhere. 



The severity and impolicy of the Game Laws is another topic 

 which has lately been urged very effectively upon the House of 

 Commons. And these and other topics of agricultural interest 

 will, no doubt, form the subjects of discussion before the newly con- 

 stituted Chambers of Agriculture throughout the country. 



It will be our duty, in July, to report the place which agricul- 

 ture has occupied in the great International Exhibition at Paris. 

 The preparations for its due representation there are on the largest 

 scale. 



2. ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



Mr. Engelhardt's important work, entitled ' Denmark in the Early 

 Iron Age,' forms a worthy sequel to the publications which, treating 

 of earlier epochs, we noticed in our last Chronicle. The Iron age 

 of Denmark has been divided by Professor Worsaae into three 

 periods : " the Early Iron age, from about 250 to 450 a.c. ; the 

 Transition period, extending to the close of the seventh century; 

 and the Late Iron age, tenninating with the introduction of 

 Christianity about the year 1000." The Early Iron age commences 

 with the introduction of three very important elements of civil- 

 ization, in advance of those which characterized the Bronze age 

 immediately preceding it. These are (1) the use of Iron ; (2) the 

 employment of horses for riding and driving ; and (3) the possession 

 of an alphabet of Eunic letters. 



A comparison of the antiquities belonging respectively to the 

 Bronze and Early Iron ages exhibits very remarkable contrast, of 

 which it will be desirable to mention a few. The weapons and 

 cutting instruments of the Early Iron age were invariably made of 

 iron, and present a high degree of finish : instead of the cast 



