190 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



but they are more numerous iu the lower part. It has been estimated 

 that there is one implement to one cubic yard of gravel. They occur 

 singly, and. as far as we know, lying flat. The spot where one was found 

 in situ by Air. Flower was pointed out in the section, and also the spot 

 where the speaker and Air. Evans extracted one. These worked flints 

 partake of all the mineral characters of the gravel — the result of contem- 

 poraneous deposition. Some retain their original dark colour, others are 

 stained yellow and brown j some have their outer surface converted to a 

 bright white ; many are encrusted with thin patches of carbonate of lime; 

 and many again exhibit dendritic markings, — ail being conditions in per- 

 fect harmony with the mass of broken subangular flints composing the 

 body of the gravel, of which they are, in fact, component parts, showing 

 one and the other like characters of age. Several hundred specimens 

 of flint implements from this pit have passed under the speaker's inspec- 

 tion : thirty selected specimens were exhibited, showing the principal 

 forms which prevailed, and in which the workmanship and design were 

 most apparent. Few can feel any doubt who inspect a series of this na- 

 ture. It is not so much evidence of art and skill that we look for, but 

 primarily of design. The speaker did not dwell on this point, which is 

 now generally accepted. It has been well treated by Mr. Evans and 

 others. 



The fossils consist of perfect and uninjured, though very friable, land 

 and fresh-water shells in the following proportion, and of bones, mostly 

 broken, and teeth of the following animals. The list is necessarily only a 

 sketch. 



Fauna of the Quaternary Gravels of the Sorame Valley. 



SHELLS. 



1-4 species of land shells. 



9 species of marine shells (Abbe- 

 ville only). 



21 species of freshwater shells. 



All these are of species living 

 in France, and all but oue 

 in Englaud, except the Cy- 

 rena flurninalis, now living 

 in the Nile and Central 

 Asia. 



Proceeding to interrogate the section with a view to determine the 

 causes which led to the formation of these beds, the nature of the climate 

 which then prevailed and their age, the following conclusions were de- 

 duced : — 



1. The mineral ingredients of the gravel are chiefly broken flints de- 

 rived from the chalk of the district in general, but with these there occur 

 fragments and blocks of Tertiary sandstone and Tertiary fossils, which 

 could only have come from places ten to twenty miles higher up the val- 

 ley. Therefore the agency, whatever it was, that brought the debris here 

 must have proceeded in a direction down the present valley, the Tertiary 

 debris being found along that line as far as the sea. Further, the cause 

 could not have been a general one extending beyond the present hydro- 

 graphical basin, for none of the older rock debris from the valley of the 



AXIMALS. 



( Elephas primigenius. 

 ! Elephas antiquus. 

 | Rhinoceros tichorhinus. 

 I Hippopotamus. 

 | Frsus spelseus. 



Hvaena spelsea. 

 \ Eelis. 

 Terms 



\2 or more species). 

 Bos 



o ~ ) {2 or more species). 



S § Equus 



do ■ k y 2 species). 



