THE PREHISTORIC PERIOD made to the discoveries near its source in Bedfordshire, 1 but at Har- penden 2 and Wheathampstead, nine or ten miles down the stream, Mr. Worthington Smith has found ochreous flakes of Palaeolithic character. At No Man's Land Common, 3 near the latter place, more conclusive specimens in the shape of ovate implements have been found. Two of these are in the County Museum at St. Albans. The gravels at this spot were in all probability deposited by the river Lea before it took its present course by Wheathampstead. Near Ayot St. Peter* and Welwyn, Mr. Worthington Smith has found flakes only ; but some discoveries at Welwyn will subsequently be mentioned. No further discoveries are recorded within the valley of the Lea until we arrive near Hertford. General Pitt Rivers has a very fine Palaeolithic implement, stated to have been found near Bayford, 8 on the southern side of the river. At Hertford, Bengeo, Ware and Amwell implements of pointed form have been found by Mr. Worthington Smith. 8 He has also obtained them from the gravels at Flamstead End, Cheshunt. 7 A few have also been found at Hoddesdon. His numerous and important discoveries lower down the valley of the Lea, in the counties of Middlesex and Essex, are well known, and need not here be dilated upon. Among the affluents of the Lea, the Beane may first be mentioned. Its present source is near Stevenage. To the north of the town, at Fisher's Green, 8 Palaeolithic implements have been found in brick-earth. Mr. W. Ransom, F.S.A., has specimens also from Ippolitts to the north- west. Others have been found in a brickfield south of Stevenage. 9 In gravels exposed in a cutting of the Great Northern Railway near Kneb- worth 10 and in a clay pipe exposed farther south, near Welwyn tunnel, some well-formed pointed and ovate implements have been found, which were brought to my knowledge by the late Mr. Frank Latchmore. The discoveries at Hitchin will be subsequently mentioned. Mr. R. W. Brabant has a well-formed ovate implement said to have been found in the valley of the Rib near Buntingford. In the valley of the Stort, an important affluent of the Lea, which joins it near 11 Hoddesdon, a few discoveries of Palaeolithic implements have been made. At Stocking Pelham 12 Mr. W. H. Penning, F.G.S., 1 Evans, Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 598 ; Man the Prim. Savage, p. 176.
- Man the Prim. Savage, pp. 90, 1 80 ; Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 60 1.
3 Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 601 ; Man the Prim. Savage, p. 180 ; Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Sac., vol. viii. p. 183, pi. xi. 4, xiii. 7.
- Man the Prim. Savage, p. 184. B Archteol., vol. liii. p. 254.
6 Man the Prim. Savage, p. 184 ; Journ. Anthrop. Inst., 1879, viii. p. 278 ; Nature, vol. xxiii. p. 604 ; Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 602. 7 Man the Prim. Savage, p. 185. 8 Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 602 ; Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Sac., viii. pi. xi. 3, i. p. Ixi. 9 Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 602 ; Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Sac., viii. pi. xi. 5. 10 Ancient Stone Implements, and ed. p. 602. 11 Op. cit. p. 602 ; Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Soc., viii. p. 184. 18 Ancient Stone Implements, p. 6oa. 22 7
