360 



COLE : A LAKE-DWELLIXG IX LANCASHIRE. 



A frog can at once be distinguished from a toad by its smooth 

 skin, and jumping powers. The common can be distinguished from 

 :he edible frog by the presence of the brown patch running from the 

 eye to the shoulder, and by the absence of the dorsal line. 



The common toad can be distinguished from the natterjack by 

 the absence of the yellow dorsal line, which is a constant feature in 

 the natterjack, and also by its sluggish movements. 



In the larval form, the common frog may be distinguished by its 

 being speckled all over with gold-coloured spots. The edible frog 

 larva d liters from that of the common frog in being free from gold- 

 coloured spots, and in having its ground colour greenish (instead of 

 brottm). marbled with olive. The toads are of a uniform blackish 

 browm. The natterjack tadpole can be distinguished from that of the 

 common toad, by its denser black colour, and smaller size. 



^-0 TE—PRE-HISrORIC AR CH. EOLOGY. 



A Lake-Dwelling^ in Lancashire. — A few years ago Mr. T. Eoynion 

 discovered a lake-dwelling ai Ulrome. in Holderness. the first of the kind found 

 in England. I have jusi had an opportunity of exploring the works, which have 

 been for some time in progress, for diverting the course of the Ribble at Preston, 

 in Lancashire, and constructing large docks in the marshes which border on the 

 river-course. The excavations are a: preser.: at a standstill, and will probably 

 remain so for a considerable / . i \; -- - , ^ed. 30 ft. deep, are extremely 

 interesting. Every trace c." , v . : \ c vers the Fylde elsewhere to a 

 great a:;;:';-, v - ? -^es ago removed, by the river, and on the bared new Red Sand- 

 stone ;-e r - . ihick beds of gravel and sand, full of estuarine shells. In 

 these graveis. a: various depths, lie scores of huge blackened trunks of trees, with 

 their ends mostly in the siime direction — down-stream. Ti.cie is no trace of soil ; 

 they have all, without exception, been drifted into their present position — a position 

 which does not appear to have been altered by any change in the river s course 

 since the gravels were laid down. Whilst tracing the line of trees I caught sight 

 of some piles standing vertically in the gravel beds, and on closer examination 

 found that they had been driven in 10 a depth of from 8 ft. to 15 ft. The ends 

 Avere roughi^ ; a. For a depth of 2 ft. or 3 ft. at the top a quantity of brush- 

 wood had i rr; . i.orizontally between the piles, so as to make a solid and firm 

 floor. The ier.;;::'. of the floor was about 17 yds., but I could not ascertain the 

 width beyond 7 yds., as evidently portions of the platform had been removed in 

 the excavations. The ar-ceararce was e\ac:iv sirai'ar :o the upper platform 

 discovered by Mr. i^:y: ;::- ii r. :.. i ::: ;-.cs:iation in assigning 

 it to a lake-dwelii::^. Ti:c s:.-.::;:c v :s c:^::^,i ::: a aiaisi;. .iisiant about looyds. 

 from the present bed of the river. There were no traces of weapons or implements 

 of any kind, but this may be accounted for by the fact that the navvies had no 

 instruciions, and no one in authciirv r : viced what they were destroying. In the 

 area of the unfinished dock, howc : . I learn from the curator of the Preston 

 Museum, the Rev. J. Shortt. no less li.ac, 52 pairs of antlers of the Red Deer have 

 been found. 43 heads of the Urus. 14 human skulls of the type found in our tumuli, 

 two ancient canoes hollowed out of the trunks of trees, and a solitary bronze spear- 

 head. Xo flint or pottery seems to have iev ered. Mr. Shortt has kindly 

 promised to have the section photographed . : . ;:ie works are resumed : but it 

 would be more satisfactor}- if the piles and brushwood could be carefully examined 

 by competent persons, instead of being left to casual demolition. Doubtless there 

 were many lake-dwellings once in this countn,-, as in Switzerland, but so far, x^-ith 

 one or two exceptions, they have escaped notice. — E. Maule Cole, Wetwang. 

 near York, October 4th, iS'SS. 



Naturalist, 



