46 The Irish Naturalist. March, 



about four feet from the ground, through which the explorer 

 must pass. 



One is now fairly in the cave ; to the west run a number of 

 passages parallel with the face of the cliff; one of them a few 

 yards away contains a large opening correlated to the one we 

 have just emerged from, by its shape, position, and aspect. 



To the south the passages run in similar groups towards the 

 road. 



Progressing in this direction and referring occasionally to 

 the compass, without w^hich it is quite possible to execute an 

 unintentional volte Jace while at the same time securing 

 one's retreat by a ball of string, one sooner or later comes 

 across one of the chambers, while a little further exploration 

 will reveal the formation locally known as the " Altar." 



From the wall of a low but room}^ chamber projects a block 

 of stalagmite-covered material, six feet high, and as man}^ 

 wide ; two short columns descend from the roof to the front of 

 this shelf, while the back-ground and roof are adorned with 

 w^avy festoons of crystalline rock. 



A little in front of this and standing about four feet high, 

 is a fantastic block, which requires but little imagination in 

 the dim light, to transform it into a seated lion with drooping 

 head. 



The " Altar" is near the largest vSwallow-hole visible in the 

 field, and faces about north and south ; close to this chamber 

 and to the west of it, is a straight passage nearly forty yards 

 long, and opening to its west side into a network of low and 

 narrow passages having no exit to the west ; there are many 

 small sink-holes in the floor of these, which necessitate 

 careful walking. 



Travelling in a south and west direction from the " Altar," 

 that is towards the road, the roots of trees are presentl}^ seen 

 to protrude from the roof, and the rumble of vehicles overhead 

 may be heard. 



In several places hereabouts the rock is intersected by 

 numerous vertical black and brittle laminae which strike 

 east and west. 



In the vicinity of the road, most of the southerly-trending 

 passages become too low to permit of further exploration, 

 or in summer end in pools of water, while in autumn when 

 one is wading knee deep most of the time, the increasing 



