212 
POPULAE SCIENCE EEYIEW. 
obliged once more to call our readers’ attention to an unpleasant subject. We 
allude to tbe controversy wbicb took place some time since in the pages of 
tbe now defunct Reader relative to tbe paper on tbe Belgian bone caves, read 
before the Cotteswold club by Mr. Symonds and Sir W. V. Guise. Briefly, 
we may say, that Mr. Carter Blake accused Mr. Symonds of publishing in- 
telligence wbicb be had received in tbe course of conversation with M. 
Dupont and wbicb tbe latter never intended to be made public. This was a 
very grave charge ; and in commenting upon it in our October No. we 
called on Mr. Symonds for an explanation or contradiction of Mr. Blake’s 
assertion. We were led to do this with more confidence from tbe circum- 
stance that we observed no reply to Mr. Blake’s letter in tbe Reader. Since 
then we received a communication on tbe subject from Mr. Symonds in 
wbicb be produces tbe evidence of M. Dupont in justification of tbe course 
pursued in tbe publication of tbe paper on bone caves. Unfortunately this 
letter arrived too late for insertion in our January No. We have now 
therefore, even at tbe eleventh hour, to grant what is due in all fairness to 
Mr. Symonds — to completely exonerate him from tbe serious accusations 
expressed in Mr. C. Blake’s letter. M. Dupont must know best whether 
be has been dealt with discourteously, and bis letter therefore is tbe most 
satisfactory explanation of tbe matter. We cannot print this letter in full, 
but we give tbe following quotation from it as an illustration of what M. 
Dupont thinks of tbe affair : — 
‘ Je ferai seulement remarquer que Messieurs Guise et Symonds m’ont 
prete des opinions que je n’ai pas, sur l’bomme et les phenomenes quater- 
naires ; mais je suis convaincu que ces inexactitudes dans leur compte-rendu 
ne doivent etre attributes qu’a une erreur involontaire resultant de l’emploi, 
dans la conversation que j’ai eue avec eux, de la langue fran^aise, qui na- 
turellement ne leur est pas familiere.’ 
This decided disavowal of tbe views held by Mr. Symonds and Sir W. 
Guise is an adequate refutation of Mr. Blake’s statement. 
Rre-historic Settlements . — In a series of Essays published late last year, 
Dr. Oscar Fraas of Stuttgart describes a number of pre-bistoric remains wbicb 
be has discovered at tbe bead of tbe brook Scbussen, wbicb runs into tbe 
Lake of Constance. In tbe course of excavating for a mill-pond several 
specimens were found. Among others some gigantic horns of tbe reindeer 
from four to five feet long ; many of these were split to procure tbe marrow 
and some were converted into weapons, tools, &c., for agriculture, &c. 
MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
Gas Engine . — A new form of engine worked by tbe explosion of coal gas 
has been recently introduced into this country by M. Hugon, who claims to 
be tbe original inventor of tbe Lenoir engine, wbicb has been in use for 
several years. In this engine tbe complicated and delicate arrangements of 
electric batteries employed for tbe ignition of tbe gas in tbe Lenoir engine 
