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THE GEOLOGIST. 



" During the last two days the English members were reduced to three, 

 Dr. Carpenter having returned to London. At the final meeting, held on 

 the 13th inst., the following conclusions were adopted : — ■ 



" ' M. le President, apres avoir resume la discussion, met aux voix les 

 conclusions suivantes : — 



"'1. La machoire en question n'a pas ete introduite frauduleusement 

 dans la carriere du Moulin-Quignon ; elle existait prealablement dans l'en- 

 droit oii M. Boucher cle Perthes l'a trouvee le 28 Mars dernier. Cette 

 conclusion a ete adoptee a l'unanimite. 



" ' 2. Tout tend a faire penser que le depot de cette machoire a ete con- 

 tcmporain de celui des cailloux et autres materiaux qui constituent l'amas 

 argilo-graveleux, designe sous le nom de ' couche noire,' laquelle repose 

 immediatement sur la craie. Cette conclusion a ete adoptee par tous les 

 membres presents, a l'exception de MM. Falconer et Busk, qui reservent 

 leur opinion jusqu'a plus ample informe. 



" ' 3. Les silex tailles, en forme de haches, qui ont ete presentes a la re- 

 union comme ay ant ete trouves vers la meme epoque dans les parties 

 inferieures de la carriere du Moulin-Quignon, sont pour la plupart, sinon 

 tous, bien authentiques. 



" ' Cette 3eme conclusion a ete adoptee par toutes les personnes pre- 

 sentes sauf par M. Falconer, qui reserve son opinion jusqu'a plus ample 

 informe. 



" '4. II n'y a aucune raison suffisante pour revoquer en doute la con- 

 temporaneite du depot des silex tailles avec celui de la machoire trouvee 

 dans la ' couche noire.' 



" ' Cette proposition est adoptee par tous les membres de la reunion sauf 

 par MM. Falconer et Busk, qui desirent reserver leur opinion.' 



" Before signing the prochs-verbal, I handed in to the President the fol- 

 lowing memorandum, to be appended to the report, as embodying my 

 opinion upon the whole case : — 



" ' I am of opinion that the finding of the human jaw at Moulin-Quignon 

 is authentic ; but that the characters which it presents, taken in connection 

 with the conditions under which it lay, are not consistent with the said 

 jaw being of any very great antiquity. ' H. Falcokee. 



" < Abbeville, May 13.' 



" Mr. Busk also handed in a memorandum, differently worded, but 

 virtually to the same effect as regards the question of antiquity. 



" The above is a bare outline of the principal features of this remarkable 

 inquiry. The full discussion of the bearing and import of the conflicting 

 evidence on the various points, and of the geological questions involved in 

 the case, must be given elsewhere. It will be seen that in the judgment 

 of some of those concerned in it the question of the antiquity of the relic 

 si ill remains to be determined. 



" I have only to add that we were received, both at Paris and Abbeville, 

 by the eminent French savants with whom we were brought in contact, in 

 the most cordial and friendly spirit ; and the conviction was reciprocal 

 that, throughout, both sides were influenced solely by an earnest desire to 

 arrive at the truth. Sir, your obedient servant, 



"H. Falconee, F.E.S. 



" 21, Park Crescent, JS T . W., May 19. 



" P.S. Dr. Carpenter, although named as a commissioner, both in the 

 French and English accounts of the proceedings, wishes it to be under- 

 stood that he took no part in the discussion upon the flint haches, as to the 

 genuineness of which he did not consider himself competent to form an 

 opinion ; but he had been sufficiently impressed by the unanimous con- 



