Baron Cuvier on Caverns containing Bones. 281 



tire, a femur, a tibia, an astragalus, one os calcis, several bones 

 of the carpus and of the tarsus, the bones of the metatarsi and 

 of the phalanges. All these bones evidently belonged to the 

 genus Ursits. With respect to determining the particular spe- 

 cies, it was notdifficult,because they possessed an entire skull of 

 the Ursus spelcBus taken from the cavern of Westphalia, and 

 which M. Cuvier exhibited also to the academy. This skull 

 differed only from those of Oiselles by being rather larger. 



This grotto presents the very remarkable exception that no 

 remains were found along with the bones of tygers, hyenas, 

 nor any of those herbivorous animals contemporary with these 

 ancient races, whose usual presence in these sort of caverns has 

 been attributed to the voracity of the hyenas, who had drag- 

 ged them there for the purpose of devouring them. 



Without entering into any discussion respecting the forma- 

 tion of these caverns, or of the manner in which they account 

 for the presence of the bones found there, M. Cuvier is of 

 opinion that the bones belonged to animals who lived there and 

 died peaceably. 



The undisturbed state of the remains prevents the supposi- 

 tion, that they have been brought there by any currents of 

 water, or by any other means. These remains must have been 

 accumulated for a long time, and at last were buried in the 

 mud which has been thrown there by some great inundation v 

 It is impossible to doubt this, when we see that the bones have- 

 preserved all their sharp and delicate points, and if some few 

 of them are otherwise, it is those which have been broken by 

 the teeth of similar animals, or injured by the tools of the 

 workmen. The thin flat bones are almost always broken in 

 these caverns ; but this is owing to their being so fragile that 

 the weight only of the animals walking or lying upon them 

 would be sufficient to break them. 



It seems very certain that at some time or other the water 

 has penetrated into the cavern of Oiselles, and carried there 

 some fossil bones, which are found mixed and buried along 

 with some rounded flints ; but this peculiarity is only to be 

 seen at the entrance. Gradually as you advance the bones are 

 in better preservation ; and at 400 yards from the opening they 

 are found in a state perfectly undisturbed. Those which were 

 sent to Paris were collected at this distance. They have not 



VOL. VII. NO. II. OCT. 18.^7. T 



