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of flint, by Mr. Christy, who has studied these bones long and carefully. 
He detects, in the delicate ribs left upon the surfacing of the scoring by a 
flint edge, the peculiar curve in the direction which corresponds with the 
curved outline of the edge, and which he has found existing in all cuts and 
sawings made upon bone by implements of flint.” 
Marine Fossils of the Coal Measures . — It would appear, from a commu- 
nication not long since made by Professor Roemer to the Rhenish Natural 
History Society, that the marine shell strata found in the coal beds present 
a constant level. He has been investigating those of the coal mines of 
Upper Silesia, and he has found species of the genera Bellerophon , OrtliiSy 
Products, OrthoceraSy GoniatiteSy &c., associated with iron nodules. These 
fossils lay in shaly seams, at a height of about 100 feet above the valuable 
coal-beds. This relation may be said to be true for all coal formations. 
Flint Weapons in the Grotto ofLaroque. — The cavern of Laroque, situate 
on the route of Montpellier, between the former locality and Saint-Bauzille, 
has been explored by M. Boutin, who, in a note to the French Academy, 
describes the results of his investigations. He found in this cavern, bones, 
charcoal cinders, and prepared flints. The latter were of different sizes : 
some of them w T ere not more than two centimetres long and two or three 
millimetres wide ; they were pointed at each end. Others, of a larger 
size, were sharpened at one extremity only. Besides these, there w T ere 
found rounded or lenticular pieces of flint, whose use it w r ould be impos- 
sible to conjecture, M. Boutin concludes by observing, — “ There is no 
doubt that many of our neighbouring caverns contain similar indications 
of the passage of man. And as in some of them I have already discovered 
considerable quantities of the remains of Ursus spelceus, I do not despair 
of one day finding both remnants associated.” — Comptes Rendus, Jan. 4. 
The Alluvials in the Neighbourhood of Toni . — In a memoir presented to 
the Academy by M. Husson the following general conclusions are drawn, 
relative to the geological bearing of the deposits] above-named : — The 
country round Toul is of a character to throw a great deal of light upon 
the subject of the antiquity of man. The valley of the Ingressin possesses 
(1) an entire and undisturbed bed of Scandinavian diluvial nature, and 
a local alluvial one of the same date ; (2) a very extensive deposit of Alpine 
diluvium, rich in fossils, and which has been worked for twenty years, to 
an extent of about eight kilometres. The valley of the Moselle exhibits 
(1) the same Alpine diluvium covering the plain of La Treiclie ; and (2) 
all the other elements for the study of the question alluded to ; viz., 
peculiar caverns, human osseous brecchia, specimens of pottery and primi- 
tive human ornaments, groved bones of the same period, and very large 
flint weapons, like those of the Somme valley. An examination of all 
these deposits demonstrates, — 1st, That all these remnants of primitive 
industry and of man, from whom they came, are of post diluvian date. 
2nd, In regard to the state of these alluvians and more recent strata, there 
are many sources of error, which are with difficulty perceived. — Comptes 
Rendus , Feb. 8. 
Foramenifera of the Tertiary Basin of Vienna . — At a comparatively 
recent meeting of the Vienna Academy of Sciences, Herr Karrer commu- 
nicated the results of his investigations into the character of the forameni- 
