On the Ossiferous Caves of the Peninsula of Gower. 245 



caves was depressed. The raised beach at Mewslade Bay, which 

 appears, according to the evidence of Mr. Prestwich, to be of later 

 date than the Boulder-clay, has without doubt partaken of changes 

 of level similar to what the caves and their contents have under- 

 gone, although, the marine deposits in the caves not being at a uni- 

 form level, either in relation to each other or to the raised beach, it 

 is probable that there have been locally unequal depressions of level 

 in comparatively modern times. The author thinks that the sea 

 has effected but a comparatively slight inroad on the cave- deposits 

 and raised beach ; and hence he infers that they belong to a rela- 

 tively modern epoch, — seeing also that they are probably of later 

 date than the Boulder-clay period, and rest on marine sands con- 

 taining existing species of shells. 



Paviland Cave was next referred to ; but the author restricted his 

 remarks to the remains of Elephas primigenius and human bones that 

 were found in it, and argues that the latter (i. e. the skeleton of the 

 " Red Lady ") are of more recent date than the former. 



In the cave at Spritsail Tor (cursorily examined by Sir H. De la 

 Beche, and thoroughly explored by Colonel Wood), under a stalag- 

 mitic bone-breccia, the irregular fissure of the rocky floor was im- 

 pacted with ochreous cave-earth full of bones and teeth of Elephas 

 antiquus, E. primigenius, Rhinoceros tichorhinus, E quits, Sus, Bos, 

 Cervus,Lepus, Arvicola, Mus, Ursus spelceus, U.priscusl)), Felis spelcea, 

 Hycena spelcea, Canis lupus, C. vulpes, Meles taxus, and Mustela. 

 Coprolites of Hycena, gnawed bones of Bos, Equus, and Cervus, and 

 a great abundance of the detached molars of horse, gave the cave the 

 undoubted character of having been a Hyaena's den. In the super- 

 ficial sand on the stalagmite, the antlers of a Reindeer and some 

 human bones were found. 



General remarks on the distribution of the Mammalian remains in 

 the different caverns were offered, and the special anomalies pointed 

 out ; and, after a comparative review of the fauna of the Gower 

 bone-caves in relation with that of other cave- districts of England 

 in particular, and of Europe in general, the author arrived at the 

 following conclusions as being consistent with the existing state 

 of our knowledge : — 



1 . That the Gower Caves have probably been filled up with their 

 mammalian remains since the deposition of the Boulder-clay. 



2. That there are no mammalian remains found elsewhere in the 

 ossiferous caves in England and Wales referable to a fauna of a 

 more ancient geological date. 



3. That Elephas (Loxodon) meridionalis and Rhinoceros Etruscus, 

 which occur in, and are characteristic of, the " Submarine forest 

 Bed " that immediately underlies the Boulder-clay on the Norfolk 

 coast, have nowhere been met with in the British caverns. 



4. That Elephas antiquus with Rhinoceros hemitcechus, and E. pri- 

 migenius with Rh. tichorhinus, though respectively characterizing 

 the earlier and later portions of one period, were probably contem- 

 porary animals ; and that they certainly were companions of the 

 Cave-Bears, Cave-Lions, Cave-Hyamas, &c, and of some at least of 

 the existing mammalia. 



