219 
sizes discovered in the Brixham Cave, nearly all showing, in a 
greater or less degree, traces of human workmanship upon 
them, thirty-two have been submitted to me for examination. 
They are principally flakes, and must therefore include the 
fifteen flint knives, on which the evidence of man’s presence 
has been so confidently founded. Omitting the fancied evidence 
of use and wear (afterward examined), they are thus described : 
“No. 1. Portion of a flake, 2f inches long and wide” 
“No. 4. Broad, irregular-shaped flake, 2f inches long, and in 
one part nearly 2 inches wide, but tapering to a rounded 
point.” “ No. 5. Broad-ended flake, 2f inches long.” “ No. 11. 
Short fragment of a flake, lj inch long and 1 inch wide. 
“No. 12. Portion of a narrow flake, one edge of which has 
been lost.” “No. 29. Fragment of a large broad flake, show- 
ing on its convex face a portion of the original crust of the 
flint.” “ ? Broad flake, 2J inches long and about If wide, . . 
a portion of the ridge at the butt-end removed, . . one edge 
broken off, . . and the flint itself broken into three pieces.” * 
Such are the famous “Flint Knives” of Brixham Gavern. 
They are not only ordinary flakes, but from the description 
given of them by Mr. Evans, they appear to be the most imper- 
fect, irregular, and fragmentary of their kind, and the judgment 
revolts from the inference that such contemptible fragments of 
flint could ever have been manufactured or used as tools by 
man. The evidence of such flakes breaks down from its utter 
weakness, and from its being unsupported by any “ corrobora- 
tive adjuncts,” t Mr. Evans himself being the witness, for he 
has recorded his opinion of such testimony in these words : 
“ It is at all times difficult among a mass of flints to distinguish 
those flakes formed accidentally by natural causes from those 
which have been made by the hand of man ; an experienced 
eye will indeed arrive at an approximately correct judgment ; 
but from the causes I have mentioned mere flakes of flint, how- 
ever analogous to what we know to have been made by human 
art, can never be accepted as conclusive evidence of the work 
of man, unless found in sufficient quantities, or under such cir- 
cumstances, as to prove design in their formation by their 
number or position.” J 
Thus the facts brought to light by the final report fifteen 
years after the exploration reduce the evidence of Palseolithic 
man to the smallest possible proportions even to Palseolithic 
believers. 
Coincident with the issue of the final report on the Cavern 
* Trans, of Royal Society, vol. 163, p. 549. 
% The Geologist, vol. iv. p. 360. 
f Ibid., p. 565. 
