30 
December 7.— E. Allen, Esq., E. G-. S., read a paper on the flint 
implements which he had presented, stating that they consisted of 
a beautifully polished axe head, sj)ear heads, thumb scrapers, and 
flakes or knives. They were found during the autumn of 1868, by 
workmen who were excavating the foundation of the Gras Works of 
the North Eastern Dailway Company. The works are situated 
about two miles from York, on the north line near to Acomb 
Landing. The fleld in wliich the flints were found had been 
pasture land. There was about one foot of surface soil, and a bed 
of sand below this, in which the implements were deposited about 
five or six feet deep. The flints are of the Neolithic period, the 
axes being beautifully polished. I have very carefully examined 
the men respecting the circumstances under which they were found, 
with the following result:—Thomas Chapman, foreman of the 
workmen, and Martin Hughes, one of the labourers, who were 
present when the discover}^ was made, inform me that the stone 
implements were tying in a space of not more than two feet in 
diameter. They state there were from 14 to 20 axe heads, many 
spear heads, and at least a bushel of flakes. Most of the axe and 
spear heads were sent to Mr. Cabry’s otflce. Mr. Cabry subse¬ 
quently gave them to Mr. Chas. Monkman, of Malton. The flakes 
were not thought to be of any value, and were removed along with 
the sand, and used as ballast for the line. I obtained most of my 
specimens from Martin Hughes, who was working next to the man 
who made the discovery. No other implements were found in the 
neighbourhood, although the sand bed was removed for several 
hundred yards, and excavated for some depth. The archaeologists 
who flrst saw them, were of opinion that the flints had been found 
in an undisturbed sand bed. I think this is an error. I have 
made particular enquiries of the foreman of the workmen, and he 
distinctly states there was a layer of gravel over the implements, 
with which the hole where they were deposited had been tilled up. 
This opinion is corroborated by the facts of the flints being all 
found in close proximity, and not any others being found in the 
sand bed. It is, therefore, I think, most probable that they had 
been buried by their owners, and from their great number, that 
they had been the property of a manufacturer, or, at any rate, a 
dealer in stone implements. This view is also strengthened by the 
appearance of the flints, for they have not been blunted by use, 
their edges being quite sharp, and their siuTaces finely polished. 
It is difficult to assign any definite age to these relics, unconnected 
