HIS ANTIQUITY AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



23 



God's action in Creation, and the secondary questions as to the course 

 He took in the Evolution of Phenomena, to reserve the former to the 

 sphere of Faith and to require the men of science to keep within 

 their proper lines, the observation and explanation of the evolu- 

 tionary processes. And if we can secure for religious thinkers the 

 right to abandon the letter for the spirit, when circumstances seem 

 to call for it, we shall have made a very great advance in the rational 

 interpretation of the Word of God. 



Discussion. 



The Chairman : It gives me great pleasure to propose a hearty- 

 vote of thanks to Mr. Dale for his very interesting summary of facts 

 regarding Prehistoric Man, I have watched with some care and 

 amusement the question of the Piltdown skull, which some describe 

 as the skull of a woman. If these interesting fragments had been 

 brought before a jury for them to say Aye or Nay, did they all 

 belong to the same skull, I think you will agree with me, if you look 

 at them very carefully, that the question would be extremely difficult 

 to decide. Coming from Sussex, I wish to protest against accepting 

 as scientific evidence, such flimsy statements as appear to have been 

 accepted on this subject. 



Let me tell you that Mr. Dawson, a Coroner in Sussex, found one 

 fragment of bone, which was submitted to Dr. Smith Woodward, 

 and these gentlemen, assisted by others, went in search of other 

 fragments which they expected to find. When it was known 

 among geologists that they were on the search, a very interesting 

 tooth was found, for which Dr. Smith Woodward inamediately 

 assigned a place. I ask, is that the method by which we are to 

 carry out our investigations ? Are we to assume that fragments 

 of bone, found at different times, extending over some months, 

 or even longer, must necessarily have belonged to one particular 

 individual, and that of the genus homo ? 



I am glad to have some confirmation of the views which I myself 

 take on this subject, for I have only to-day had the opportunity 

 to read what I believe is the most important paper ever communi- 

 cated on the subject, of which there are altogether a large number. 

 The paper to which I allude is in the Proceedings of the Smithsonian 

 Institute, and it is written by a man of standing, very high in the 



