THE ZOOLOGIST
No. 668.— February, 1897.
NEOLITHIC LIFE IN DEVON AND CORNWALL.
By A.L. Lewis, F.C.A.,
Treasurer of the Anthropological Institute.
During the last few years much useful work has been done by certain members of the Devonshire Association and of the Royal Institution of Cornwall in surveying and exploring the prehistoric monuments which, though sadly reduced in number, still abound on Dartmoor and in various parts of Cornwall. Admirably illustrated reports of the work done have been published in the Journals of the two societies, but, as these are not very largely circulated outside the two south-western counties, there may be many readers of 'The Zoologist' to whom a brief account of the results obtained may not be unwelcome.
Visitors to the central parts of Dartmoor will remember the various remains which they have met with there—long "rows" or lines of stones, sometimes single, sometimes double—stones standing or lying in circles, sometimes in connection with the "rows," but more frequently not—single stones or menhirs—and rude enclosures formed by low walls of smaller stones without mortar, sometimes large, sometimes small, sometimes singly, sometimes in groups, with or without a similar wall enclosing the group. The smaller of these are called "hutcircles," the larger ones "pounds"; they are the remains of prehistoric dwellings, and it is in them that the most interesting discoveries have been made.