The Antiquity of Man. Sir Charles Lyell

publication of the "Origin of Species" and the discussions that resulted from that publication, the popular imagination has been much exercised by the possible existence of forms intermediate between the apes and man; the so-called "Missing Link." Much has been written on this subject, some of it well-founded and some very much the reverse. The discovery of the Neanderthal skull is fully described in this volume, and this skull is certainly of a low type, but it is more human than ape-like. The same remark applies still more strongly to the Engis skull, the man of Spy, the recently discovered Sussex skull, and other well-known examples of early human remains. The Pithecanthropus of Java alone shows perhaps more affinity to the apes. The whole subject has been most ably discussed by Professor Sollas in his recent book entitled "Ancient Hunters."

      The study of Palaeolithic flint implements has been raised to a fine art. Both in England and France a regular succession of primitive types has been established and correlated with the gravel terraces of existing rivers, and even with the deposits of rivers no longer existing and with certain glacial deposits. But with all of these the actual bodily remains of man are comparatively scanty. From this it may be concluded that primitive methods of burial were such as to be unfavourable to the actual preservation of human remains. Attempts have also been made to prove the existence of man in pre-glacial times, but hitherto none of these have met with general acceptance, since in no case is the evidence beyond doubt.

      One of the most important results of recent research in the subject has been the establishment of the existence of man in interglacial times. When Lyell wrote, it was not fully recognised that the glaciation of Europe was not one continuous process, but that it could be divided into several episodes, glaciations, or advances of the ice, separated by a warm interglacial period. The monumental researches of Penck and Bruckner in the Alps have there established four glaciations with mild interglacial periods, but all of these cannot be clearly traced in Britain. One very important point also is the recognition of the affinities of certain types of Palaeolithic man to the Eskimo, the Australians, and the Bushmen of South Africa. However, it is impossible to give here a review of the whole subject. Full details of recent researches will be found in the works mentioned in the notes at the end of the book.

      Another point of great interest and importance, arising directly from the study of early man is the nature of the events constituting the glacial period in Britain and elsewhere. This has been for many years a fertile subject of controversy, and is likely to continue such. Lyell, in common with most of the geologists of his day, assumes that during the glacial period the British Isles were submerged under the sea to a depth of many hundreds of feet, at any rate as regards the region north of a line drawn from London to Bristol. Later authors, however, explained the observed phenomena on the hypothesis of a vast ice-sheet of the Greenland type, descending from the mountains of Scotland and Scandinavia, filling up the North Sea and spreading over eastern England. This explanation is now accepted by the majority, but it must be recognised that it involves enormous mechanical difficulties. It is impossible to pursue the subject here; for a full discussion reference may be made to Professor Bonney's presidential address to the British Association at Sheffield in 1910.

      It will be seen, therefore, that the "Antiquity of Man" opens up a wide field of speculation into a variety of difficult and obscure though interesting subjects. In the light of modern research it would be an easy task to pile up a mountain of criticism on points of detail. But, though easy, it would be a thankless task. It is scarcely too much to say that the dominant impression of most readers after perusing this book will be one of astonishment and admiration at the insight and breadth of view displayed by the author. When it was written the subject was a particularly thorny one to handle, and it undoubtedly required much courage to tackle the origin and development of the human race from a purely critical and scientific standpoint. It must be admitted on all hands that the result was eminently successful, taking into account the paucity of the available material, and the "Antiquity of Man" must ever remain one of the classics of prehistoric archaeology.

      This edition of the "Antiquity of Man" has been undertaken in order to place before the public in an easily accessible form one of the best known works of the great geologist Sir Charles Lyell; the book had an immense influence in its own day, and it still remains one of the best general accounts of an increasingly important branch of knowledge.

      In order to avoid a multiplicity of notes and thus to save space, the nomenclature has been to a certain extent modernised: a new general table of strata has been inserted in the first chapter, in place of the one originally there printed, which was cumbrous and included many minor subdivisions of unnecessary minuteness.

      The notes have been kept as short as possible, and they frequently contain little more than references to recent literature elucidating the points under discussion in the text.

      R.H. RASTALL. 1914.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

       Table of Contents

       The passage of the Beresina (in verse), 1815.

       Principles of Geology, being an attempt to explain the former

       changes of the earth's surface, by reference to causes now in

       operation, 1830-33

       (third edition, 1834;

       fourth, 1835;

       fifth, 1837;

       sixth, 1840;

       seventh, 1847;

       ninth, entirely revised edition, 1853;

       tenth, entirely revised edition, 1867, 1868;

       eleventh, entirely revised edition, 1872;

       twelfth, edited by L. Lyell, 1875).

       Elements of Geology, 1838

       (second edition, 1841).

       A Manual of Elementary Geology

       (third and entirely revised edition of the former work, 1851;

       fourth and entirely revised edition, 1852;

       fifth, enlarged edition, 1855;

       Supplement to the fifth edition, 1857;

       second edition of the Supplement, revised, 1857).

       Elements of Geology,

       sixth edition, greatly enlarged, 1865.

       Travels in North America, with geological observations

       on the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia, 1845.

       A Second Visit to the United States of North America, 1849.

       The Students' Elements of Geology, 1871

       (second edition, revised and corrected, 1874;

       third, revised, with a table of British fossils

       [by R. Etheridge], 1878;

       fourth, revised by P.M. Duncan, with a table of British fossils

       [by R. Etheridge], 1884).

       The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man,

       with remarks on theories of the origin of species

       by variation, 1863;

       (second edition, revised, 1863;

       third edition, revised, 1863;

       fourth edition, revised, 1873).

       There has also been published The Student's Lyell: a Manual of

       Elementary Geology, edited by J.W. Judd, 1896 (second edition

       revised and enlarged, 1911).

      LECTURES, ADDRESSES, AND ARTICLES:

       On a Recent Formation of Freshwater Limestone in Forfarshire

       ("Transactions of the Geological Society" 2nd series, volume 2,

       1826, part 1).

       On a Dike of Serpentine