18S3.] Analyses of Booh. 427 
What shall we say at finding a ghost story, the scene of which, 
moreover, is laid near agnostic Birmingham ? 
A passage is here quoted from a letter of Edward Gibbon’s, 
which conveys a wholesome lesson to those anxious to introduce 
theological discussions in such societies as the Mason College 
Union. Said the great historian to Joseph Priestley, “ Leave 
Thaumaturgy to defend itself ; it is chemistry which will make 
your reputation. Remember the end of your predecessor, 
Servetus. If his book on the Trinity is still preserved, it is only 
because it contains the first rudiments of the discovery of the 
circulation of the blood.” 
Footprints found at the Carson State Prison. By H. W. Hark- 
ness, M.D. (Reprinted from the “ Proceedings of the 
California Academy of Sciences,” August 7, 1882. 
Most of our readers will by this time have heard mention, more 
or less definite, of the strange footprints recently brought to light 
in the State of Nevada, and which must rank amongst the most 
important pieces of evidence yet brought to light in favour of the 
high antiquity of the human race. 
It appears that the Nevada State Prison lies at a distance of 
about a mile-and-a-half from Carson City, the capital of the 
State. In order to utilise the labour of the convidts in quarrying 
building-stone it was built on the extreme point of a hill of sand- 
stone, evidently formed by the detritus brought down from the 
Sierra Nevada by the adtion of wind and water. From the side 
of this hill the stone has accordingly been cut away from an area 
of about if acres, and to the depth of 15 to 32 feet. The hill 
consists of layers of rock alternating with seams of clay. In one 
of these, which now forms part of the Prison yard, the footprints 
in question were detedted. The impression produced upon the 
observer is that the deposit in which the footprints are seen must 
have been at one time the muddy shore of a lake or pond, and 
that various animals, in traversing this deposit, left deep impres- 
sions of their feet, — precisely such as may be seen whenever a 
man or other animal walks over wet mud. The footmarks are 
those of an elephantine animal (probably the mastodon), a deer, 
a wolf, perhaps a hyaena, several birds, and, above all, of a man, 
or at least of an anthropoid biped. Of human tracks there are 
six distindt sets, each consisting of from 1 to 17 prints, and each 
showing the impression of a sandal or rude shoe : in one of 
the sets the shape of this sandal was different from the others. 
Some of these series of footmarks disappear beneath the walls 
2 F2 
