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the terrace, rather than the light-colored, fine-grained calcareous powder characterizing the matrix, such as there is, of the gravel deposits. It seems to me that there is in this observation, made also by Mr. Leverett, and still subject to verification if the specimen has not yet been cleaned, sufficient ground for raising the question as to whether it is possible that Dr. Metz could have mistaken a surface mass, descended into the pit from above, for gravel in place. Dr. Metz, or any other observer not a professional student of geologic phenomena, especially of talus phenomena, involving materials subject to resetting after degradation, or to sliding en masse, could readily be excused for making a mistake of this kind. Lest this suspicion of error should seem unfounded or uncalled for, I have prepared two sections, Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate some of the many dangers besetting the way of gravel searchers. In Fig. 1, an ordinary profile, resulting from the removal of gravels for railroad ballast, is shown. Deserted by the workmen for a day or a week, objects from the surface deposits, A, may have fallen into the pit resting at B. The sliding of the mass, a b, might cover them to the depth of several feet, C, Fig. 2, and the effects of disturbance upon the surface are soon obscured or obliterated by weathering. Suppose now that Dr. Metz, or any one else, should appear upon the scene as the fallen mass is removed and penetrated by workmen, and should witness the uncovering of art forms at D, twenty-five feet beneath the surface of the terrace. It is vain to hold that there is no danger of mistake in such a case; the chances of error are really very great, and a little slip like this in observation would falsify the chronology of human history in this valley to the extent of some thousands of years.
It may be remarked that the terraces of the Little Miami were for a long period occupied by mound-building tribes whose implements and refuse of manufacture are scattered everywhere, and it is entirely within the range of possibility that such a partially worked specimen as this should have been left by them in the surface loams on the site of this pit at Loveland.
As to the nature of the object itself, a number of questions