Editorial Comment. 53 
cy of the Megalonyx thaii the antiquity of man. As Mr. Mer- 
cer says (p. 70) : ''We have njodernized the fossil slotli if we 
have not definitely increased the antiquity of the Indian luuit- 
er whose first coming tlie animal doubtless witnessed in the 
woods of Tennessee." 
This is strongly confirmed by the very modern appearance 
of the bones, some of which yet show traces of their cartilag- 
inous attachments — a circumstance by no means unknown in 
similar finds. 
The total absence of stalagmite deprives us of the strong ar- 
gument, that proved unanswerable in the case of Mr. Pengel- 
jy's reports on Kent's cave, by separating the layers by imper- 
meable barriers of limestone and thus preventing confusion. 
It is consequently impossible to extract satisfactory evidence 
in the present instance. Tliis is obvious from such facts as 
the following: the occurrence among the specimens older 
than the bones of the body of a fly identical with a European 
species and very probably introduced to the continent by the 
white men, though of this entomologists are not sufficientl}^ 
sure. Mr. Mercer says (p. 67) "According to the order of for- 
mation of the dilferent refuse the lower layer preceded the 
upper and the gnawed nuts, the seeds, the fly preserving in- 
tact its delicate wings comparatively modern as they seemed, 
had reached their position before the deposition of the bones." 
The paper is excellently illustrated with figures of the cave 
and the bones, but can hardly be said to be valuable as an ad- 
dition to our knowledge of the subject. It is especially dis- 
appointing to read that the only two objects found which 
might possibly be regarded as indicative of the presence of 
man (though very doubtful ones at best) namely, a small frag- 
ment of maize-silk and a single sunflower seed, are deprived of 
value by the possible introduction of the former during the 
excavation and a mischance in affixing labels on the latter. 
A curious mistake or perhaps misprint occurs on the last 
page where percolating lime is mentioned as filling the cavi- 
ties. It is diflScult to imagine any such substance in a lime- 
stone cave or anywhere else in nature and we cannot but re- 
gard it as an error for carbonate of lime. 
Mr. Mercer also seems to be unaware of the existence of the 
Megalonyx found in Holmes Co., O.. in 1890 and described in 
