404 PROCEEDINGS AT MKETINGS OF

time present similar typical peculiarities, we may cunclucle, I think, that speakiu<it <j:enenilly, each race or tribe wurked uut its own inventions and its own forms of implements, and did not receive them by transmission from any other people. " AY hilst fully admitting that progress is a very prominent feature of pre-historic times, I still think that the progress was fur the most part independent and original, and that we might consequently reasonably exj^)ect to timl breaks in the continuity of development such as now api>ear to exist between the Paheolithic and the Neolithic Periods. Nevertheless, it is both a cheering belief and a sound scientific opinion that 'the culture-history of mankind is probaljly not the history of a coui*so of degeneration, or even of ecpial oscillations to and fro, but of a movement which, in spite of fivipient pauses ami relapses, has, on the whole, been forward; and there has l»ecu from age to age a growth in man's power over Nature, which no degrading inlluences have been able permanently to check." ^ A vote of thanks was presenteil to Mr. Stevens for his able discoui-se. Tuesday, August G. This was the day for the Silchcster and Basingstoke excureion. The ordinaiy train, leaving Southampton at 8.45 a.m., conveyed a consider- able i)arty to Basingstoke, where a special train was in attendance on the Great Western Bailway, to convey them to a point of the line nearest to Silchcster. This was near a road which crossed the railway l»y "Jack- daws' Biiilge"; and here carriages were to have been in attendance. By some eiTor, however, many of the conveyances did not arrive till a large number of jtei-sons had walked a considerable part of the distance, though they were afterwards gladly used, as the weather became broken, ami it rained heavily when the party arrived at the East gate of the Roman Calleva. After a short delay on account of the weather, the Rev. J. G. Joyce conducted his followers to the Amphitheatre outside the city, and di-scussed its special characteristics. Returning to the Eixst gate, the perambulation of the city was made in a direction South-west to the South gate of the city, from which a good general view of the enclosure was obtained. Ahjng the whole distance the walls arc more or loss perfect. Tliey seem to have been al)out 10 ft, high, by al)oit i) ft. thick, set on massive *' foot in^rs," and formed of coui-ses of large flints, placed in a rough lieiTing-bone fashion, with layers of stone slaits as bonding coui'scs, at intervals of ul)out *J ft. The flints seem to have lieen set dry, atid the hot mortar of lime, sand, and pounded tile poured in a fluid state among them. In some places the lower portions of the wall have siiffercd much by spoliation, the upper coui-hch grindy standing out with picttu-escpio effect The whole circtiit is mthcr more than a nule an«l a half. Re- turning to the Kast gate, Mr. Joyce was al)lo to show the sill ujion which the maKsive portal had turned, an<l which had been discovered by the Ordnance surveyors within the last few mouths. The weather again interfereil witli the proceedingH, ami then time had arrived for luncheon. Thi.s wiw provideil in a tent, which was well supplied with n-freshmcuts, and after due aeknowledgnnMitK had lieen voted to his (irace the Duke of Wellington, for his great liiierality in cunt inning the exciivatinus of that ' Tylor, " Knrly lli»t..ry of Maiikiml," >. IDO.