PALAEONTOLOGY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1206, 26 December 1871, Page 3

PALAEONTOLOGY.

Palaeontology, or the science which relates to fossil animals, bus made wonderful progress during the last few years, and coming in aid of geology has thrown much light on the condition and changes of the world prior to historical times. The great activity which, during the last few years, has prevailed in the prosecution of mining, the construction of railroads, and other undertakings which necessitate the excavation of extensive cuttings in the surface Of the earth, has brought to light a wonderfully extensive variety of fossil and other remains of primitive naen and animals. France seems particularly rich ju these fossils, and vast collections have accumulated there, as well as in England, ludeed, it is difficult to take up a cewspaper without meeting with some notice of recent discoveries. In a single number of one journal to hand by last mail, we fiod the following, relative to communications received by the Freuch Academy of Sciences: —lst.-From MM. Gurtailhac and Trutat, on the contents of the grotto of Aurignac, Haute-Garronne. Here two distinct strata are visible by the different tints on the side-walls; the lower one deep yellow, and the upper a much lighter hue. The inferior layer belonged to the period of Ursus Speloeus, several fragments of the bone of that animal being found in what remained of it, together with the tooth of a rhinoceros, another of a reindeer, and two well-pre-served instruments of the scraper sort. In the upper stratum, on the contrary, witnesses of another age were discovered, such as bits of pottery, a fossil cardium, a sort of shell pierced with a hole, and some small human bones. Here then, in both cases, the existence of man during the quartenary period seems to be placed beyond a doubt. 2nd.-From M. Riviere, on the caverns of Baousse* Fieusse, seven in number, otherwise called the grottoes of Mentone, situated along the coast of the Mediterranean, in the province of Vintimiglia, Italy, at about a third of a mile from the French frontier, and an altitude of from 28 to 29 yards above the level of the sea. A trench having been cut along the fo: t of the mountain to make way for the railroad, a considerable quantity of bones, teeth, antlers, &c, was brought to light, belonging to the rhinoceros, stag, bear, hyaena, and cat; then bone and flint implements, ashes and cinders of four different fireplaces, one above another, with intervals of from one to two yards' length of red sandstone, 3rd.-From M. Piette, ou the discovery of a cavern of the reindeer age at five-eighths of a mile N W. of the Montrejeau station, Haute-Garonne. Its altitude above the river is 100 yards, in a calcareous stratum; its mouth is fifteen yards wide, maximum height, four yards, inner length, twenty-one ditto. Here the remains of the reindeer are mixed up with human bones and a vast quantity of flint instruments, and arrowheads made of horn,