Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-25
and Amiens, France, and is excavated
10 the chalk formations with its accom-

/
in the chalk formations with its accom-
panying flints. The strata are hori-
zontal, and chalk bluffs bound the val
ley, rising in places to the height OF
two hundred or three hundred feet.
The country stretches out from these
in nearly level plateau, and is covered
by layer of brick earth to the thick
ness of about five feet, destitute of fos-
sils. Occasionally patches of sand
and clay with eocene fossils are OBJ
served, and the probability is that this
formation once stretched continuously
| over the chalk, but has been broken up
and removed by denudation, and these
materials contributed largely to form
those beds of gravel in which the flint
implements and mammalian remains
are entombed." According TO Sir
Charles Lyell. who carefully investiga-
ted the structure, there are five sepa-
rate and distinct strata representing as
many periods of time. They are rs
follows:
l. Peat twenty to thirty feet thick,
resting on gravel deposits on the chalk
(Newest deposii.)
2. Lower level gravel, forming the
first bench, with elephants bones and
flint tools, covered with iluviatile loan.
twenty to forty feet thick.
8. Upper level gravel, forming a
second bench, with similar fossils, and
with everything loan, in all thirty feet
thick.
4, Upland loan, without shells, five
or six feet thick, spread over the
rlateau, as before described.
5. Eocene tertiary strata, resting on
the chalk strata in patches.
In the first of these strata are found
remains of species of mammalia and
vegetation such as are now found in
Europe.
In numbers two and three the re-
mains are very similar. They are
Elphas primigenius (the primitive ele-
phanD, Rhinoceros tichorhinus (the
rhinoceros), Equus FOSSILS (the fossil
horse), Bos primigenius (the primitive
OK, or bison). cervus somonensis (the
stag of the Somme), Cervus tarandus
priscus (the primitive reindeer), Felis
speloea (the cave lion), and Hyoena
speloea (the cave-hyena). "In thelowest
of these beds of gravel and sand in con-
tact with the chalk flint hatchets, some
perfect, others much rolled, have been
found" These hints exhibit rude
workmanship. THE two prevailing
forms are oval and pear-shaped. The
edges are more or less fractured or
worn, either by use before being inn
bedded in the gravel or by being rolled
by the water in the river bed" Many
paleontologists have examined these
remains, and procured evidence which
must convince the most skeptcal that
the remains found together in the vari-
Gus strata are contemporaneous, and
that they preceded each other in order
of the strata. The association of the
remains of man with these extinct ami
mails have been found in many thous-
ands of instances, precluding the posi-
bility of accidental association of re-
mains remote from each other.
The Cave of Aurignac.
''An exploration of the cave of Au-
rignac by Lartet afforded most inter-
esting results In this cave were
found seventeen human skeletons,
hearth, and bones of many different
animals. The remains of animals of
nineteen distinct species were found:
the cave bear, brown bear, badger.
polecat, cave-lion, wildcat. cave hyena,
wolf. fox. mammoth, rhlnoceros, horse,
ass, boar. stag, Irish elk, roebuck, rein
deer, and European bison. The bones
of carnivorous animals were found en-
tire, showing that they were rejected
by both man and beast. Everything
connected with the place indicated that
it was an ancient burial place, The
uninjured bones within the grotto, as
well as the shells and beads, were Of
ferings consecrated TO the dead, while
the friends held funeral feast outside.
as indicated by the ashes, broken and
split bones. Compared with this
sepulchral vault, the pyramid of Cheops
is modern.
Generalization on Prehistoric Man.
We cannot do better in this connec-
ton than to quote from Fosters Pre-.
historic Races" He comments on
the remains of man in connection
with climatic conditions of pre-
glacial time. 1t will be observed that
he expresses an uncertainty as to the
existence of man prior tie the ice age,
but places the appearance of man
toward the close of the ice age. With
out in any way disparaging the work
of Prof. Foster, we are inclined rather
to accept the authority of Prof. Brin-
ton, who says in relation to the evidence
of mans existence on the earth in pre-
glacial times, 1--WE know ne was there
at that time Prof. Foster says;
1.-The climate of the northern hemis-
phere just preceding the Drift Period
was far milder than at present. Fossil
acorns and fir cones are found in the
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