242 Geological Society : — 



terials for the history of the Cave-period) are in the Carboniferous 

 Limestone ; and, with the exception of that of Spritsail Tor, which 

 is on the west coast of the peninsula, they all occur between the 

 Mumbles and the Worm's Head. The most important are " Bacon 

 Hole," "Minchin Hole," " Bosco's Den," "Bowen's Parlour," 

 "Crow Hole," '* Haven's Cliff Cavern," and lastly the well-known 

 "Paviland Caves." Bone-caves at the Mumbles, in Caswell Bay, 

 and in Oxwich Bay formerly existed; but the sea has destroyed 

 them. One cavern named "Ram Tor" between Caswell Bay and 

 the Mumbles, presumed to be ossiferous, remains unexplored. 



Before proceeding to describe the bone-caves and their contents, 

 the author briefly noticed a raised beach and talus of breccia, which 

 Mr. Prestwich had lately traced for a mile along Mewslade Bay, 

 westward of Paviland ; and he pointed out their important relation- 

 ship to the marine sands and overlying limestone-breccia found in 

 several of the Gower Caves. Dr. Falconer also referred to Mr. 

 Prestwich's recent discovery of some patches of Boulder-clay on the 

 highland of Gower, and in Rhos Sili Bay. 



" Bacon Hole " was first treated of. Jt has been worked out by 

 Colonel Wood, and described by Mr. Starling Benson. On the 

 limestone-floor of the cave are : — (1) a few inches of marine sand, 

 abounding with Litorina rudis, L. litoralis, and Clausilia nigricans, 

 with bones of an Arvicola and Birds ; (2) a thin layer of stalagmite; 

 (3) two feet or less of blackish sand, containing a mass of bones of 

 Elephas antiquus, with remains of Meles tawus and Putorius (vul- 

 garis}); (4) one to two feet of ochreous cave-earth, limestone-breccia, 

 and sandy layers, with remains of Elephas antiquus, Rhinoceros hemi- 

 toechus, Hycena, Canis lupus, Ursus spelceus, Bos, and Cervus; (5) 

 irregular stalagmite, partly enveloping a huge tusk of an Elephant 

 imbedded below it ; (6) limestone-breccia and stalagmite, from 1 

 to 2 feet thick, with bones of Ursus and Bos; (7) irregular bed of 

 stalagmite, 1 foot or more, with Ursus ; (8) dark-coloured super- 

 ficial earth, kept soppy by abundant drip, with bones of Bos, Cervus, 

 Canis vulpes, horns of Reindeer and Roebuck, together with shells 

 of Patella, Mytilus, Purpura, Litorina (probably brought into the 

 cavern as food by birds), and also pieces of ancient British pottery. 

 The marine sand at the bottom of tl Bacon Hole " was analogous to 

 that on the rocky floor of the San Ciro Cave, near Palermo ; but 

 contained fewer species of Mollusca. The uppermost layer of sta- 

 lagmite is about 30 feet above high water. The Elephant-remains 

 belonged to at least three individuals, one of which was adult, and 

 one young with milk-dentition. 



"Minchin Hole" is the grandest and most spacious of all the 

 Gower Caves, being 1 70 feet long, by 70 feet where widest, and 

 35 feet high at the entrance; here the section gave — (1) Loose 

 limestone- breccia, 3 feet; (2) Yellow cave-earth, 9 inches; (3) 

 Sand, 1 foott (4) Blackish sandy loam containing abundant remains 

 of Rhinoceros, Elephas, and Bos, 2\ feet; (5) Greyish-yellow ma- 

 rine sand, varying in thickness from 1 to 4 feet, and resting on the 

 rocky floor. Some of the lower jaws of Rhinoceros from this deposit 

 exhibit Litorina and comminuted shells imbedded in the encrusting 



