atfirstbywhathecalls“aconspiracyofsilence。”andthenbyacontemptuousoppositionamongorthodoxscientists，attheheadofwhomstoodEliedeBeaumont。
Thisheavy，sluggishoppositionseemedimmovable：nothingthatBouchercoulddoorsayappearedtolightenthepressureoftheorthodoxtheologicalopinionbehindit；notevenhisbeliefthatthesefossilswereremainsofmendrownedattheDelugeofNoah，andthattheywereproofsoftheliteralexactnessofGenesisseemedtohelpthematter。Hisopponentsfeltinstinctivelythatsuchdiscoveriesbodeddangertotheacceptedview，andtheywereright：Boucherhimselfsoonsawthefollyoftryingtoaccountforthembytheorthodoxtheory。
AnditmustbeconfessedthatnotalittleforcewasaddedtotheoppositionbycertaincharacteristicsofBoucherdePertheshimself。Gifted，far-sighted，andvigorousashewas，hewashisownworstenemy。Carriedawaybyhisowndiscoveries，hejumpedtothemostastoundingconclusions。Theengravingsinthelatervolumeofhisgreatwork，showingwhathethoughttobehumanfeaturesandinscriptionsuponsomeoftheflintimplements，areworthyofacomicalmanac；andattheNationalMuseumofArchaeologyatSt。Germain，beneaththeshelvesbearingtheremainswhichhediscovered，whichmarkthebeginningofanewepochinscience，aredrawerscontainingspecimenshardlyworthyofapennymuseum，butfromwhichhedrewthemostunwarrantedinferencesastothelanguage，religion，andusagesofprehistoricman。
Bouchertriumphednonetheless。AmonghisbitteropponentsatfirstwasDr。Rigollot，whoin1855，searchingearnestlyformaterialstorefutetheinnovator，dugintothedepositsofSt。
Acheul——andwasconverted：forhefoundimplementssimilartothoseofAbbeville，makingstillmorecertaintheexistenceofmanduringtheDriftperiod。So，too，Gaudryayearlatermadesimilardiscoveries。