Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON. Royal Society, June 24.—Sir J. J. Thomson, president, in the chair.—Sir Ray Lankester: Some rostro-carinate flint implements and allied forms. A series of rostro-carinate flint implements is described and figured in this paper from various localities, including one from the Lower Palæolithic gravel of the valley of the Oise (France). It is shown that the form exhibited by the “Norwich test specimen,” with ventral plane, dorsal plane or platform, anterior rostrum, with dorsal carina or keel, is modified in some of the specimens here figured by the “flaking away” of the ventral plane and by the hook-like curvature of the rostrum. A large Sub-Crag example is described, in which only one of the characteristic features of the type, namely, the great ventral plane, is retained, the implement serving as a very efficient “jack-plane.” The evidence of the manufacture of these implements by a series of humanly directed blows is indicated by the illustrative drawings.—Lord Rayleigh: A re-examination of the light scattered by gases in respect of polarisation. I.: Experiments on the common gases. Re-determinations are given of the relative intensity of the two polarisations in the light scattered at right angles by pure gases. The paper is chiefly concerned with developing accurate experimental methods. The values obtained are as follows: